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 everywhere. 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 first-born, 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.

WELL might these wise men have suspected Herod's secrecy. 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 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 proclaimed a new king, and erected a throne besides his. They 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, who 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 on 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 choose 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 acquitted 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 thee 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 unto 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, who 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 we 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 began together. O blessed virgin! even already did the sword begin to pierce thy soul. Thou, who 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 a paradise, the way more pleasing than rest. But whither then, oh! whither didst 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 first-born of God, flies out of Egypt into the promised land of Judea; Christ the first-born of all creatures, flies from

He,

Judea into Egypt. Egypt is become the sanctuary, Judea the inquisition-house, of the Son of God. 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 the 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, than 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 advantage of the dark, departs towards Egypt. How knew he this occasion would abide any delay? We cannot be too speedy in