of any defect in themselves, they had never asked the question: little did they think to hear of their unbelief. Had they not had great faith, they could not have cast out any devils; had they not had some want of faith, they had cast out this. It is possible for us to be defective in some graces, and not to feel it. Although not so much their weakness is guilty of this unprevailing, as the strength of that evil spirit: "This kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting." Weaker spirits were wont to be ejected by a command; this devil was more sturdy and boisterous. As there are degrees of statures in men, so there are degrees of strength and rebellion in spiritual wickednesses. Here, bidding will not serve; they must pray, and praying will not serve without fasting. They must pray to God that they may prevail; they must fast to make their prayer more fervent, more effectual: we cannot now command; we can fast and pray. How good is our God to us, that while he hath not thought fit to continue to us those means which are less powerful for the dispossessing of the powers of darkness, yet hath he given us the greater! While we can fast and pray, God will command for us, Satan cannot prevail against us. CONTEMPLATION XX. THE WIDOW'S MITES. THE sacred wealth of the temple was either in stuff or in coin; for the one, the Jews had a house; for the other, a chest. At the concourse of all the males to the temple thrice a-year, upon occasion of the solemn feasts, the oblations of both kinds were liberal. Our Saviour, as taking pleasure in the prospect, sets himself to view those offerings, whether for holy uses or charitable. Those things we delight in, we love to behold; the eye and the heart will go together. And can we think, O Saviour, that thy glory hath diminished aught of thy gracious respects to our beneficence? or, that thine acceptance of our charity was confined to the earth? Even now, that thou sittest at the right hand of thy Father's glory, thou seest every hand that is stretched out to the relief of thy poor saints here below. And if vanity have power to stir up our liberality, out of a conceit to be seen of men, how shall faith encourage our Dounty in knowing that we are seen of thee, and accepted by thee? Alas! what are we the better for the notice of those perishing and impotent eyes, which can only view the outside of our actions; or for that waste wind of applause which vanisheth in the lips of the speaker? Thine eye, O Lord, is piercing and retributive. As to see thee is perfect happiness, so to be seen of thee is true contentment and glory. And dost thou, O God, see what we give thee, and not see what we take away from thee? are our offerings more noted than our sacrileges? Surely thy mercy is not more quick-sighted than thy justice. In both kinds our actions are viewed, our account is kept; and we are as sure to receive rewards for what we have given, as vengeance for what we have defaulked. With thine eye of knowledge thou seest all we do; but what we do well, thou seest with an eye of approbation. So didst thou now behold these pious and charitable oblations. How well wert thou pleased with this variety! Thou sawest many rich men give much, and one poor widow give more than they in lesser room. The Jews were now under the Roman pressure: they were all tributaries, yet many of them rich, and those rich men were liberal to the common chest. Hadst thou seen those many rich give little, we had heard of thy censure; thou expectest a proportion betwixt the giver and the gift, betwixt the gift and the receipt; where that fails, the blame is just. That nation, though otherways faulty enough, was in this commendable. How bounteously open were their hands to the house of God! Time was when their liberality was fain to be restrained by proclamation; and now it needed no incitement; the rich gave much, the poorest gave more: " He saw a poor widow casting in two mites." It was misery enough that she was a widow. The married woman is under the careful provision of a husband; if she spend, he earns: in that estate, four hands work for her; in her widowhood, but two. Poverty added to the sorrow of her widowhood. The loss of some husbands is supplied by a rich jointure: it is some allay to the grief, that the hand is left full, though the bed be empty. This woman was not more desolate than needy; yet this poor widow gives; and what gives she? an offering like herself"two mites;" or, in our language, two half-farthing-tokens. Alas! good woman, who was poorer than thyself? wherefore was that corban but for the relief of such as thou? who should receive, if such give? Thy mites were something to thee, nothing to the treasury. How ill is that gift bestowed, which disfurnisheth thee, and adds nothing to the common stock! some thrifty neighbour might, perhaps, have suggested this probable dis- | couragement. Jesus publishes and applauds her bounty: "He called his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, this woman hath cast in more than they all." While the rich put in their offerings, I see no disciples called; it was enough that Christ noted their gifts alone: but when the widow comes with her two mites, now the domestics of Christ are summoned to assemble, and taught to admire this munificence; a solemn preface makes way to her praise, and her mites are made more precious than the others' talents: "She gave more than they all;" more, not only in respect of the mind of the giver, but of the proportion of the gift as hers. A mite to her was more than pounds to them: pounds were little to them, two mites were all to her; they gave out of their abundance, she out of her necessity. That which they gave left the heap less, yet a heap still; she gives all at once, and leaves herself nothing. So as she gave not more than any, but "more than they all." God doth not so much regard what is taken out, as what is left. O Father of mercies! thou lookest at once into the bottom of her heart and the bottom of her purse, and esteemest her gift according to both. As thou seest not as man, so thou valuest not as man: man judgeth by the worth of the gift, thou judgest by the mind of the giver, and the proportion of the remainder. It were wide with us, if thou shouldst go by quantities. Alas! what have we but mites, and those of thine own lending? It is the comfort of our meanness, that our affections are valued, and not our presents: neither hast thou said, "God loves a liberal giver, but a cheerful." If I had more, O God, thou shouldst have it; had I less, thou wouldst not despise it, who acceptest the gift according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath 66 near their end, and ready to make their will, then is it seasonable to sue for legacies. Thus did the mother of the two Zebedees; therein well approving both her wisdom and her faith: wisdom in the fit choice of her opportunity; faith, in taking such an opportunity. The suit is half obtained that is seasonably made. To have made this motion, at the entry into their attendance, had been absurd, and had justly seemed to challenge a denial. It was at the parting of the angel that Jacob would be blessed. The double spirit of Elijah is not sued for till his ascending. But O the admirable faith of this good woman! When she heard the discourse of Christ's sufferings and death, she talks of his glory; when she hears of his cross, she speaks of his crown. If she had seen Herod come and tender his sceptre unto Christ, or the elders of the Jews come upon their knees with a submissive proffer of their allegiance, she might have had some reason to entertain the thoughts of a kingdom: but now, while the sound of betraying, suffering, dying, was in her ear, to make account of, and sue for a room in his kingdom, it argues a belief able to triumph over all discouragements. It was nothing for the disciples, when they saw him after his conquest of death, and rising from the grave, to ask him— "Master, wilt thou now restore the kingdom unto Israel?" but for a silly woman to look through his future death and passion, at his resurrection and glory, it is no less worthy of wonder than praise. To hear a man in his best health and vigour to talk of his confidence in God, and assurance of divine favour, cannot be much worth: but if in extremities we can believe above hope, against hope, our faith is so much more noble as our difficulties are greater. Never sweeter perfume arose from_any altar than that which ascended from Job's dunghill: “I know that my Redeemer liveth." What a strange style is this that is given to this woman! It had been as easy to have said, the wife of Zebedee, or the sister of Mary or of Joseph, or, as her name was, plain Salome; but now, by an unusual description, she is styled "The Mother of Zebedee's children." Zebedee was an obscure man; she, as his wife, was no better: the greatest honour she ever had, or could have, was to have two such sons as James and John; these give a title to both their parents. Honour ascends as well as What a world of pain, toil, care, cost, there is in the birth and education of children! Their good proof requites all with advantage: next to happiness in ourselves, is to be happy in a gracious issue. The suit was the sons', but by the mouth of their mother: it was their best policy to speak by her lips. Even these fishermen had already learned craftily to fish for promotion. Ambition was not so bold in them as to show her own face: the envy of the suit shall thus be avoided, which could not but follow upon their personal request. If it were granted, they had what they would; if not, it was but the repulse of a woman's motion, which must needs be so much more pardonable, because it was of a mother for her sons. lenge of Christ, might seem to give her just colour of more familiarity; yet now, that she comes upon a suit, she submits herself to the lowest gesture of suppliants. We need not be taught, that it is fit for petitioners to the great, to present their humble supplications upon their knees. O Saviour, if this woman, so nearly allied to thee according to the flesh, coming but upon a temporal occasion to thee, being as then compassed about with human infirmities, adored thee ere she durst sue to thee, what reverence is enough for us, that come to thee upon spiritual suits, sitting now in the height of heavenly glory and majesty? Say then, thou wife of Zebedee, what is it that thou cravest of thine omnipotent kinsman? "A certain thing." Speak out, woman! what is this certain thing that thou cravest? How poor and weak is this supplicatory anticipation to Him that knew thy thoughts ere thou utteredst them, ere thou entertainedst them! We are all in this tune: every one would have something, such perhaps as we are ashamed to utter. The proud man would have a certain thinghonour in the world; the covetous would have a certain thing too-wealth and abundance; the malicious would have a certain would have pleasure and long life; the barren, children; the wanton, beauty. Each one would be humoured in his own desire, though in variety, yea, contradiction to other; though in opposition not more to God's will than our own good. It is not discommendable in parents to seek the preferment of their children. Why may not Abraham sue for an Ishmael? so it be by lawful means, in a moderate mea-thing-revenge on his enemies; the epicure sure, in due order, this endeavour cannot be amiss. It is the neglect of circumstances that makes the desire sinful. O the madness of those parents that care not which way they raise a house; that desire rather to leave their children great than good; that are more ambitious to have their sons lords on earth, than kings in heaven! Yet I commend thee, Salome, that thy first plot was to have thy sons disciples of Christ; then after to prefer them to the best places of that attendance. It is the true method of divine prudence, O God, first to make our children happy with the honour of thy service, and then to endeavour their meet advancement upon earth. The mother is put upon this suit by her sons; their heart was in her lips. They were not so mortified by their continual conversation with Christ, hearing his heavenly doctrine, seeing his divine carriage, but that their minds were yet roving after temporal honours: pride is the inmost coat which we put off last, and which we put on first. Who can wonder to see some sparks of weak and worldly desires in their holiest teachers, when the blessed apostles were not free from some ambitious thoughts, while they sat at the feet, yea, in the bosoin of their Saviour? The near kindred this woman could chal How this suit sticks in her teeth, and dares not freely come forth, because it is guilty of its own faultiness! What a difference there is betwixt the prayers of faith, and the motions of self-love and infidelity! Those come forth with boldness, as knowing their own welcome, and being well assured both of their warrant and acceptation; these stand blushing at the door, not daring to appear, like to some baffled suit, conscious to its own unworthiness and just repulse. Our inordinate desires are worthy of a check: when we know that our requests are holy, we cannot come with too much confidence to the throne of grace. He that knew all their thoughts afar off, yet, as if he had been a stranger to their purposes, asks, "What wouldst thou?" Our infirmities do then best shame us, when they are fetched out of our own mouths; likeas our prayers also serve not to acquaint God with our wants, but to make us the more capable of his mercies. The suit is drawn from her; now she must speak: "Grant that these my two sous shall be her ears. God ever imputes the acts to the first mover, rather than to the instrument. may sit, one on thy right hand, the other on thy left, in thy kingdom;" it is hard to say whether out of more pride or ignorance. It was as received as erroneous a conceit It was a sore check, "Ye know not what among the disciples of Christ, that he should ye ask." In our ordinary communication, raise up a temporal kingdom over the now to speak idly is sin; but, in our suits to tributary and enslaved people of Israel. Christ, to be so inconsiderate as not to unThe Romans were now their masters; their derstand our own petitions, must needs be fancy was, that their Messias should shake a foul offence. As faith is the ground of off this yoke, and reduce them to their for- our prayers, so knowledge is the ground of mer liberty. So grounded was this opinion, our faith. If we come with indigested rethat the two disciples, in their walk to Em- quests, we profane that name we invoke. maus, could say, "We trusted it had been To convince their unfitness for glory, he that should have delivered Israel;" and they are sent to their impotency in sufferwhen, after his resurrection, he was walk-ing; " Are ye able to drink of the cup ing up Mount Olivet towards heaven, his whereof I shall drink, and to be baptized very apostles could ask him, if he would with the baptism wherewith I am baptized?" now restore that long expected kingdom. O Saviour, even thou, who wert one with How should we mitigate our censures of thy Father, hadst a cup of thine own: our Christian brethren, if either they mis- never potion was so bitter as that which take, or know not some secondary truths of was mixed for thee. Yea, even thy draught religion, when the domestic attendants of is stinted: it is not enough for thee to sip Christ, who heard him every day till the of this cup; thou must drink it up to the very point of his ascension, misapprehended very dregs. When the vinegar and gall the chief cause of his coming into the world, were tendered to thee by men, thou didst and the state of his kingdom! If our cha- but kiss the cup; but when thy Father rity may not bear with small faults, what gave into thine hands a potion infinitely do we under his name that connived at more distasteful, thou, for our health, didst greater! Truth is, as the sun, bright in drink deep of it, even to the bottom, and itself; yet there are many close corners into saidst, "It is finished." And can we rewhich it never shined. O God, if thou | pine at those unpleasing draughts of afflicopen our hearts, we shall take in those tion that are tempered for us sinful men, beams: till thou do so, teach us to attend when we see thee, the Son of thy Father's patiently for ourselves, charitably for others. love, thus dieted? We pledge thee, O These fishermen had so much courtship blessed Saviour, we pledge thee, according to know, that the right hand and the left of to our weakness, who hast begun to us in any prince were the chief places of honour. thy powerful sufferings. Only do thou enOur Saviour had said, that his twelve fol- able us, after some sour faces made in our lowers should sit upon twelve thrones, and reluctation, yet at last willingly to pledge judge the twelve tribes of Israel. This thee in our constant sufferings for thee. good woman would have her two sons next to his person, the prime peers of his kingdom. Every one is apt to wish the best to his own. Worldly honour is neither worth our suit, nor unworthy our acceptance. Yea, Salome, had thy mind been in heaven, hadst thou intended this desired pre-eminence of that celestial state of glory, yet I know not how to justify thine ambition. Wouldst thou have thy sons preferred to the "father of the faithful," to the blessed mother of thy Saviour? That very wish were presumptuous. For me, O God, my ambition shall go so high as to be a saint in heaven, and to live as holily on earth as the best: but for precedency of heavenly honour, I do not, I dare not, affect it. It is enough for me, if I may lift up my head amongst the heels of thy blessed ones. The mother asks; the sons have the answer. As thou must be drenched within, so must thou be baptized without. Thy bap tism is not of water, but of blood; both these came from thee in thy passion: we cannot be thine, if we partake not of both. If thou hast not grudged thy precious blood to us, well mayest thou challenge some worthless drops from us. When they talk of thy kingdom, thou speakest of thy bitter cup, of thy bloody baptism. Suffering is the way to reigning. 66 Through many tribulations must we enter into the kingdom of heaven." There was never wedge of gold that did not first pass the fire; there was never pure grain that did not undergo the flail. In vain shall we dream of our immediate passage, from the pleasures and jollity of earth, to the glory of heaven. Let who will hope to walk upon roses and violets to the throne of heaven : O Saviour, let me trace thee by the track of thy blood, and by thy red steps follow thee to thine eternal rest and happiness! and familiarity than to sit by thee: "If we suffer with thee, we shall also reign together with thee." What greater promotion can flesh and blood be capable of, than a conformity to the Lord of glory? Enable thou me to drink of thy cup, and then set me where thou wilt. I know this is no easy task, else thou hadst never said, "Are ye able?" Who should be able, if not they that had been so long blessed with thy presence, informed by thy doctrine, and, as it were, beforehand possessed of their heaven in thee? Thou hadst never made them judges of their power, if thou couldst not have convinced them of their weakness. Alas! how full of feebleness is our body, and our mind of impatience! If but a bee sting our flesh, it swells; and if but a tooth ache, the head and heart complain. How small trifles make us weary of ourselves! What can we do without thee? without thee, what can we suffer? If thou be not, O Lord, strong in my weakness, I cannot be so much as weak, I cannot so much as be. O do thou pre-vain desires. The Father gives these heapare me for my day, and enable me to my trials! "I can do all things through thee that strengthenest me." The motion of the two disciples was not more full of infirmity than their answer, "We are able:" out of an eager desire of the honour, they are apt to undertake the condition. The best men may be mistaken in their own powers. Alas! poor men! when it came to the issue, they ran away, and, I know not whither, one without his coat. It is one thing to suffer in speculation, another in practice. There cannot be a worse sign, than for a man, in a carnal presumption, to vaunt of his own abilities. How justly doth God suffer that man to be foiled purposely, that he may be ashamed of his own self-confidence. O God, let me ever be humbly dejected in the sense of mine own insufficiency; let me give all glory to thee, and take nothing to myself but my infirmities. O the wonderful mildness of the Son of God! He doth not rate the two disciples, either for their ambition in suing. or presumption in undertaking; but, leaving the worst, he takes the best of their answer, and omitting their errors, encourages their good intentions: "Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with my baptism; but to sit on my right hand and my left, is not mine to give, but to them for whom it is prepared of my Father." I know not whether there be more mercy in the concession, or satisfaction in the denial. Were it not a high honour to drink of thy cup, O Saviour, thou hadst not fore-promised it as a favour. I am deceived, if what thou grantest were much less than that which thou deniest. To pledge thee in thine own cup, is not much less dignity But, Saviour, while thou dignifiest them in thy grant, dost thou disparage thyself in thy denial? "Not mine to give!" whose is it, if not thine? If it be thy Father's, it is thine. Thou, who art truth, hath said, "I and my Father are one." Yea, because thou art one with the Father, it is not thine to give to any save those for whom it is prepared of the Father. The Father's preparation was thine, his gift is thine: the decree of both is one. That eternal counsel is not alterable upon our venly honours to none but by thee: thou givest them to none but according to the decree of thy Father. Many degrees there are of celestial happiness. Those supernal mansions are not all of a height. That Providence which hath varied our stations upon earth, hath pre-ordered our seats above. O God, admit me within the walls of thy new Jerusalem, and place me wheresoever thou pleasest CONTEMPLATION XXII. — THE TRIBUTE- ALL these other histories report the power of Christ: this sho vs both his power and obedience; his power over the creature, his obedience to civil powers. Capernaum was one of his own cities; there he made his chief abode in Peter's house: to that host of his, therefore, do the toll-gatherers repair for the tribute. When that great disciple said, "We have left all,” he did not say, We have abandoned all, or sold, or given away all; but we have left. in respect of managing, not of possession; not in respect of right, but of use and present fruition; so left, that, upon just occasion, we may resume; so left, that it is our due, though not our business. Doubtless, he was too wise to give away his own, that he might borrow of a stranger. His own roof gave him shelter for the time, and his Master with him. Of him, as the householder, is the tribute required; and by and for him is it also paid. I inquire not either into the occasion. or the sum. What need we make this exaction sacrilegious; as if that half-shekel. which was appointed by God to be paid by every Israelite to the |