to thine 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 mean time, when thine executioners returned and told thee of their impartial dispatch, 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 meantest 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 stayed 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.

Oh 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.

CONTEMPLATIONS.

BOOK II.

TO THE HONOURABLE GENERAL,

SIR EDWARD CECIL, KNIGHT,

ALL HONOUR AND HAPPINESS.

Most honoured Sir,-The store of a good scribe is, according to our Saviour, both old and new. I would, if I durst, be ambitious of this only honour. Having, therefore, drawn forth these not frivolous thoughts out of the Old Testament, I fetch these following from the New. God is the same in both; as the body differs not, with the age of the suit, with the change of robes. The old and new wine of holy Truth came both out of one vineyard; yet here may we safely say to the Word of his Father, as was said to the bridegroom of Cana, Thou hast kept the best wine till the last. The authority of both is equally sacred: the use admits no less difference, than is betwixt a Saviour fore-shadowed and come. The intermission of those military employments, which have won you just honour, both in foreign nations and at home, is in this only gainful, that it yields you leisure to these happy thoughts, which shall more fully acquaint you with him, that is at once the God of Hosts and the Prince of Peace. To the furtherance whereof these my poor labours shall do no thankless offices. In lieu of your noble favours to me, both at home and where you have merited command, nothing can be returned, but humble acknowledgments, and hearty prayers for the increase of your honour, and all happiness to yourself and your thrice-worthy and virtuous lady, by him that is deeply obliged and truly devoted to you both, JOSEPH HALL.

CONTEMPLATION I.-CHRIST AMONG THE
DOCTORS.

LUKE II.

EVEN the spring shews us, what we may hope for of the tree, in summer. In his nonage, therefore, would our Saviour give us a taste of his future proof; lest, if his perfection should have shewed 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 leaped 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 daystar 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 this 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 further 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 dispatch 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 all 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 unblest, 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.

The feast ended, what should they do, but return to Nazareth? God's services may not be so attended, as that we should neglect our particular callings. Himself calls us from his own house to ours; and takes pleasure to see a painful client. They are foully mistaken, that think God cares for no other trade, but devotion. Piety and diligence must keep meet changes with each other. Neither doth God less accept of our return to Nazareth, than our going up to Jerusalem.

I cannot think, that the Blessed Virgin or good Joseph could be so negligent of their Divine Charge, as not to call the child Jesus, to their setting forth from Jerusalem. But their back was no sooner turned upon the temple, than his face was towards it. He had business in that place, when theirs was ended: there he was both worshipped and represented. He, in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily, could do nothing without God: his true Father led him away from his supposed. Sometimes the affairs of our ordinary vocation may not grudge to yield unto spiritual occasions.

The parents of Christ knew him well to be of a disposition not strange, nor sullen and stoical, but sweet and sociable; and therefore they supposed he had spent the time and the way, in company of their friends and neighbours. They do not suspect him wandered into the solitary fields; but when evening came, they go to seek him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. If he had not wonted to converse formerly with them, he had not now been sought amongst them. Neither as God nor man doth he take pleasure, in a stern froward austerity and wild retiredness; but in a mild affableness and amiable conversation.

But, O Blessed Virgin, who can express the sorrows of thy perplexed soul, when all that evening search could afford thee no news of thy son Jesus? Was not this one of those swords of Simeon, which should pierce through thy tender breast? How didst thou chide thy credulous neglect, in not observing so precious a charge; and blame thine eyes, for once looking beside this object of thy love! How didst thou, with thy careful husband, spend that restless night, in mutual expostulations and bemoanings of your loss! How many suspicious imaginations did that while rack thy grieved spirit! Perhaps, thou mightest doubt, lest they, which laid wait for him by Herod's command at his birth, had now, by the secret instigation of Archelaus, surprised him in his childhood: or, it may be, thou thoughtest thy Divine Son had now withdrawn himself from the earth, and returned to his heavenly glory, without warning:

or, peradventure, thou studiedst with thyself, whether any carelessness on thy behalf had not given occasion to this ab

sence.

O dear Saviour, who can miss, and not mourn for thee? Never any soul conceived thee by faith, that was less afflicted with the sense of thy desertion, than comforted with the joy of thy presence. Just is that sorrow, and those tears seasonable, that are bestowed upon thy loss. What comfort are we capable of, while we want thee? What relish is there in these earthly delights, without thee? What is there to mitigate our passionate discomforts, if not from thee? Let thyself loose, O my soul, to the fulness of sorrow, when thou findest thyself bereaved of him, in whose presence is the fulness of joy; and deny to receive comfort from any thing, save from his return.

In vain is Christ sought among his kindred according to the flesh. So far are they still, from giving us their aid to find the true Messiah, that they lead us from him.

Back again, therefore, are Joseph and Mary gone, to seek him at Jerusalem. She goes about in the city, by the streets and by the open places, and seeks him, whom her soul loveth: she sought him, for the time, and found him not. Do we think she spared her search? The evening of her return, she hastes to the inn, where she had left him; where, missing him, she inquires of every one she met, Have you not seen him, whom my soul loveth?

At last, the third day, she finds him in the temple. One day was spent in the journey towards Galilee; another, in the return to Jerusalem; the third day recovers him. He, who would rise again the third day and be found amongst the living, now also would the third day be found of his parents, after the sorrow of his absence.

But where wert thou, O Blessed Jesu, for the space of these three days? Where didst thou bestow thyself, or who tended thee, while thou wert thus alone at Jerusalem? I know, if Jerusalem should have been as unkind to thee as Bethlehem, thou couldst have commanded the heavens to harbour thee; and if men did not minister to thee, thou couldst have commanded the service of angels: but, since the form of a Servant called thee to a voluntary homeliness, whether it pleased thee to exercise thyself thus early with the difficulties of a stranger, or to provide miraculously for thyself, I inquire not, since thou revealest not only this I know, that hereby thou intendest to teach thy parents, that thou couldest live without them; and that, not of any indigency, but out of a gracious dispensation, thou wouldest ordinarily depend upon their care.

In the meantime, thy divine wisdom, could not but foreknow all these corroding thoughts, wherewith the heart of thy dear Mother must needs bleed, through this sudden dereliction; yet