The trooping of these lepers together did not hinder thy reckoning. It is both justice and wisdom in thee to keep a strict account of thy favours. There is a wholesome and useful art of forgetfulness in us men, both of benefits done and of wrongs offered. It is not so with God: our injuries indeed he soon puts over, making it no small part of his style, that he "forgives iniquities:" but for his mercies, there is no reason he should forget them; they are worthy of more than our memory. His favours are universal, over all his works; there is no creature that tastes not of his bounty; his sun and rain are for others besides his friends, but none of his good turns escape either his knowledge or record. Why should not we, O God, keep a book of our receipts from thee, which, agreeing with thine, may declare thee bounteous, and us thankful?

A Sermon preached at the Court, before
King James.

OTHERWHERE ye may look long, and see no miracle; but here behold two miracles in one view the former, of the angel curing diseases; the latter, of the God of angels, Christ Jesus, preventing the angel in his cure. Even the first, Christ wrought by the angel, the second immediately by himself. The first is incomparable; for, as Montanus truly observes, there is no one miraculum perpetuum but this one, in the whole book of God. Be content to spend this hour with me in the porches of Bethesda, and consider with me the topography, the aitiology, the chronography of this miracle these three limit our speech and your pa tient attention. The chronography, which is first in place and time, offers us two heads: 1. A feast of the Jews; 2. Christ going up to the feast.

Our Saviour doth not ask this by way of doubt, but of exprobration. Full well did The Jews were full of holidays, both he count the steps of those absent lepers: of God's institution and the church's. ne knew where they were; he upbraids their Of God's, both weekly, monthly, anniingratitude, that they were not where they versary. Weekly, that one of seven, which should have been. It was thy just quarrel, I would to God we had learned of them to O Saviour, that while one Samaritan re- keep better. In this regard it was that turned, nine Israelites were healed and re- Seneca said, the Jews did septimam ætatis turned not. Had they been all Samaritans, partem perdere ; lose the seventh part this had been faulty; but now they were of their life." Monthly, the new moons: Israelites, their ingratitude was more foul Numb. xxviii. Anniversary, Easter, Penthan their leprosy. The more we are bound tecost, and the September feasts. The to God, the more shameful is our unthank-church's, both the Purim by Mordocheus, fulness. There is scarce one in ten that is and the Encenia by Judas Maccabeus, careful to give God his own: this neglect which yet Christ honoured by his solemniis not more general than displeasing. Christ zation; John x. Surely God did this for had never missed their presence, if their the cheerfulness of his people in his serabsence had not been hateful and injurious. vice; hence the church hath laudably imitated this example. To have no feasts, is sullen; to have too many, is Paganish and superstitious. Neither would God have cast the Christian Easter upon the just time of the Jewish Pasch, and their Whitsuntide upon the Jewish Pentecost, if he would not have had these feasts continued. And why should the Christian church have less power than the Jewish synagogue? Here was not a mere feriation, but a feasting; they must appear before God cum muneribus, “with gifts." The tenth part of their increase must be spent upon the three solemn feasts, besides their former tithes to Levi; Deut. xiv. 23. There was no holiday wherein they feasted above six hours; and in some of them, tradition urged them to their quan

CONTEMPLATION XI. THE POOL OF
BETHESDA.

To the Reader.

THE reader may be pleased to understand, that my manner hath still been, first to pass through all these Divine Histories by way of Sermons; and then after, to gather the quintessence of those larger discourses into these forms of Meditations, which he sees: only, I have thought good, upon these two following heads, for some good reasons, to publish the Sermons in their own shape, as they were delivered, without alteration. It seemed not amiss, that some of those metals should be shown in the ore, whereof so great a quantity was presented in the wedge.

|

tities of drink; and David, when he would keep holiday to the ark, allows every Israelite a cake of bread, a piece of flesh, a bottle of wine; not a dry dinner, prandium caninum; not a mere drinking of wine with

|

out meat, but to make up a perfect feast, pets, the tenth dies expiationum, and on the bread, flesh, wine; 2 Sam. vi. 19. The true fifteenth began the feast of tabernacles for purims of this island, are those two feasts seven days. It is an idleness to seek that of August and November. He is no true which we are never the better when we Israelite that keeps them not, as the days have found. What if Easter? what if Tawhich the Lord hath made. When are joy | bernacles? what if Pentecost? what loss, and triumphs seasonable, if not at feasts? what gain is this? Magna nos molestia Jobut not excess. Pardon me; I know not hannes liberasset si unum adjecisset verbum, how feasts are kept at the court, but, as "John had eased us of much trouble, if he Job, when he thought of the banquets of had added but one word," saith Maldonat. his sons, says, "It may be they have sin- But for us, God give them sorrow that love ned:" so let me speak at peradventures. If it: this is one of St. Paul's diaragaręıbzi, sensual immoderation should have set her "vain disputations," that he forbids his foot into these Christian feasts, let me at Timothy: yea (which is the subject thereof) least say with indulgent Eli, non est bona one of them which he calls μωρὰς καὶ ἀπαι fama, filii, "It is no good report, my sons.' diútovs ¿ntheus, “foolish and unlearned quesDo ye think that St. Paul's rule, non in tions;" 2 Tim. ii. 23. Quantum mali facit commessationibus et ebrietate, "not in sur- nimia subtilitas, "how much mischief is feiting and drunkenness," was for work-days done by too much subtility !" saith Seneca. only? The Jews had a conceit, that on These are some idle cloisterers that have their Sabbath and feast days, the devils fled nothing to do but to pick straws in divinity; from their cities, ad montes umbrosos, "to like to Appian the grammarian, that with the shady mountains." Let it not be said, long discourse would pick out of Homer's that on our Christian feasts they should e first verse of his Iliad, and the first word montibus aulam petere; and that he seeks, μñ, the number of the books of Iliad and and finds not, loca arida, but madida. God Odyssey; or like Didymus xaλzívviços, that forbid that Christians should sacrifice to spent some of his four thousand books, Bacchus, instead of the everliving God! about which was Homer's country, who was and that on the day when you should have Æneas's true mother, what the age of Hebeen blown up by treacherous fire from cuba, how long it was betwixt Homer and earth to heaven, you should fetch down Orpheus; or those wise critics of whom the fire of God's anger from heaven upon Seneca speaks, that spent whole volumes you by swilling and surfeits! God forbid! whether Homer or Hesiod were the elder: God's service is unum necessarium, the Non profuturam scientiam tradunt, “they one thing necessary," saith Christ. Homo vent an unprofitable skill," as he said. Let ebrius superflua creatura, "a drunken man us be content with the learned ignorance is a superfluous creature," saith Ambrose. of what God hath concealed, and know, How ill do those two agree together! This that what he hath concealed will not avail I have been bold to say out of caution, not us to know. of reproof.

66

Thus much, that there was a feast of the Jews. Now, what feast it was is questionable whether the Pasch, as Ireneus, and Beza with him, thinks, upon the warrant of John iv. 35, where our Saviour had said, "Yet four months, and then cometh the harvest;" or whether Pentecost, which was fifty days from the shaking of the sheaf, that was Easter Sunday, as Cyril, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euthymius, and some later; or whether one of the September feasts, as some others. The excellency of the feast makes for Easter; the feast xar x, the number of interpreters for Pentecost, the number of feasts for September. For as God delighted in the number of seven, the seventh day was holy, the seventh year, the seventh seven year; so he showed it in the seventh month, which reserves his number still, September; the first day whereof was the sabbath of trum

Rather let us inquire why Christ would go up to the feast. I find two silken cords that drew him up thither: 1. His obedience, 2. His desire of manifesting his glory.

First, it was a general law, all males must appear thrice a-year before the Lord. Behold, he was the God whom they went up to worship at the feast, yet he goes up to worship. He began his life in obedience, when he came in his mother's belly to Bethlehem at the taxation of Augustus, and so he continues it. He knew his due: “Of whom do the kings of the earth receive tribute? of their own or of strangers? then their sons are free." Yet he that would pay tribute to Cæsar, will also pay this tribute of obedience to his Father. He that was above the law, yields to the law: Legi satisfacere voluit, etsi non sub lege, "He would satisfy the law, though he were not under the law." The Spirit of God says, "He learned obedience, in that he suffered."

"I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart," saith the Psalmist. Absalom, when he would be insigniter improbus,

Surely also he taught obedience, in that he did. This was his girov ierì to John Baptist: "It becomes us to fulfil all righteousness." He will not abate his Father one" notoriously wicked," does his villany ceremony. It was dangerous to go up to that Jerusalem which he had left before for their malice; yet now he will up again. His obedience drew him up to that bloody feast, wherein himself was sacrificed: how much more now that he might sacrifice? What can we plead to have learned of Christ, if not his first lesson, obedience? The same proclamation that Gideon made to Israel, he makes still to us: "As ye see me do, so do ye." Whatsoever, therefore, God enjoins us, either immediately by himself, or mediately by his deputies, if we will be Christians, we must so observe, as those that know themselves bound to tread in his steps, that said, "In the volume of thy book it is written of me, I desired to do thy will, O God;" Psal. xl. 6. "I will have obedience (saith God), and not sacrifice;" but where sacrifice is obedience, he❘ will have obedience in sacrificing: therefore Christ went up to the feast.

"

The second motive was the manifestation of his glory. if we be the light of the world, which are so much snuff, what is he that is the Father of lights? It was not for him to be set under the bushel of Nazareth, but upon the table of Jerusalem: thither, and then, was the confluence of all the tribes. Many a time had Christ passed by this man before, when the streets were empty (for there he lay many years) yet heals him not till now. He, that sometimes modestly steals a miracle with a vide ne cui dixeris, see thou tell no man," that no man might know it, at other times does wonders upon the scaffold of the world, that no man might be ignorant, and bids proclaim it on the house-tops. It was fit the world should be thus publicly convinced, and either won by belief, or lost by inexcusableness. Good, the more common it is, the better: "I will praise thee" (saith David) in ecclesia magna, "in the great congregation." Glory is not got in corners: no man, say the envious kinsmen of Christ, keeps close and would be famous; no, nor that would have God celebrated. The best opportunities must be taken in glorifying him. He, that would be crucified at the feast, that his death and resurrection might be more famous, will, at the feast, do miracles, that his divine power might be approved openly. Christ is flos campi, non horti," the flower of the field, and not of the garden," saith Bernard. God cannot ahide to have his graces smothered in us.

publicly in the eyes of the sun, under no curtain but heaven. He that would do notable service to God, must do it conspicuously. Nicodemus gained well by Christ, but Christ got nothing by him, so long as, like a night-bird, he never came to him but with owls and bats. Then he began to be a profitable disciple, when he durst oppose the Pharisees in their condemnation of Christ, though indefinitely: but most, when in the night of his death the light of his faith brought him openly to take down the sacred corpse before all the gazing multitude, and to embalm it. When we confess God's name, with the Psalmist, before kings; when kings, defenders of the faith, profess their religion in public and everlasting monuments to all nations, to all times, this is glorious to God, and in God to them. It is no matter how close evils be, nor how public good is.

This is enough for the chronography: the topography follows. I will not here stand to show you the ignorance of the vulgar translation, in joining probatica and piscina together, against their own fair Vatican copy, with other ancient: nor spend time to discuss whether yoga or man be here understood for the substantive of g Caríxń it is most likely to be that sheepgate spoken of in Ezra: nor to show how ill piscina in the Latin answers the Greek xoga ours turn it a pool, better than any Latin word can express it: nor to show you, as I might, how many public pools were in Jerusalem: nor to discuss the use of this pool, whether it were for washing the beasts to be sacrificed, or to wash the entrails of the sacrifice, whence I remember Jerome fetches the virtue of the water, and in his time thought he discerned some redness, as if the blood spilt four hundred years before could still retain its first tincture in a liquid substance: besides, that it would be a strange swimming pool that were brewed with blood, and this was xoλvμßálgæ. This conceit arises from the error of the construction, in mismatching λμßlga with

gari. Neither will I argue whether it should be Bethsida, or Bethzida, or Bethsheda, or Bethesda. If either you or myself knew not how to be rid of time, we might easily wear out as many hours in this pool, as this poor impotent man did years. But it is edification that we affect, and not curiosity. This pool had five porches. Neither will I run here with St Austin into

allegories, that this pool was the people of gogue." Are we more othodox, and shall the Jews, aqua multæ populus multus; and not we be as charitable? I am ashamed to these five porches, the Law in the five think of rich noblemen and merchants, that books of Moses; nor stand to confute Adri- die and give nothing to our five porches of comius, which, out of Josephus, would per- Bethesda. What shall we say? have they suade us, that these five porches were built made their mammon their God, instead of by Solomon, and that this was stagnum So- | making friends with their mammon to God? lomonis for the use of the temple. The Even when they die, will they not, like following words show the use of the porches: Ambrose's good usurers, part with that for the receipt of "impotent, sick, blind, which they cannot hold, that they may get halt, withered, that waited for the moving that which they cannot lose? Can they of the water.' ." It should seem it was walled begin their will, In Dei nomine, Amen, and about to keep it from cattle, and these five give nothing to God? Is he only a witness, vaulted entrances were made by some bene- and not a legatee? Can we bequeath our factors for the more convenience of attend- souls to Christ in heaven, and give nothing ance. Here was the mercy of God seconded to his limbs on earth? And if they will not by the charity of men: if God will give give, yet will they not lend to God?" He cure, they will give harbour. Surely it is that gives to the poor," fœneratur Deo, a good matter to put our hands to God's, "lends to God." Will they put out to any and to further good works with conveni- but God? and then, when instead of giving ency of enjoying them. security, he receives with one hand, and pays with another, receives our bequest and gives us glory! O damnable niggardness of vain men, that shames the gospel, and loses heaven! Let me show you a Bethesda that wants porches. What truer house of effusion than the church of God, which sheds forth waters of comfort, yea, of life! Behold some of the porches of this Bethesda, so far from building, that they are pulled down. It is a wonder if the demolished stones of God's house have not built some of yours, and if some of you have not your rich suits guarded with souls. There were wont to be reckoned three wonders of England, ecclesia, fœmina, lana, “ the churches, the women, the wool." Femina may pass still, who may justly challenge wonder for their vanity, if not their person. As for lana, if it be wonderful alone, I am sure it is illjoined with ecclesia: the church is fleeced, and hath nothing left but a bare pelt upon her back.

Jerusalem was grown a city of blood, to the persecution of the prophets, to a wilful despite of what belonged to her peace, to a profanation of God's temple, to a mere formality in God's services: and yet here were public works of charity in the midst of her streets. We may not always judge of the truth of piety by charitable actions : Judas disbursed the money for Christ; there was no traitor but he. The poor traveller that was robbed and wounded betwixt Jerusalem and Jericho, was passed over, first by the Priest, then by the Levite, at last the Samaritan came and relieved him: his religion was naught, yet his act was good; the Priest's and Levite's religion good, their uncharity ill. Novatus himself was a martyr, yet a schismatic. Faith is the soul, and good works are the breath, saith St. James: but as you see in a pair of bellows, there is a forced breath without life, so in those that are puffed up with the wind of ostentation, there may be charitable works without faith. The church of Rome, unto her four famous orders of Jacobins, Franciscans, Augustines, and Carmelites, hath added a fifth of Jesuits; and, like another Jerusalem, for those five leprous and lazarly orders, hath built five porches, that if the water of any state be stirred, they may put in for a share. How many cells and convents hath she raised for these miserable cripples! and now she thinks, though she exalt herself above all that is called God, though she dispense with and against God, though she fall down before every block and wafer, though she kill kings, and equivocate with magistrates, she is the only city of God. Digna est, nam struxit synagogam, "She is worthy, for she hath built a syna

And as for ecclesia, either men have said with the Babylonians, "Down with it, down with it, even to the ground;" or else, in respect of the maintenance with Judas, ut quid perditio hæc? "why was this waste?" How many remorseful souls have sent back, with Jacob's sons, their money in their sack's mouth! How many great testators have, in their last will, returned the anathematized peculium of impropriations to the church, choosing rather to impair their heir, than to burden their souls? Dum times ne pro te patrimonium tuum perdas, ipse pro patrimonio tuo peris, saith Cyprian; "While thou fearest to lose thy patrimony for thy own good, thou perishest with thy patrimony." Ye great men, spend not all your time in building castles in the air, or houses on the sand;

All these may be cured; yet shall be cured at leisure all must wait, all must hope in waiting. Methinks I see how enviously these cripples look one upon another, each thinking other a let, each watching to prevent other, each hoping to be next; like emulous courtiers, that gape and vie for the next preferment, and think it a pain to hope, and a torment to be prevented. But Beth-ye only a postern to go to heaven by youresda must be waited on: he is worthy of his crutches that will not wait God's leisure for his cure: there is no virtue, no success, without patience. Waiting is a familiar lesson with courtiers, and here we have all need of it: one is sick of an overflowing of the gall, another of a tumour of pride, an