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within the walls of it! Now was the hour, and guest, come, in regard whereof the Second Temple should surpass the First. This was his house built for him, dedicated to him: there had he dwelt long in his spiritual presence, in his typical. There was nothing either placed or done within those walls, whereby he was not resembled; and now the body of those shadows is come, and presents himself where he had been ever represented. Jerusalem is now every where. There is no Church, no Christian heart, which is not a temple of the living God. There is no temple of God, wherein Christ is not presented to his Father. Look upon Him, O God, in whom thou art well pleased; and, in him and for him, be well pleased with us.

Under the Gospel, we are all firstborn, all heirs; every soul is to be holy unto the Lord; we are a royal generation, a holy priesthood. Our baptism, as it is our circumcision and our sacrifice of purification, so is it also our presentation unto God. Nothing can become us, but holiness. O God, to whom we are devoted, serve thyself of us, glorify thyself by us, till we shall by thee be glorified with thee.

CONTEMPLATION VI.—HEROD AND THE INFANTS.

MATTHEW II.

WELL might these Wise Men have suspected Herod's secresy. If he had meant well, what needed that whispering? That, which they published in the streets, he asks in his privy chamber: yet they, not misdoubting his intention, purpose to fulfil his charge. It could not, in their apprehension, but be much honour to them, to make their success known; that now both king and people might see, it was not fancy that led them, but an assured revelation.

That God, which brought them thither, diverted them; and caused their eyes to shut, to guide them the best way home.

These Sages made a happy voyage; for now they grew into further acquaintance with God. They are honoured with a second messenger from heaven. They saw the Star in the way; the angel in their bed: the Star guided their journey unto Christ; the angel directed their return. They saw the Star by day; a vision by night: God spake to their eyes by the Star; he speaks to their heart by a dream.

No doubt, they had left much noise of Christ behind them. They, that did so publish his birth by their inquiry at Jerusalem, could not be silent when they found him at Bethlehem.

If they had returned by Herod, I fear they had come short home. He, that meant death to the Babe for the name of a King, could mean no other to those, that honoured and pro

They

claimed a new King, and erected a throne besides his. had done what they came for; and now, that God, whose business they came about, takes order, at once, for his Son's safety and for theirs. God, which is perfection itself, never begins any business, but he makes an end, and ends happily. When our ways are his, there is no danger of miscarriage.

Well did these Wise Men know the difference, as of stars, so of dreams they had learned to distinguish between the natural and divine; and once apprehending God in their sleep, they follow him waking, and return another way.

They were no subjects to Herod; his command pressed them so much the less: or, if the being within his dominions had been no less bond than native subjection, yet where God did countermand Herod, there could be no question whom to obey. They say not, "We are in a strange country; Herod may meet with us; it can be no less than death, to mock him in his own territories;" but cheerfully put themselves 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, still 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 chuse 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 assoil them, can believe what he understands not, and can wonder where he cannot comprehend.

Oh 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 acquit 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 into earth, sends thee from Jewry to Egypt. As thou wouldst be born mean and miserable, so thou wouldst live subject to human vexations; that thou, which hast taught us how good it is to bear the yoke even in our youth, mightst 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 wẹ 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 accompanied with tears.

Even of those, whose mature age is full of trouble, yet the infancy is commonly quiet; but here, life and toil begin together. O Blessed Virgin! even already did the sword begin to pierce thy soul. Thou, which 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, á 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 God. That thou calledst 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 firstborn of God, flies out of Egypt into the promised land of Judea: Christ, the firstborn of all creatures, flies from Judea into Egypt. Egypt is become the sanctuary, Judea the inquisition-house, 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 flees, that was able to preserve himself from danger; to teach us, how lawfully we may flee 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, flee 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, as the wind and 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, then 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 'vantage of the dark, departs towards 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.

If

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. there be more pleasure in abundance, there is more security in a mean estate. The bustard or the ostrich, when he is pursued, can hardly get upon his wings; whereas, the lark mounts with ease. The 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 subtle 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 of disgrace. How did Herod now rage and fret, and vainly wish to have met with those false spies, and tell with what torments he would revenge their treachery, and curse 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 secret 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 re-appeared not. They asked for him that was born; they did not name when he was born. Herod, for more security, overreaches their time, and fetches into the slaughter all the children of two years' 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 enquired 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 couldst sacrifice so many harmless lives

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