XIII. SERM. Samuel, the Prophetick Spirit is juft upon expiring. Even fo our Saviour, in the Miracle before us, by deferring it till the Wine had entirely failed, intimates that it was not Time for his Difpenfation of the Gofpel to commence, before it was Time for the other Dif penfation of the Law to ceafe. But as that was now waxen old and decayed, and confequently ready to vanish away, Heb. viii. 13. this was the Seafon for our Lord to introduce a new Covenant in it's Room, and to intimate the Nature of it by the Miracle he performed: A Miracle, as well expreffing the Defect and Abuse of the Old Covenant, as hinting at the Value and Perfectnefs of the New one. The Law when given, was given them with a good Intent: It was a proper Schoolmaster to bring them to Chrift, Galat. iii. 24. to take them from a Truft and Confidence in their own Ability and Strength, and to fix their Eyes and whole Expectations upon the promised Redeemer. To this End every Circumstance in their Temple and Law; every Rite and Ceremony enjoined them, all pointed at the Mef fah to come, and shewed in lively Figures and Types, how and in what Manner their Redemption was to be wrought, and that the whole of it entirely lay upon him. But now instead XIII. inftead of looking into the Spirit and Mean- SER M. ing of the Law; instead of flying for Succour to him, to whom it referred them; they fixed their Eyes upon the Letter only, and placed their Truft in an Observance of the outward Ceremonies and Rites. Nay even these they observed not in fuch Manner as God himself had prescribed in the Law; but either blended and adulterated them with Obfervances of their own; or else laid them entirely afide, to make way for other Rites of their own Invention. For rejecting (faith our Saviour) the Commandment of God, they held the Tradition of Men, Mark vii. 8, 9. Making the Word of God of none Effect through their Tradition, ver. 13. by their own Superftitions and Forms, which they mixed with or substituted in the Room of the Law, they took away and altered the Nature of their Ceremonies, and made them cease to be of any Ufe, as ceafing from the End for which they were applied, viz. to be Figures and Types of Chrift. Under this Corruption of a State that originally owed all its Virtue to the Relation it bore to the Gospel State; how could Chrift better time the Miracle we are speaking of, which was worked, you have heard, to fignify the Preeminence of the Gofpel to the Law, than by SERM. doing it at the very Minute when all their XIII. Wine had failed, and there was nothing but Water left in the House. This fhewed that their Estate was now quite lifeless and dead; that it was worse than even in the Prophet's Time, who only complained, Thy Silver is become drofs, thy Wine mixt with water, Isaiah i. 22. But now, fays our Lord in the Miracle before us, Thy Drink is all Water, there is no Wine left. And therefore in this deplorable State the Almighty Power and Mercy of God interposes to help them; the poor and fpiritless Element of Water, he changeth into rich and generous Wine; the weak and beggarly Elements, Gal. iv. 9. of the Law, into the Gospel Power and Life. Thus too referving his best Difpenfation to be last difplayed, contrary to the Methods of the Enemy of Mankind, who always offers his good Things first: An Observation particularly hinted in the Paffage, whence I have taken my Text: For there we are told, that when the Ruler of the Feast bad tafted the Water that was made Wine, and knew not whence it was; He called the Bridegroom, and faith unto him, Every Man at the Beginning doth fet forth good Wine; and when Men have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou haft kept the the good Wine until now. his XIII. This Commenda- SE RMtion of the Wine last drawn, was intended by the Governor of the Feaft for the Bridegroom of Cana, to whom he spoke : But if we read it with a spiritual Eye, we shall easily understand it as truer of Chrift, the heavenly Bridegroom of his Spouse the Church, who in every Oeconomy fo directs and governs Affairs, that the better always fucceeds the worfe. The Bondage of the Law fhall precede and make Way for the Freedom of the Gofpel; the Church Militant for the Church Triumphant, and even the Kingdom of Christ for that still more glorious State of Things which we know is to follow, when the Son fhall furrender up all to the Father; 1 Cor. Xv. 28. This Procedure of Chrift, with relation to his tempering his worse Things with the Hopes and Expectation of better to come, may also be observed in his Dealings with Men in their several private and fingle Capacities His chofen Servants he tries with Afflictions and Temptations here, in order to reward their Perseverance and Faith with endlefs Glory and Happiness hereafter: Whereas the Devil, on the contrary, deludes his Servants with every thing that is fmooth and profperous XIII. SER M. profperous in this World, in order to retain them secure to himself for the Extremity of Misery and Wo in the next. The Rich-man, in the Parable, we are told, in his Life Time received his good Things, and Lazarus bis evil Things: But what was the Confequence, the following Words immediately declareBut now, he is comforted, and thou art tormented, Luke xvi. 25. And thus we have feen from the Scripture we have been confidering the exceeding Tenderness and conjugal Affection of Chrift to his Church. He faw her oppreffed by the Weight and Burden of a ceremonial Law, not able to bear up any longer, under it, but just upon finking, helpless and weak. He refolved therefore in his Compaffion to pity her Estate, to change her numerous and tirefome Rites for a more internal and spiritual Law; and to enable her to keep it, determining to impart to her of his own Power and Strength, and in order to this, leaves his Father, comes down from Heaven, and espouses her to himself. And to this Affection and entire Devotion of himself to his Church it might poffibly be owing, that in the Paffage before us he shews fo cold a Regard to his Mother. For when, out of a charitable and friendly Defire to main 1 |