of that wine yet praysed the taste Euery man at the beginning doth set forth good wine and when men haue well drunk then that which is worse but thou hast kept the good wine vntill now The same bounty that expressed it selfe in the quantity of the wine shewes it selfe no lesse in the excellence Nothing can fall from that diuine hand not exquisite That liberality hated to prouide crab-wine for his guests It was fit that the miraculous effects of Christ which came from his immediate hand should be more perfect then the naturall O blessed Sauiour how delicate is that new wine which we shall one day drinke with thee in thy Fathers Kingdome Thou shalt turne this water of our earthly affliction into that wine of gladnesse wherewith our soules shall bee satiate for euer Make haste ô my Beloued and bee thou like to a Roe or to a young Hart vpon the mountaine of spices The good Centurion EVEN the bloudy trade of warre yeelded worthy Clients to Christ This Roman Captaine had learned to beleeue in that Iesus whom many Iewes despised No nation no trade can shut out a good heart from God If hee were a Forrainer for birth yet he was a Domestique in heart Hee could not change his bloud hee could ouer-rule his affections Hee loued that Nation which was chosen of God and if hee were not of the Synagogue yet he built a Synagogue where hee might not bee a Party hee would be a Benefactor Next to being good is a fauouring of goodnesse We could not loue religion if we vtterly wanted it How many true Iewes were not so zealous Either will or ability lacked in them whom duty more obliged Good affections doe many times more then supply nature Neither doth God regard whence but what wee are I doe not see this Centurion come to Christ as the Israelitish Captaine came to Elias in Carmel but with his cap in his hand with much suit much submission by others by himselfe He sends first the Elders of the lewes whom hee might hope that their nation place might make gracious then lest the imployment of others might argue neglect he seconds them in person Cold and fruitlesse are the motions of frends where wee doe wilfully shut vp our owne lips Importunity cannot but speede well in both Could wee but speake for our soules as this Captaine did for his seruant what could we possibly want What maruell is it if God bee not forward to giue where wee care not to aske or aske as if wee cared not to receiue Shall wee yet call this a suit or a complaint I heare no one word of entreaty The lesse is sayd the more is concealed It is enough to lay open his wants He knew well that hee had to deale with so wise and mercifull a Physician as that the opening of the malady was a crauing of cure If our spirituall miseries bee but confessed they cannot faile of redresse Great variety of Suitors resorted to Christ One comes to him for a son another for a daughter a third for himselfe I see none come for his seruant but this one Centurion Neither was hee a better man then a Master His seruant is sicke hee doth not driue him out of doores but layes him at home neither doth he stand gazing by his beds-side but seekes forth He seekes forth not to Witches or Charmers but to Christ he seekes to Christ not with a fashionable relation but with a vehement aggrauation of the disease Had the Master beene sicke the faithfullest seruant could haue done no more He is vnworthy to bee well serued that will not somtimes wait vpon his followers Conceits of inferiority may not breed in vs a neglect of charitable offices so must we look downe vpon our seruants here on earth as that wee must still looke vp to our Master which is in heauen But why didst thou not ô Centurion rather bring thy seruant to Christ for cure then sue for him absent There was a Paralytick whom faith and charity brought to our Sauiour and let downe thorow the vncouered roofe in his bed why was not thine so carried so presented Was it out of the strength of thy faith which assured thee thou needest not shew thy seruant to him that saw all things One and the same grace may yeeld contrary effects They because they beleeued brought the Patient to Christ thou broughtest not thine to him because thou beleeued it Their act argued no lesse desire thine more confidence Thy labour was lesse because thy faith was more Oh that I could come thus to my Sauiour and make such mone to him for my selfe Lord my soule is sicke of vnbeleefe sicke of selfe-loue sicke of inordinate desires I should not neede to say more Thy mercy ô Sauiour would not then stay for my suit but would preuent me as here with a gracious ingagement I will come and heale thee I did not heare the Centurion say Either come or heale him The one he meant though hee sayd not the other he neither sayd nor meant Christ ouer-giues both his words and intentions It is the manner of that diuine munificence where he meets with a faithfull suitor to giue more then is requested to giue when he is not requested The very insinuations of our necessitâ—es are no lesse violent then successefull Wee thinke the measure of humane bounty runs ouer when we obtaine but what wee aske with importunity that infinite goodnesse keeps within bounds when it ouer-flowes the desires of our hearts As he said so hee did The word of Christ eiâ—her is his act or concurres with it He did not stand still when hee said I will come but hee went as hee spake When the ruler intreated him for his sonne Come downe ere hee dye our Sauiour stird not a foote The Centurion did but complaine of the sicknes of his seruant and Christ vnasked saies I will come and heale him That he might be farre from so much as seeming to honor wealth and despise meanenesse he that came in the shape of a seruant would goe downe to the sicke seruants pallet would not goe to the bed of the rich rulers sonne It is the basest motiue of respect that ariseth merely from outward greatnesse Either more grace or more need may iustly challenge our fauourable regards no lesse then priuate obligations Euen so ô Sauiour that which thou offeredst to doe for the Centurions seruant hast thou done for vs We were sick vnto death So farre had the dead palsy of sinne ouertaken vs that there was no light of grace left in vs When thou wert not content to sit still in heauen and say I will cure them but addest also I will come and cure them Thy selfe came downe accordingly to this miserable world and hast personally healed vs So as now we shall not dye but liue and declare thy works ô Lord And oh that we could enough praise that loue and mercy which hath so graciously abased thee and
him where missing him shee inquires of euery one shee met Haue you not seene him whom my soule loueth At last the third day shee findes him in the Temple One day was spent in the journey towards Galile another in the returne to Ierusalem The third day recouers him Hee who would rise againe the third day and be found amongst the liuing now also would the third day bee found of his Parents after the sorrow of his absence But where wert thou ô blessed Iesu for the space of these three daies Where didst thou bestow thy selfe or who tended thee whiles thou wert thus alone at Hierusalem I know if Hierusalem should haue beene as vnkinde to thee as Bethelem thou couldst haue commanded the Heauens to harbour thee and if men did not minister to thee thou couldst haue commanded the seruice of Angels but since the forme of a seruant called thee to a voluntary homelinesse whether it pleased thee to exercise thy selfe thus early with the difficulties of a stranger or to prouide miraculously for thy selfe I inquire not since thou reuealest not only this I know that hereby thou intendest to teach thy parents that thou couldest liue without them and that not of any indigency but out of a gracious dispensation thou wouldst ordinarily depend vpon their care In the meane time thy diuine wisdome could not but fore-know all these corroding thoughts wherewith the heart of thy deare mother must needs bleed through this sudden dereliction yet wouldst thou leaue her for the time to her sorrow Euen so ô Sauior thou thoughtest fit to visit her that bore thee with this earely affliction Neuer any loued thee whom thou doest not sometimes exercise with the greefe of missing thee that both we may be more carefull to hold thee and more ioyfull in recouering thee Thou hast sayd and canst not lye I am with you to the end of the world but euen whiles thou art really present thou thinkest good to be absent vnto our apprehensions yet if thou leaue vs thou wilt not forsake vs if thou leaue vs for our humiliation thou wilt not forsake vs to our finall discomfort thou mayst for three dayes hide thy selfe but then wee shall finde thee in the Temple None euer sought thee with a sincere desire of whom thou wert not found Thou wilt not bee either so little absent as not to whet our appetites nor so long as to fainten the heart After three dayes wee shall finde thee and where should wee rather hope to finde thee then in the Temple There is the habitation for the God of Israel there is thy resting place for euer Oh all yee that are greeued with the want of your Sauiour see where yee must seeke him In vaine shall yee hope to finde him in the strects in the Tauernes in the Theaters seek him in his holy Temple Seeke him with piety seeke him with faith there shall yee meet him there shall yee recouer him Whiles children of that age were playing in the streets Christ was found sitting in the Temple not to gaze on the outward glory of that house or on the golden Candlesticks or tables but to heare and appose the Doctors Hee who as God gaue them all the wisdome they had as the Son of man hearkens to the wisdom he had giuen them He who sate in their hearts as the Author of all learning and knowledge sets in the midst of their schoole as an humble Disciple That by learning of them he might teach all the younger sort humility and due attendance vpon their Instructours he could at the first haue taught the great Rabbins of Israel the deepe mysteries of God but because hee was not yet called by his Father to the publique function of a Teacher hee contents to heare with diligence and to aske with modesty to teach onely by insinuation Let those consider this which will needes run as soone as they can go and when they find ability thinke they need not stay for a further vocation of God or men Open your eyes yee rathe ripe Inuaders of Gods Chaire and see your Sauior in his younger yeeres not sitting in the eminent pulpits of the Doctors but in the lowly floores of the Auditors See him that could haue taught the Angels listning in his minority to the voyce of men Who can think much to learne of his Ancients when he looks vpon the Son of God sitting at the feet of the Doctors of Israel First he hears theÌ„ he asks how much more doth it concern vsto be hearers ere we offer to be teachers of others hee gathers that hears he speÌ„ds that teacheth if we spend ere we gather we shall soon proue bankrupts When he hath heard he askes and after that hee answers doubtlesse those very questions were instructions and meant to teach more then to learne Neuer had these great Rabbins heard the voyce of such a tutor in whom they might see the wisdome of God so concealing it selfe that yet it would bee knowne to be there No maruell then if they all wondred at his vnderstanding and answers Their eyes saw nothing but humane weakenesse their eares heard diuine sublimity of matter betwixt what they saw and what they heard they could not but bee distracted with a doubting admiration And why did ye not ô ye Iewish teachers remember That to vs a Childe is borne and vnto vs a Son is giuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and his name shall bee called Wonderfull Counsellor the mighty God the euerlasting Father the Prince of peace Why did ye not now bethinke yourselues what the starre the Sages the Angels the Shepheards Zachary Simeon Anna had premonished you Fruitlesse is the wonder that endeth not in faith No light is sufficient where the eyes are held through vnbeliefe or preâ—udice The Doctors were not more amazed to heare so profound a childe-hood then the parents of Christ were to see him among the Doctors the Ioy of finding him did striue with the astonishment of finding him thus And now not Ioseph he knew how little right he had to that diuine Son but Mary breakes forth into a louing expostulation Son why hast thou dealt so with vs that she might not sceme to take vpon her as an imperious mother it is like she reserued this question till shee had him alone Wherein she meant rather to expresse griefe then coâ—reption Onely heerein thâ— blessed virgin offended that he inconsideration did not suppose as it was that some hyâ— respects then could be due to flesh and bloud called away thâ— Son of God from her that waâ— the daughter of man She thaâ— was but the mother of his humanity should not hauâ— thought that the busines oâ— God must for her sake bee neglected Wee are all partiall to our selues naturally prone to the regard of our owne rights questionlesse this gracious saint would not for all the world haue willingly preferd her own attendance to that of her God through heedlesnesse shee
is not more the shame of Israel then the glory of the Centurion that our Sauiour sayes I haue not found so great faith in Israel Had Israel yeelded any equal faith it could not haue beene vnespyed of those all-seeing eyes yet were their helps so much greater then their faith was lesse and God neuer giues more then hee requires Where we haue laid our tillage and compost and seed who would not looke for a crop but if the vncultured fallow yeeld more how iustly is that vnanswerable ground neer to a curse Our Sauiour did not mutter this censorious testimony to himselfe nor whisper it to his Disciples but he turned him about to the people and spake it in their eares that hee might at once worke their shame and emulation In all other things except spirituall our selfe-love makes vs impatient of equals much lesse can we indure to bee out-stripped by those who are our professed inferiours It is well if any thing can kindle in vs holy ambitions Dull and base are the spirits of that man that can abide to see another ouertake him in the way and out-run him to Heauen Hee that both wrought this faith and wondred at it doth now reward it Goe thy wayes and as thou hast beleeued so bee it vnto thee Neuer was any faith vnseene of Christ neuer was any seene without allowance neuer was any allowed without remuneration The measure of our receits in the matter of fauour is the proportion of our beleefe The infinite mercy of God which is euer like it selfe followes but one rule in his gifts to vs the faith that he giues vs Giue vs ô God to beleeue and bee it to vs as thou wilt it shall bee to vs aboue that we will The Centurion sues for his seruant and Christ sayes So bee it vnto thee The seruants health is the benefit of the Master and the Masters faith is the health of the seruant And if the prayers of an earthly master preuailed so much with the Sonne of God for the recouery of a seruant how shall the intercession of the Son of God preuaile with his Father in Heauen for vs that are his impotent children and seruants vpon earth What can we want ô Sauiour whiles thou suest for vs Hee that hath giuen thee for vs can deny thee nothing for vs can deny vs nothing for thee In thee we are happy and shall be glorious To thee ô thou mighty Redeemer of Israel with thine eternall Father together with thy blessed Spirit one God infinite and incomprehensible be giuen all praise honour and glory for euer and euer AMEN FINIS Errata PAg. 6. lin 7 for where read when pag. 14. lin 3. for the read he p 29. l. 16. for of r. or p. 30. l. 16 for vertue r. wealth p. 32. l. for foe r. foyle p. 42. l. 9. for desection r. deiection p. 44. l. 15. for with r. without p. 74. l. 6. for to r. then to p. 75. l. 5. for not him r. not to him p. 78. l. 9. for destroyer r. disease p. 147. l. penult for cessatum r. cessation p. 150. l. 7. for vnto r. into p. 196. l. 2. for we r. he p. 205. l 5. for gentliest r. goodliest p. 234. l. 2. for estate r. state p. 234. l. 11. for wore r. more p. 302. l. 5. for whom r. who p 341. l. penult for carelesse r. carelesnesse p 342. l. 5. for dissertion r. desertion p. 349. l. vlt. for contents r. contents himselfe p. 363. l. 17. for satisfie r. sanctifie p. 371. l. 7. for by them r. by whom p. 378. l. 4. for no r. on p. 380. l. 5 for Diuell r. Duell p. 382. l. 1. for can but r conflict p. 402. l. 11. for vnchaste r. uncleane p. 410. l. for not to beare r. to beare p. 419. l. vlt. for collection r. collation p. 425. l. 2. for creature r. crowne p. 443. l. 4. for againe r. gaine p 443 l. 10. for he r. we p. 467. l. 17. for out r. ought p. 481. l. 9. for light r. life