fer too much honour upon matrimony, we are told, that before the consummation of the marriage, Jesus called away St. John to be one of his constant attendants, and so rescued his favourite disciple from that polluted state of life, in comparison with that more holy and perfect one into which he took him. Such pitiful shifts are some men put to, to support an unreasonable and unchristian doctrine.

But after all their legends, the company of Jesus there, and his blessed mother, and his disciples, does indeed give a great reputation to marriage; when it is so carried on, as that persons of the greatest sanctity may be present even at the festival entertainments of it, without the least offence.

Had there been any thing ill in it, any immodesty, or so much as indecency, our Lord would never have countenanced it with his holy presence; but since he was pleased not only to be a guest at this bridal feast, but to stay till the wine began to fail; it is plain that as marriage in itself is honourable, and not at all unworthy of the approbation and favour even of the Son of God; so those festivities which usually attend it, may have a great deal of cheerfulness and plenty in them, and freer use than ordinary of the good creatures of God, and yet be very innocent: for our Lord, we may be sure, would never have supplied them by his Divine power with new recruits of wine, had he seen the least tendency to debauchery and riot.

So that the immodesty, and too often beastly obscenity, and all sorts of extravagance, that now so generally defile our marriage solemnities, and make them just matter of offence to pious persons, proceeds from the foulness of our hearts; and would

we but keep them clean, a wedding entertainment would be as innocent as any other, and have nothing in it that should need to fear the observance of the strictest eye.

And, indeed, though nothing is more seasonable and becoming than expressions of satisfaction and joy, when the friend we love best is made our propriety, and that till death shall part us; when parents have disposed of their children prudently and religiously, and hope to have their name and family perpetuated, and their estates enjoyed by their own posterity; and the whole relation and neighbourhood too, in some respect or other, like to share in the happiness of an agreeable match: though blessings so great as these require not only a thankful but a joyful reception; yet the nature of them is such as should temper that joy with serious reflections, and season it with devout and pious thoughts.

For the blessing is from God, and therefore the praise should be his; and very ungrateful are they, who are so full of their own satisfactions, as to forget their great Benefactor. And there are so many particular obligations too, that attend this new state of life, upon the due discharge of which depends the parties' future happiness, that they must be very thoughtless indeed who quite forget all this; and those that at all consider it, will find so great and durable a change in their condition to be a thing not designed altogether for laughter, and a profuse and extravagant mirth.

And when those that are chiefly concerned behave themselves thus with a decent, modest cheerfulness, and so as to give no encouragement to any thing that is unseemly and excessive; but rather shew an

uneasiness at any offers of that nature: there may be freedom and plenty without lewdness and intemperance, and that foul way of conversation which is very unbecoming both a man and a Christian.

He therefore that desires Christ's blessing upon his marriage, (and without which he may be sure it will not prosper,) must be careful that the rejoicings at it be not such as will be displeasing to him, nor such as will make any pious person uneasy, and force him to depart: for it is a very inauspicious beginning of wedlock, when lust, and filthiness, and brutish excesses, and every thing that is hateful to God and all good men, is the whole employment of our wedding feasts.

As for the want of wine that was at this marriage in Cana, it might probably be occasioned by the resort of more company than was expected, who came thither out of curiosity to see Jesus; for he had now entered upon his ministry, and began to be publicly known and taken notice of. And therefore the blessed Virgin, lest any reflections should be made upon the new married couple, through the want of what at such times is always free and plentiful, especially when that want was caused by those that came thither upon account of her divine Son, privately acquaints him that the wine grew low a

But why should she trouble Jesus with a thing of this nature, who was but a stranger there, and in no visible capacity of helping them to a supply?

The holy Virgin, no doubt, knew very well that the time drew near of his declaring himself to be the Messias, and of his doing such wondrous works as should be a sufficient demonstration that he in

a John ii. 3.

deed was so: for he had already received the testimony of St. John the Baptist, (who saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descend upon him like a dove, &c.) that he was the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and had called several disciples. Now this want of wine at a public marriage entertainment, it is probable she thought would be a very fit opportunity for him to manifest himself; and therefore told him of it in hopes that his goodness would incline him to make use of his divine power to prevent the bridegroom's shame, by making up that failure which was occasioned by the unlooked-for number of his followers.

How kind and truly good was this concern of holy Mary for the reputation of the new married pair! It should teach us a lesson of humanity and brotherly love; and such a generous care for one another's ease, and quiet, and good name, as to prevent, as much as in us lies, whatever we foresee would cause vexation or discredit to our neighbour. Thus I am sure we desire to be dealt by ourselves, and yet how widely different is most people's practice with respect to others! How ready are we to forward every thing that tends this way, and then with a world of ill-nature please ourselves mightily with it, and make it matter of ridicule and censure! But he that loves his neighbour as himself-and he is a very ill Christian that does not-will be as tender of his repose and credit as of his own; and either prevent his mistakes, or excuse them, and cover or supply his defects, and be truly grieved and troubled when he can do neither.

b Matt. iii. 16, 17.

с

1 John xxix. 37, &c.

But what was the answer Jesus gave his mother, when she applied herself to him upon this occasion? We have it in the 4th verse, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. This, at first sight, seems very rough and disrespectful, and not agreeable to the meek temper of our Lord, and that reverence which should be paid to a parent by a child; and might justly discourage the blessed Virgin from expecting any thing of that nature at that time. But we find she understood it in a milder sense, by her immediately thus charging the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

And, upon duly considering the original, the meaning may very well be this; What doth the providing wine concern either you or me? What is it to me and theed? that is the literal translation: as if he had said, Let them take care of it to whom it properly belongs, but we are only guests and strangers.

But had our Lord said no more than this, though the roughness and seeming disrespect of it is taken off by this interpretation, yet the blessed Virgin would have had but little reason to think that he would concern himself about it: it was his adding, mine hour is not yet come, that encouraged her to bid the servants do whatever he should order them.

For that word yet might well be understood by her as a grant of her request, though not just then; and her not saying any thing more to him about it, only charging the servants punctually to observe his directions, shews that she did so apprehend it.

Now the reason of Jesus thus putting his holy mother off for the present, and yet doing the miracle 4 Τί ἐμοὶ καί σοι ;