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CHAPTER XV.

VERSE 1.-Occasional meditations are Samson's honey, gathered out of a dead carcase; heavenly thoughts, taken up from earthly occurrences; the sun and the heaven, seen in looking downward into the water from the earthly objects, that man meets here below, the heart raising meditation upon them to some heavenly purpose; the true philosopher's stone, indeed, that turns what a man meets withal into some golden meditation. And this Divine elixir our Saviour used very much. In all His parables . this general intimation went with them all, that there was to be an improvement of the observation of earthly things and occurrences to Heavenly thoughts; as he, in the story, that looked towards the earth, and pointed towards the earth, and yet cried, O Heaven! iv. 7, 10, 35–38; vi. 26, 27.—Dr. Lightfoot.

The cluster of grapes, described at Numb. xiii. 23, signifies Christ between the two Testaments. What is that bunch of grapes, hanging from the wood of the tree, other than my Love, suspended for me on the cross? The cross was the wine-press, by means of which, at the time of Thy Passion, the spiritual vine yielded its joyous fruit unto the faithful. Gen. xlix. 22; Isa. lxiii. 3; S. Luke xxiii. 31.-S. Augustine.

V. 2. What need have the people of God of afflictions? The same, that our bodies have of physic; that our trees have of pruning; that gold and silver have of the

furnace; that liquors have of being emptied from vessel to vessel; that the iron has of a file; that the fields have of a hedge; that the child has of the rod. Eccl. vii. 14; 1 S. Pet. i. 6.-P. Henry.

More fruit. Wherefore thy fretting and fuming, O Christian? Wherefore complain, because God taketh a course to make thee too glorious? Doth God do thee an injury to fit thee for a higher place in heaven, than thou carest to possess? Thy impatience can free thee from no other weight but one; and that is an "exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 2 Cor. iv. 17.—Bp. Hopkins.

This purging is the preparing, in the note at xiv. 3. Heb. xii. 10.-J. Ford.

V. 3.-S. Augustine saith, "Why doth not Christ say; Now ye are clean, because of the Baptism, wherewith ye are washed;" saving that because in the water it is the Word, that maketh clean? Take away the Word, and what is water, more than water?" It is the Covenant, and promise, and mercy of God, which clotheth us with immortality, assureth our Resurrection, by which we receive Regeneration, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. His Word declareth His love towards us: and that Word is sealed and made good by Baptism. Our faith, which are Baptized, and our continuance in the profession, which we have made, establisheth in us this grace, which we receive. Therefore S. Jerome saith,

"They, that receive not Baptism with perfect faith, receive the water; but the Holy Ghost they receive not." iii. 21; S. Matt. xxviii. 19; S. James i. 18; 1 S. Pet. i. 23; Acts xv. 9.-Bp. Jewel.

The Word is one of those arteries, which convey to us the Spirit. Isa. lix. 21; Jer. xxxi. 33.—Bp. Andrewes.

V. 4. The Grace of God giveth us both the strength and first act, whereby we are qualified to work, and which concurreth with us in the second act to all those works, which we set ourselves about. As an instrument, even when it hath an edge, cutteth nothing, till it be assisted and moved by the hand of the artificer, so a Christian, when he hath a will and an habitual fitness to work, yet is able to do nothing without the constant supply, assistance, and concomitancy, of the Grace of Christ, exciting, moving, and applying that habitual power unto particular actions. He it is, that giveth us, not only to "will, but to do;" that goeth through with us, and worketh all our works for us, by His Grace. 1 Cor. xv. 10; Phil. ii. 12, 13.-Bp. Reynolds.

In these two invitations of Divine Love and directions of Infinite Wisdom, namely, "Come unto Me" and Abide in Me," are hidden all the riches of our Salvation. Happy are they, who come; most happy they, who abide : the first—a blessing, in time; the latter-in all Eternity. 1 S. John ii. 28, 29; 2 S. John 8, 9.-J. Ford.

V. 5. Had He said, "Without Me you can do little," or, Without Me you can do no excellent thing," or, "Without Me it will be hard and difficult for you," or, "Without Me you can perfect no good work," then there had been some evasion for a man to trust in his own abilities; but to say, without Me you can do neither much, nor little; greater things, nor inferior things; with ease,

or with difficulty; neither finish, nor begin—this cuts off all boasting in the powers and industries of the natural man. v. 7; Acts viii. 30, 31.-S. Augustine.

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The vine is a noble plant, but a feeble and tender one. Other trees grow up alone out of the strength of their own sap; this grovels on the ground and rots, if it have not an elm to prop it like as man, the best creature, is in his birth most helpless, and would presently die without outward succours. Such is "the Israel of God;" the worthiest piece of God's creation, yet, of itself, impotent to good; here is no growth, no life, but from that Divine Hand. Without Me ye can do nothing. They are no vines, that can stand alone: those proud spirits, as they have no need of God, so God hath no interest in them. His Israel is a vineyard; and the vine must be propped. 1 Cor. i. 26-31. -Bp. Hall.

Nothing in man is great, but so far as it is connected with God. Isa. xlv. 24.-Bp. Wilkins.

V. 7.-Apply unto thyself all, that thy Saviour is, or hath done. Wouldst thou have the graces of God's spirit? Fetch them from His Anointing. Wouldst thou have

power against spiritual enemies? Fetch it from His Sovereignty. Wouldst thou have Redemption? Fetch it from His Passion. Wouldst thou have Absolution? Fetch it from His perfect innocence: freedom from the curse? Fetch it from His Cross: satisfaction? Fetch it from His Sacrifice: cleansing from sin? Fetch it from His Blood: mortification? Fetch it from His grave: newness of life? Fetch it from His Resurrection: right to

heaven? Fetch it from His purchase: audience in all thy suits? Fetch it from His Intercession. Wouldst thou have Salvation? Fetch it from His Session at the right hand of Majesty. Wouldst thou have all? Fetch it from Him, who is "One Lord, one God, and Father of all, who is above all, through all, and in all.”—Col. ii. 9, 10.-Bp. Hall.

V. 8.-The Glory of God, from signifying the Shechinah, as the Jews call His visible Presence, come to signify His Presence, or manifestation, any other way; more especially in the words and actions of men, according to which metaphorical sense, to glorify signifies, in the general, to manifest, or evidence, God. . . But, more especially, and to come nearer to my purpose, in this very sense we are said to glorify, i.e., to confess and acknowledge God, or make Him appear, in our works. i. 14; ii. 11; xi. 4, 40; xii. 41; xxi. 19; S. Matt. v. 16; 1 Cor. vi. 20.— Dr. Hickes.

We glorify God by entertaining the impressions of His Glory upon us, rather than by communicating any glory to Him. Then does a good man become the Tabernacle of God, wherein the Divine Shechinah does rest, and which the Divine Glory fills; when the frame of his mind and life is wholly according to that idea and pattern, which he receives from the Mount. We best glorify Him, when we grow most like to Him; and we then act most for His glory, when a true spirit of sanctity, justice, meekness, &c., runs through all our actions; when we so live in the world, as becomes those, that converse with the great Mind and Wisdom of the whole world; with that