selves upon the way, and trust God with the success. Where men command with God we must obey men for God, and God in men ; when against him, the best obedience is to deny obedience, and to turn our backs upon Herod.

The wise men are safely arrived in the east, and fill the world full of expectation, as themselves are full of wonder. Joseph and Mary are returned with the babe to that Jerusalem, where the wise men had inquired for his birth. The city was doubtless full of that rumour, and little thinks that he whom they talk of was so near them. From thence, they are, at least, in their way to Nazareth, where they purpose their abode. God prevents them by his angel, and sends them for safety into Egypt. Joseph was not wont to be so full of visions. It was not long since the angel appeared unto him, to justify the innocency of the mother, and the deity of the son now he appears for the preservation of both, and a preservation by flight. Could Joseph now choose but think, Is this the king that must save Israel, that needs to be saved by me? If he be the Son of God, how is he subject to the violence of men? How is he Almighty, that must save himself by flight? or how must he fly, to save himself, out of that land which he comes to save? But faithful Joseph, having been once tutored by the angel, and having heard what the wise men said of the star, what Simeon and Anna said in the temple, labours not so much to reconcile his thoughts as to subject them; and, as one that knew it safer to suppress doubts than to confute them, can believe what he understands not, and can wonder where he cannot comprehend.

O strange condition of the king of all the world! He could not be born in a baser estate; yet even this he cannot enjoy with safety. There was no room for him in Bethlehem; there will be no room for him in Judea. He is no sooner come to his own, than he must fly from them; that he may save them, he must avoid them. Had it not been easy for thee, O Saviour, to have acquitted thyself from Herod a thousand ways! What could an arm of flesh have done against the God of spirits! What had it been for thee to have sent Herod five years sooner unto his place! what to have commanded fire from heaven on those that should have come to apprehend thee! or to have bidden the earth to receive them alive, whom she meant to swallow dead! We suffer misery, because we must; thou, because thou wouldst. The same will that brought thee from heaven unto earth, sends thee from Jewry into Egypt. As thou wouldst be born mean and miserable, so thou wouldst live subject to human vexations; that thou, who hast taught us how good it is to bear the yoke even in our youth, might sanctify to us early afflictions. Or whether, O Father, since it was the purpose of thy wisdom to manifest thy Son by degrees unto the world, was it thy will thus to hide him for a time under our infirmity! And what other is our condition? We are no sooner born thine, than we are persecuted. If the church travail, and bring forth a male, she is in danger of the dragon's streams. What, do the members complain of the same measure which was offered to the Head? Both our births are accompa

nied with tears.

Even of those whose mature age is full of trouble, yet the infancy is commonly quiet but here life and toil began together. O blessed Vir

gin! even already did the sword begin to pierce thy soul. Thou, who wert forced to bear thy Son in thy womb from Nazareth to Bethlehem, must now bear him in thy arms from Jewry into Egypt: yet couldst thou not complain of the way, whilst thy Saviour was with thee. His presence alone was able to make the stable a temple, Egypt a paradise, the way more pleasing than rest. But whither, then, oh! whither dost thou carry that blessed burthen, by which thyself and the world are upholden? To Egypt, the slaughter-house of God's people, the furnace of Israel's ancient affliction, the sink of the world. "Out of Egypt have I called my Son," saith the Lord. That thou callest thy Son out of Egypt, O God, is no marvel. It is a marvel that thou calledst him into Egypt, but that we know all earths are thine, and all places and men are, like figures upon a table, such as thy disposition makes them. What a change is here! Israel, the first born of God, flies out of Egypt into the promised land of Judea; Christ, the first born of all creatures, flies from Judea into Egypt. Egypt is become the sanctuary, Judea the inquisitionhouse of the Son of God. He, that is every where the same, makes all places alike to his he makes the fiery furnace a gallery of pleasure, the lion's den a house of defence, the whale's belly a lodging chamber. Egypt a harbour.

He flies, that was able to preserve himself from danger; to teach us how lawfully we may fly from those dangers we cannot avoid otherwise. It is a thankless fortitude to offer our throat unto the knife. He that came to die for us, fled for his own preservation, and hath bid us follow him: "When they persecute you in one city, fly into another." We have but the use of our lives, and we are bound to husband them to the best advantage of God and his church. God hath made us, not as butts, to be perpetually shot at, but, as the marks of rovers, moveable, the wind and the sun may best serve.

It was warrant enough for Joseph and Mary, that God commands them to flee yet so familiar is God grown with his approved servants, that he gives them the reason of his commanded flight; "For Herod will seek the young child, to destroy him." What wicked men will do, what they would do, is known unto God beforehand. He, that is so infinitely wise to know the designs of his enemies before they are, could as easily prevent them, that they might not be but he lets them run on in their own courses, that he may fetch glory to himself out of their wickedness.

Good Joseph, having this charge in the night, stays not till the morning. No sooner had God said, Arise, than he starts up and sets forward. It was not diffidence, but obedience, that did so hasten his departure. The charge was direct, the business important. He dares not linger for the light, but breaks his rest for the journey, and, taking advantage of the dark, departs toward Egypt. How knew he this occasion would abide any delay? We cannot be too speedy in the execution of God's commands; we may be too late. Here was no treasure to hide, no hangings to take down, no lands to secure: the poor carpenter needs do no more but lock the doors, and away. He goes lightly that wants a load. If there be more pleasure in abundance, there is more security in a mean estate. The bustard, or the ostrich, when he is pursued, can

The

hardly get upon his wings; whereas the lark mounts with ease. rich hath not so much advantage of the poor in enjoying, as the poor hath of the rich in leaving.

Now is Joseph come down into Egypt. Egypt was beholden to the name, as that whereto it did owe no less than their universal preservation. Well might it repay this act of hospitality to that name and blood. The going down into Egypt had not so much difficulty, as the staying there: their absence from their country was little better than a banishment. But what was this other, than to serve an apprenticeship in the house of bondage? To be any where, save at home, was irksome; but to be in Egypt so many years, amongst idolatrous pagans, must needs be painful to religious hearts. The command of their God, and the presence of Christ, makes amends for all. How long should they have thought it to see the temple of God, if they had not had the God of the temple with them! how long to present their sacrifices at the altar of God, if they had not had him with them which made all sacrifices accepted, and which did accept the sacrifice of their hearts!

Herod was subtile in mocking the wise men, while he promised to worship him whom he meant to kill: now God makes the wise men to mock him, in disappointing his expectation. It is just with God to punish those which would beguile others with illusion. Great spirits are so much more impatient for disgrace. How did Herod now rage and fret, and vainly wish to have met with those false spies, and tells with what torments he would revenge their treachery, and curses himself for trusting strangers in so important a business !

The tyrant's suspicion would not let him rest long. Ere many days he sends to inquire of them whom he sent to inquire of Christ. The notice of their sacred departure increaseth his jealousy; and now his anger runs mad, and his fear proves desperate. All the infants of Bethlehem shall bleed for this one; and, that he may make sure work, he cuts out to himself large measures both of time and place. It was but very lately that the star appeared, that the wise men reappeared_not. They asked for him that was born, they did not name when he was born. Herod, for more security, over-reaches their time, and fetches into the slaughter all the children of two years of age. The priests and scribes had told him, the town of Bethlehem must be the place of the Messiah's nativity. He fetches in all the children of the coasts adjoining; yea, his own shall for the time be a Bethlehemite. A tyrannous guiltiness never thinks itself safe, but ever seeks to assure itself in the excess of cruelty. Doubtless, he, which so privily inquired for Christ, did as secretly brew this massacre. The mothers were set with their children on their laps, feeding them with the breast, or talking to them in the familiar language of their love; when suddenly the executioner rushes in, and snatches them from their arms, and, at once pulling forth his commission and his knife, without regard to shrieks or tears, murders the innocent babe, and leaves the passionate mother in a mean between madness and death. What cursing of Herod! what wringing of hands! what condoling! what exclaiming was now in the streets of Bethlehem!

O bloody Herod, that could sacrifice so many harmless lives to thine

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ambition! What could those infants have done? If it were thy person whereof thou wert afraid, what likelihood was it thou couldst live till those sucklings might endanger thee? This news might affect thy successors; it could not concern thee, if the heat of an impotent and furious envy had not made thee thirsty of blood. It is not long that thou shalt enjoy this cruelty: after a few hateful years, thy soul shall feel the weight of so many innocents, of so many just curses.

He, for whose sake thou killedst so many, shall strike thee with death; and then what wouldst thou have given to have been as one of those infants whom thou murderedst? In the meantime, when thine executioners returned and told thee of their impartial despatch, thou smiledst to think how thou hadst defeated thy rival, and beguiled the star, and deluded the prophecies; while God in heaven, and his Son on earth, laugh thee to scorn, and make thy rage an occasion of further glory to him whom thou meanedst to suppress.

He, that could take away the lives of others, cannot protract his own. Herod is now sent home. The coast is clear for the return of that holy family; now God calls them from their exile. Christ and his mother had not staid so long out of the confines of the reputed visible church, but to teach us continuance under the cross. Sometimes God sees it good for us not to sip of the cup of affliction, but to make a diet-drink of it, for constant and common use. If he allow us no other liquor for many years, we must take it off cheerfully, and know that it is but the measure of our betters.

Joseph and Mary stir not without a command: their departure, stay, removal, is ordered by the voice of God. If Egypt had been more tedious unto them, they durst not move their foot till they were bidden. It is good, in our own business, to follow reason or custom; but in God's business, if we have any other guide but himself, we presume, and cannot expect a blessing.

O the wonderful dispensation of God, in concealing of himself from men Christ was now some five years old; he bears himself as an infant, and, knowing all things, neither takes nor gives notice of ought concerning his removal and disposing, but appoints that to be done by his angel, which the angel could not have done but by him. Since he would take our nature, he would be a perfect child, suppressing the manifestation and exercise of that Godhead whereto that infant nature was conjoined. Even so, O Saviour, the humility of thine infancy was answerable to that of thy birth. The more thou hidest and abasest thyself for us, the more should we magnify thee, the more should we deject ourselves for thee. Unto thee, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory now and for ever. Amen.

BOOK II.

CONTEMPLATION I-CHRIST AMONG THE DOCTORS.

EVEN the spring shows us what we may hope for of the tree in sumIn his nonage therefore would our Saviour give us a taste of his

mer.

future proof; lest, if his perfection should have showed itself without warning to the world, it should have been entertained with more wonder than belief. Now this act of his childhood shall prepare the faith of men by fore-expectation. Notwithstanding all this early demonstration of his divine graces, the incredulous Jews could afterwards say, "Whence hath this man his wisdom and great works?" What would they have said, if he had suddenly leapt forth into the clear light of the world! The sun would dazzle all eyes, if he should break forth at his ▾ first rising into his full strength: now he hath both the day-star to go before him, and to bid men look for that glorious body, and the lively colours of the day to publish his approach; the eye is comforted, not hurt by his appearance.

The parents of Christ went up yearly to Jerusalem, at the feast of the passover the law was only for the males. I do not find the blessed Virgin bound to his voyage; the weaker sex received indulgence from God. Yet she, knowing the spiritual profit of that journey, takes pains voluntarily to measure that long way every year. Piety regards not any distinction of sexes or degrees, neither yet doth God's acceptation; rather doth it please the mercy of the Highest, more to reward that service which though he like in all, yet out of favour he will not impose upon all. It could not be, but that she, whom the Holy Ghost overshadowed, should be zealous of God's service. Those that will go no farther than they are dragged in their religious exercises, are no whit of kin to her whom all generations shall call blessed.

The child Jesus, in the minority of his age, went up with his parents to the holy solemnity, not this year only, but, in all likelihood, others ▾ also he, in the power of whose Godhead, and by the motion of whose Spirit, all others ascended thither, would not himself stay at home. In all his examples he meant our instruction. This pious act of his nonage intended to lead our first years into timely devotion. The first liquor seasons the vessel for a long time after. It is every way good for a man to bear God's yoke, even from his infancy; it is the policy of the devil to discourage early holiness. He, that goes out betimes in the morning, is more like to despatch his journey, than he that lingers till the day be spent. This blessed family came not to look at the feast, and be gone; but they duly staid out the appointed days of unleavened bread. They, and the rest of Israel, could not want household business at home: those secular affairs could not either keep them from repairing to Jerusalem, or send them away immaturely. Worldly cares must give place to the sacred. Except we will depart unblessed, we must attend God's services till we may receive his dismission.

It was the fashion of those times and places, that they went up, and so returned by troops, to those set meetings of their holy festivals. The whole parish of Nazareth went and came together. Good fellowship doth no way so well as in the passage to heaven: much comfort is added by society to that journey which is of itself pleasant. It is a happy word, "Come, let us go up to the house of the Lord." Mutual encouragement is none of the least benefits of our holy assemblies. Many sticks laid together make a good fire, which, if they lie single, lose both their light

and heat.