blow Trumpets But for what cause this feast was instituted whether in memory of that Trumpet which sounded upon mount Sinai when the Law was given or of the deliverance of Isaac when Abraham would have offered him up upon the mount Moriah and he was exchanged for a Ram caught by his hornes in a thicket the memory whereof was renewed by blowing up those Trumpets of Rams horns or rather in memory of those great and memorable Victories which the people of Israel valiantly atchieved before they were setled peaceably in the land of promise it is more then we can now determine It was a solemn feast and honorable mention is made of it in the book of Psalms Blow up the Trumpet in the new moon in the time appointed Psal 81.3 on our solemne feast day The day of attonement The day of Attonement was upon the tenth day of the same moneth so called because by such solemn ceremonies and sacrifices as are set forth Levit. cap. 16. 23 the Priest did make an attonement for the people did expiate their sins and reconcile them to God It was kept in memory of that reconciliation which was made betwixt God and the people after they had sinned against him in the matter of the golden Calfe Jer. 36.6 It was dies jejunii the fasting day For upon that day they were commanded to fast and to afflict their soules And Josephus saith that all the people did fast upon that day and that whosoever did not upon that day fast and afflict his soul he was to be put to death And that if any man should work upon that day he was to be put to death Such and so severe was the Law on that behalf For whatsoever soul it be said the Law that shall not be afflicted in that same day Levit. 23 29 30. he shall be cut off from among his people And whatsoever soule it be that doth any work in that same day the same soul will I destroy from among his people Upon the fifteenth day of the same moneth also began the feast of Tabernacles The feast of Tabernacles which was to put them in remembrance that they dwelt in Tents and Tabernacles in the wilderness by the space of forty years At which Feast all the tribes were to go up to that place where he should fix his worship and upon the first day of this feast they did rest from labour and did take the boughes of goodly trees the branches of Palm trees and the boughes of thick trees and Willows of the brook and they did go forth and dwell in Tabernacles seaven dayes with great joy and rejoycing They say that at this feast they did sing the eighty fourth Psalme How amiable are thy Tabernacles O Lord of hosts c. Concerning which feast they that will know more let them read Levit. cap. 23. Num. cap. 29. Nehem. cap. 8. and likewise Josephus in the third book of his Antiquities cap. 10. On the day following which was the eighth day and the two and twentieth day of the moneth there was another feast or solemn assembly an holy convocation on which they might do no work and then the tribes being at Jerusalem they brought in the revenue for repair of the Temple to defrey the charge of the sacrifices and for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites The Sabbatary seventh year The sabbath of the seventh year or sabbath of the seventh year was a Sabbath for the whole year And that year they dismissed all their bondmen and bondwomen which were Hebrews and the earth it selfe had rest for that year For they might neither ear nor sow nor reap nor mow nor carry any thing into their barns for that whole year And the fruits which the earth it self brought of its own accord Exod. 23. Levit. 25. Deut. 15. were common to all those that would make use thereof as well to those of the country as to strangers without forbidding or reservation The Jubile of the fiftieth year The Jubile of the fiftieth year was proclaimed by blowing up of Trumpets of Rams hornes and then the earth must rest for the space of a whole year even from the tenth day of September upon which day the Trumpet was to proclaim the Jubilee till the tenth day of September in the next year During all which time they might neither ear nor sow nor reap nor mow nor gather that which grew of it self It was a year of liberty for in that year all servants went forth perpetually free and every one that had sold his possession did in that year return unto it again Levit. 25. It was called Jubile from the Trumpets of Rams hornes wherewith it was proclaimed which the Hebrews call Jobelins But of all these things the Mysterie The Mysterie was most excellent for the quotidian profeast and daily sacrifice did as is said before in the Mysterie set forth S. Joh. 1.29 Christ that lambe of God which taketh away the sin of the world For he is the perpetuall sacrifice he was the sacrifice before the Law offered up in the mysterie by Abel Seth Noah Sem Abraham Isaac Jacob and by all the Fathers who by their sacrifices testified that they expected no other sacrifice but that promised seed who should be sacrificed for the sinnes of the whole world He was the sacrifice under the Law he is an eternall sacrifice Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 The new moons or monthly Sabbaths did set forth Christ the light of the World who being sent into the World hath enlightned it by his preaching by his miracles and by his most holy and most blessed spirit I am saith he the light of the world he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life Before he came in the flesh the faithfull S. Joh. 8.12 by the spirituall eyes of faith did look on him as on the light to come for so the Prophet Isaiah did look upon him and did fore-know and fore-tell of him by the spirit of prophesie The people said he that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined Jsai 9.2 Luc. 2.29.30 31 32. And when he was come then did they welcome that light Lord said old Simeon in his song now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word For mine eyes have seene thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people A light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people Israel The sabbath of the seaventh day did signifie Jesus Christ who is the true rest in whom and upon whom all the faithfull do rest for he is that true sabbath who giveth true spirituall rest unto the world and without whom there is no true rest to be had Therefore when Christ the sabbath signified
was come the sabbath of the seventh day which was the sabbath signifying must vanish away That Sabbath of the seventh day did therefore teach the people of God to expect the true sabbath in whom all must cease from the unclean works of sin and every one must submit himself to him and suffer him to have and sanctifie a sabbath in him by his most holy and most blessed spirit so to cease from their own works not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasure Isai 58.13 nor speaking thine own words saith the Prophet Isaiah as to do all the workes of his law by faith For he that is entred into his rest which is Christ the true sabbath He also hath ceased from his own workes Heb. 4.10.11 as God did from his Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbeliefe The feast of Easter did set forth Christ the true paschall Lambe who should be killed that so he might be made the food of the faithfull unto everlasting life who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood S. Joh. 6.54 hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day And because that Christ is that feast and is our passeover that therefore we must purge out the old leaven for so S. Paul himself sets forth the Mysterie Purge out therefore saith he the old leaven that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are unleavened For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor 5.7 Therefore let us keep the feast not with the old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth The feast of Pentecost did set forth Christ conferring the gifts of the Holy Ghost upon his Church and was a type of that day wherein the Holy Ghost was sent under the outward visible signes of fierie cloven tongues Act. 2. The feast of Trumpets did signifie Christ publishing his Gospell by the mouthes of his Apostles and Disciples whose sound went into all the earth Rom. 10.18 and their words unto the ends of the world The day of attonement or yearly feast of the expiations did set forth the expiation of sins by Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse Rom. 3.25 for the remission of sins Upon which day the passion and death of Christ and mans Redemption by him was so plainly shewed that nothing could be more lively acted or represented The day it selfe was a day of a general and universal expiation of sins by sacrifice wherein the attonement was made for the holy Sanctuary and for the tabernacle of the congregation for the Altar for the Priests and for all the people of the congregation Therefore the great expiatory sacrifice Christ crucified upon the Cross must be offered up for all the sins of all man-kind as well for the most holy who may be compared to the Sanctuary to the Tabernacle to the Altar to the Priests all consecrated unto God by his mysterious Sacraments as also for all sorts of sinners to be understood by all the people of the congregation For what other thing is the world but a congregation of all sorts of people all sinners all standing in need of the generall and universall expiation That generall and universall expiation must be made by no other person but by the High Priest therefore an High Priest must be expected who must make the great attonement for the sins of the whole world The High Priest did make an attonement for himself and it was needfull for him so to do because he was a sinner therefore he was not the true high priest but a type of him who had no need to make an attonement for himselfe because he had no sin That high priest did make the attonement every year and did admit of a successor by reason of death therefore he was not the true high priest but a type of him who should make the attonement once for all made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.20 That high priest had none to accompany him when he made the attonement therefore this high priest must himselfe be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world That high priest did put on those garments which were common to the other priests to wit the linnen coat the linnen breeches the linnen girdle and the linnen mitre he did also bring his own sacrifice a young bullock for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt offering and did receive of the congregation two kids for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt-offering therefore this high priest should put on the whole human nature and should receive that of us which he would sacrifice for us as namely the substance of our flesh But as those garments are said to be holy so must they understand the humanity of Christ to be without sin The young bullock which the high priest brought for a sin offering and the ram which he brought for a burnt offering was his humble acknowledgment that he was not that High priest but a type of him that should make the great attonement for all mankinde Heb. 7.26 Seeing as the Apostle saith such an high priest became us who is holy blamlesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heavens Who needeth not daily as those high priests 27. to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himselfe Such a one therefore were they admonished by that his sacrifice to look for The two goats upon which the high priest cast lots did signifie Christ in two natures and that in one of those natures namely the humanity he should be killed and die but yet by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God for that was signified by the lots that were cast seeing as Solomon saith in the book of Proverbs The lot is cast into the lap Prov. 16.33 but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. The blood of the bullock and the blood of the goat which the high priest brought successively within the vail and did with his finger sprinckle the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times did in the mystery instruct them to know that not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood should Christ the true high priest enter in once into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us Heb. 9.12 And that seven-fold aspersion made by the finger of the high priest did signifie the fulnesse and perfection of the propitiation to be made by Christ The incense which was offered by the high priest within the vail in the most holy place the cloud whereof did arise and cover the mercy seat did shew forth the prayers and supplications with strong crying
nec antiquum fuisse nec multum temporis perdurâsse not to have been of antiquity nor to have lasted long Episcop Norwic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tom. 1. par post f. 112. The miracle vvas ceased before Tertullians time and as it should seem so soon as they had filled up the measure of their iniquities in the death of the just one adver Iud. cap. 13. It vvas not only a miracle but a great mystery and so do the learned fathers understand it though they diversly apply it Most of them to the sacrament of Baptisme vvherein a man is made vvhole of all spirituall diseases by the holy Ghost Among that multitude of impotent folk lay a certain man vvhich had an infirmity conjectured to be the palsie a disease vvherein either all the body The impotent man cured who had been diseased 38 years or some one or more of the members be mortified and deprived of feeling and moving as the hands the eyes c. thirty and eight years His disease had made him impotent his poverty had made him unable to hire any one to attend upon him and to put him into the water when it should be moved and the long continuance of his impotency had made him miserable A fit object was he for Christ his mercy Therefore said he unto him Wilt thou be made whole not beâ—â—use he did doubt of it for what impotent man vvould not be made vvhole But he vvould have him to behold the true physician whose comming was to cure those that are willing The man telleth him the cause why he had not been cured He was poor and had no man when the water was troubled to put him into the pool he was also more impotent then others so that alwaies while he was comming who could make no haste by reason of his impotency some one or other stepped down before him Christ therefore cureth him by his word commandeth him to arise to take up his bed and walk which he did immediately For so is the history delivered by Saint John S. Joh. 5.1 And there was a feast of the Iewes 2 and Iesus went up to Hierusalem Now there is at Hierusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda 3 having five porches In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk of blinde halt withered waiting for the moving of the water 4 For an angell went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in 5 was made whole of whatsoever disease he had And a certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight years When Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had been now a long time in that case he saith unto him wilt thou be made whole 6 The impotent man answered him Sir I have no man when the water is troubled to put me into the poole but while I am comming 7 8 9. another steppeth down before me Jesus saith unto him Rise take up thy bed and walke And immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked and the same day was the sabbath By occasion of the Sabbath day and it seems that it was that Sabbath which St. Iohn calleth an high day S. Joh. 19.31 namely the first or great day of the feast in which they did eat the passeover and had eaten it the evening before the Iewes take upon them to quarrell the poor man that was made whole objecting to him the breach of the law It is the sabbath day The poorman quaâ—elled by the Jewes v. 10. it is not lawfull for thee to carrie thy bed It was indeed unto the Jewes a breach of the law and a great offence to bear any burthen upon the sabbath day for thus saith the Prophet Jeremiah Thus saith the Lord take heed to your selves and bear no burden on the sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Hierusalem Jer. 17.21 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day neither do ye any worke but hallow ye the sabbath day as I commanded your fathers 22 The charge therefore against him was great that he violated the sabbath nay the greatest of all the sabbaths the great day of the feast the high day Neither doth he deny the violation of the sabbath to be a great offence nor doth he seek to extenuate his fault but justifieth the bearing of that burden by the authority of him that had commanded him so to do and that was he by whom he was made whole He that made me whole the same said unto me Take up thy bed and walke Hereat the Jewes enraged 11. demand not the cure nor who it vvas that had healed him nor hovv or in what manner he had done it but vvho it vvas that had given him commission to carry a burthen upon the sabbath day What man is that which said unto thee Take up thy bed and walke 12 They enquire vvhat man it vvas to the end that they might persequute him But he that vvas healed could give no satisfactory ansvver for he knevv not vvho it vvas And Jesus had conveyed himselfe away a multitude being in that place 13 Then having first disposed his burthen he comes to the Temple to vvorship and to praise God Iesus findeth him there putteth him in mind of the benefit vvhich he had received to the end that he should be thankfull acknovvledge him the author and look more carefully to his vvaies hereafter Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee The man departed at that saying 14 vvent boldly to the Jewes and to the end that he might give God the glory and testifie of Christ told them that it vvas Jesus vvhich had made him vvhole And therefore did the Iewes persecute Jesus and sought to slay him 15. because he had done these things on the sabbath day Because he had healed the man and had also commanded him to carry his bed Christ avoucheth his authority But vvhen he told them by vvhat authority namely that God vvas his Father and that he vvas equall vvith him then vvere they the more enrag'd and sought the more to kill him Yet he maintains his vvord affirming the Fathers operation his to be all one in every thing and that he vvould do greater things then those miraculous cures for he would quicken the dead in soule by sin as being appointed judge of all and quicken the dead in body also judging all with righteous judgement And to the end that they might perceive that he is God and the son of God he produceth the testimony of St. Iohn the Baptist his own miraculous works the witness of his Father from heaven at his Baptisme and the scriptures themselves which testifie of him And these are the things which we read to have
Time that it belongs to God Their feasts or holy daies major holy daies they called Sabbaths that is to say daies of rest and every sabbath they kept by the space of a whole day to wit from sun-set to sun-set again the full space of twenty foure houres for so measured they their day and that is Gods measure of a day Gen. 1.5 Of these sabbaths some were of divine institution and some by positive human law those of divine institution were 1. the Sabbath of the seventh day 2. the feast of Easter 3. the feast of Penticost 4. the feast of Trumpets 5. the day of Attonement 6. the feast of Tabernacles 7. the sabbatary seventh year 8. the Jubile of the fiftieth year Observation Concerning all which sabbaths our Sacred History must observe that although the observation of them were morall yet the daies themselves were not morall by nature for had they so been the observation of them could never have ceased in the Church no more then of those spirituall and evangelicall duties which were prefigured in them and commended and commanded by them but they were made morall by divine positive law Those that were by positive human law were 1st The sabbaths of dedication for there were foure dedications which were kept at foure severall times of the year The first was the dedication of Solomon's temple in the month of September The second was the dedication of the temple of Zorobabel in the month of February The third was the dedication of the Altar by Judas Machabaeus in the month of November The fourth was the dedication of the temple re-edified by King Herod not without great solemnity as Josephus saith 2ly They had the feast of the lamentation of the daughter of Jeptha mentioned Judg. cap. 11. 3ly They had the feast called Naphthar or cleansing Josephus calleth it the feast of lights instituted by Nehemiah in memoriall of the holy fire found in the pit with which he purified the sacrifices and was celebrated upon the twentieth day of November 2 Mac. 1. 4ly They had the feast purim or lots instituted by Mordochaeus in memory of their deliverance from the bloody intentions of Haman which was kept yearly with great solemnity upon the fourteenth and fifteenth daies of the month of February Hest cap. 9. which fourteenth day of February is remembred to have been a double holy-day for then also they did commemorate a great victory obtained against Nicanor one of the Captains of Demetrius King of Syria But our sacred history must supersede all these festivalls as being of human institution Yet from the history it selfe Observation the reader hath to observe that the clause of the commandment Six daies shalt thou labour c. was no warrant to the Jewes to rest from labour onely upon the Sabbath of the seventh day for besides that day our history hath observed how many sabbaths God himselfe ordained and how many were ordained by their governours upon many of which they were not onely commanded to rest from labour but if any man had presumed to work it was ordained that he should be put to death How then shall that clause now warrant the observation of the Sunday or Lords day onely if other daies and times be set apart by lawfull authority Truly it will be somewhat too peremptory to tie up the Almighty God to the bare allowance of a seventh day for his publick external worship seeing that the morall equity of the commandement is that not a seventh day onely but that a sufficient quantity of time should be set apart and dedicated to his service The Sabbath of the seventh day The sabbath of the seventh day was commanded to the people and nation of the Jews to be kept holy in memory of the creation that day did forbid all manner of labour so that it was not lawfull so much as to kindle a fire upon that day Notwithstanding as was said before it had not its morality by nature Gen. 2.3 Exod. 35.3 for then it had been for ever indispensable but it was made morall by a divine positive law and was temporary and was commended only to the circumcision the Jewes and Proselytes untill the time of reformation And therefore upon urgent necessity might be omitted and the Jewes themselves might labour and war and fight in battle and carry burthens and perform laborious works upon the sabbath day Josh 6. Joshua besieged Hiericho and compassed it seven times upon the sabbath day They took the city on that day and slew all that were therein man woman young old oxe sheep and asse with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire on the sabbath day The Israelites fought with the Syrians on that day 1 King 20. and slew of them an hundred thousand footmen S. Joh. 5.10 And Christ himselfe commanded a certain man whom he had cured to carry his bed on the sabbath day which else by the law ought not to be don neither might he have commanded him so to do if the Sabbath had been morall by nature and indispensable The feast of Easter The feast of Easter called also the feast of unleavened bread was kept every year from the fourteenth day of the month of March at even till the one and twentieth day of the same moneth at even During all which time they were to eat no leavened bread neither were they to have any leaven found in their houses and if any man were found to eat leaven within that space he was to be put to death This feast was kept in memory of the deliverance of the people of Israel out of Egypt And at this feast Exod. 12.15 all the tribes were to appear in the place which the Lord should choose to put his name there that was first in Shiloh where the Tabernacle of Moses was afterwards in Jerusalem where Solomon built his most sumptuous and most magnificent Temple The feast of Pentecost The feast of Pentecost otherwise called the feast of Weeks or of the first fruits was celebrated on the sixth day of May in memory of the law given upon mount Sinai Upon the second day after the eating of the passeover which was the second day of sweet bread which was before harvest began and upon the sixteenth day of March the Law commanded that they should offer a Sheaf of new corne before the Lord Levit. 23.10 it was to crave his blessing upon their harvest But fifty dayes after which was seaven whole weeks and upon the fiftieth day at what time they had gathered in their harvest they were all to appear before the Lord againe and to offer new bread before him in thankfull acknowledgement of the harvest which they had received by his gift The feast of Trumpets The feast of Trumpets was solemnized upon the first day of the seaventh moneth that is to say upon the first day of September upon which day they were to
before the Commissioner himself or such as were appointed by him their names surnames parentage alliances estate and condition of life or what else should be demanded of them that so they might be taxed or inrolled accordingly And being come thither they find themselves prevented of lodging and entertainment in the Inne wherefore they turn into a certain Cave as all antiquity affirmeth where was a Stable and a Manger cut out of a Rock and in that Cave they made their present abode which Cave as Beda in the description of Beth-lehem lib. de locis sanct cap. 8. saith was at the East end of the Town seeming to be naturall and in the form of a Semi-center which of all likelyhood was without the city walls the providence of God so disposing it to the end that the shepheards to whom the glad tydings should first be made known might easily have access thither by night though the city gates were shut and see the truth of all that which the Angel had told them And it was so that while they were there S. Luc. 2.6 the dayes were accomplished that she should be delivered 7. And she brought forth her first born sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the Inne It was upon the five and twentieth day of the moneth of December according to the account which the Church maketh Christ his nativity which also celebrateth the blessed nativity yearly upon that day that the blessed virgin St. Mary the daughter of Eliachim and Hanna espoused to Joseph did in the night bring forth that holy thing which vvas called and vvas indeed the sonne of God The time appointed and praedetermined of God for that vvonderful birth being in or about the year of the vvorld three thousand nine hundred threescore and ten and in the tvvo and fortieth year of the raign of the Emperour Augustus at vvhat time the Scepter vvas departed from Judah according to the prophecie of Jacob Gen 49.10 and Herod in the three and thirtieth year of his raign The place also preordained for that purpose being no other but the city of Beth-lehem and there also that Cave and Stable vvhere such a Manger vvas provided for his Cradle Nihilominus fulget etiam novus ille conceptionis modus ut non in iniquitate quemadmodum caeterae omnes sed superveniente Spiritu Sancto sola de solâ sanctificatione Maria conciperet Yet notwithstanding that nevv manner of conception shineth that Mary alone concâ—ived not in iniquity as all other vvomen but by the Holy Ghost vvho came upon her and by sole sanctification saith St. Bernard ser de beata Maria. For the scripture affirmeth and the Church believeth and confesseth that blessed conception to be not of human seed and geniture but by the power and vertue of the Holy Ghost who sanctified the Virgins wombe for such a birth A Childe is borne unto us saith St. Gregory Nyssen by the Holy Ghost and by the power of the highest neither hath the Virgin suffered any thing at all neither hath the spirit been diminished nor hath the power of the highest been dissected into parts For the spirit is whole and the power of the highest remained entire without any manner of immutation And a whole sonne is born unto us neither hath he impaired the integrity of his mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moreover flesh was procreated of flesh but yet without perpession Cont. Eunom Orat. 2. The Gospell is the glad tydings of the word made flesh for the redemption of man-kind The Gospell first preached by Angeâ—s upon Christmas day Christ therefore being born God would that the Gospell should be immediately preached I say immediately the same night which was the night of the day following for the Jews did reckon their day to begin when the sun went down and was the first part of that day which we commonly call Christmas day Opus diet in die suo The work of the day upon its own proper day No day more proper to preach and publish the glad tydings then that day The fittest Ministers for the work of the day were the blessed Angells For like as Christ was sent out of the Father's bosome to be incarnate in the Virgin 's wombe and by divine dispensation to be born upon that day Even so were the blessed Angells sent forth from the Fathers glorious presence by divine dispensation to preach and publish the glad tidings of his birth upon that day I should think that great and glorious Angell who by way of excellency is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the angell of the Lord to be no other then the Angell Gabriel himselfe who first brought the glad tidings of so great a mystery and grace of God to the blessed Virgin But because neither the Angell nor the place nor the shepheards are either numbred nor named it will be sufficient to deliver the story thus Not far from Beth-lehem about a mile as is said there were fair and fruitfull pastures convenient for the feeding depasturing and folding of sheep where David also fed the sheep of Jesse his father It was on the east of Beth-lehem 1 Sam. 12.15 where was that tower which of antient times was called the tower of Edar that is to say the tower of the flock where Jacob sometimes dwelt and not far from which place he buried Rachel his wife and retained the name still Gen. 35.20 21. for that many flocks of sheep resorted thither At that time there were certain shepheards three shepheards saith the tradition whether the owners of the sheep or their servants or hirelings that makes no question who abode in the field keeping watch over their flock by night in that very place Where they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keeping their watches whether under the shelter of the tower in the sheep-coats or in the open aire that differs not Peradventure because that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a word which may not unaptly be compounded of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Ghost thereby also intimating what they were doing at that time while they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sing and pipe with flutes and pipes in the field an usuall recreation of shepheards in the night to keep themselves awake and to beguile the time the Angel Gabriel or some other great and glorious Angell came upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stood over them and nigh unto them in glory and great brightness At which great glorious and unusuall apparition and for that the Jewes also retained an opinion that if at any time they should see those divine and heavenly spirits they should die the shepheards being in a great fear Jud. 6.22.23 13 22. the Angel first dehorteth them from fear and then telleth them what his message was and what God had given him commission to do it was to preach unto
he would then do that which should be fittest to be done Upon which answer she conceives good hope therefore saith unto the servants Whatsoever he saith unto you do it The Iewes had many washings and purifications by water according to the tradition of the elders for which use at that time there were set there six water pots of stone after the manner of the purifying of the Jewes containing two or three some two some three metretae measures or firkins a piece in the whole according to some one hundred sixty and eight gallons and three quarts or thereabouts but these men seem to be too punctuall unlesse they would say how many of those water pots held two metretae and how many three others do cast up the reckoning at foure hundred and fifty gallons But to dispute the quantity will be more difficult I suppose then profitable Iesus commanded the servants to fil those water pots with water and they in obedience to his command filled them up to the brim By this he would declare the verity and truth of his miracle and take away all cavills They were water pots not wine vessels lest any one should think that the wine dregs or lees left in the bottom might give both taste and tincture to the water They were water pots of stone set or fixed in their places made and placed there for no other use but to contain water Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith unto them he commandeth the same servants that filled them and that immediately to draw out and bear to the Architriclinus or ruler of the feast Architriclinus a steward chosen of purpose for the present time and occasion to whom it belonged to take care of the wine and to proportionate what wine and how much should be spent also to praetaste the same to the end that only good and wholsome wine might be set before the guests to command the servants and to order the feast every way Therefore when the servants brought this wine and told him that it had not been given unto the guests before the steward according to his office tasteth it and not knowing the miracle called the bridegroom praising and commending the wine and telling him that he had kept the best wine till the last a course not usually taken by other men And this was the first of his miracles publiquely wrought Christ his first miracle and before the people to manifest his glory and that his Disciples might believe on him although peradventure secretly privately and out of the sight of men he had done some miracles before for divine ends and had fasted forty dayes and forty nights which quoad substantiam operis in as much as concerneth the substance of the work done was a miracle and not the least And the third day saith the text there was a marriage in Cana S. Joh. 2.1.2 3 a towne of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there And both Jesus was ca led and his Disciples to the marriage And when they wanted wine the mother of Jesus saith unto him 4 they have no wine Jesus saith unto her Woman what have I to do with thee mine houre is not yet come His mother saith unto the servants 5 whatsoever he saith unto you do it And there were set there six water pots of stone after the manner of the purifying of the Iewes 6 containing two or three firkins a piece Jesus saith unto them fill the water pots with water and they filled them up to the brim And he saith unto them 7 8 Draw out now and beare unto the governour of the feast and they bare it When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and knew not whence it was but the servants which drew the water knew the governour of the feast called the bridegroome 9 and saith unto him Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine and when men have well drunke then that which is worse hut thou hast kept the good wine untill now 10 This beginning of miracles did Iesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory and his disciples believed on him 11. Here it is expedient that we should observe something concerning miracles and the causes of them for so much as the miracles of Christ do belong to his administration of the covenant in the flesh Concerning miracles what they are Miracles are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admirations because they strike the hearts of men with wonder and amazement They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 portents or prodigies They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signs and significations of Gods divine power and presence They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virtues powers the effects of divine vertue and power They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 violent and efficacious effects besides above or against nature There be in art many wonderfull and admirable things which yet have been done by art and seem incredible the Babylonian Gardens the Egyptian Pyramides the lake of Myris the stately tombe of Mausolus the temple of Ephesus the inventions of Archimedes and such like But for as much as they did not utterly and absolutely exceed all humane power and skill nor yet were besides above or against nature they were great and wonderfull workes indeed they were not miracles There be many strange portents and prodigies in nature monstrous births dreadfull comets and apparitions in the air which though wonderfull in our sight yet because they do not utterly and absolutely transcend nature and because that some Philosophicall cause or reason may be assigned for them quoad rem substantiam rei in as much as concerneth the thing it self and the substance of it they are not miracles Miracles therefore which are miracles indeed quoad rem substantiam rei are either besides nature which is when there is an immutation of that order which nature observeth by a perpetuall law for the producing of the miracle For so the sun and moon stood still at the word of Josuah at one time and at another time the sunne went back ten degrees for a sign to Hezechia Or else secondly Jos 10.13 Isa 38.8 S. Joh. 9 7. they are above nature which is when such an effect is immediately produced which nature cannot bring forth as when a blind man is immediately though born blind made to see Or when he that is lame from his mothers wombe is presently Act. 3.7 and without the application of any external means made to go Or thirdly contrary to nature as when the fire which yet had its naturall disposition to burn could neither burn nor cinge the garments of the three children though it had slain those that took them up Dan. 3.27 Nor the Lyons rend or devour Daniel which had the mastery of his accusers and brake all their bones in pieces Dan. 6.24 or ever they came at the bottome of the den The