THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY, THE GOSPEL JOHN.2.V.42.THE SATURDAY MEDITATION

GOSPEL (John 2:1-11)

At that time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage. And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: "They have no wine." And Jesus saith to her: "Woman, what is that to me and to thee? My hour is not yet come." His mother saith to the waiters: "Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece. Jesus saith to them: "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. And Jesus saith to them: "Draw out now and carry to the chief steward of the feast." And they carried it. And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water: the chief steward calleth the bridegroom, And saith to him: "Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now." This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Saturday

They have no wine. 

Things necessary to salvation we may ask absolutely of God without any condition; if it be his will, and because they are absolutely necessary onto that end he hath created us, who being infinitely good, and having created vs to be saved, cannot but communicate his goodness unto us that may attain our supernatural end.

These things l say we may  therefore ask of God absolutely without condition. 

We may ask is, as Saint Paul exhorts preachers to do their office, opportunely or inopportunely, at any time: yea we may be importunate with God according to that parable, which Christ proposed in the gospel, of a man that should come to his neighbor at midnight when all were a bed, to borrow bread: & would not be answered till he were served; though He was served more for his importunity and clamors, then for any thing else: who was proposed of Christ for a parable or example, to teach us to pray for things pertaining to our salvation.

But temporal things we ought to ask under condition, to wit, if they be good for us, as we know not whether they be or no. 

Ve muſt  pruiwag mo wewn.... mult aske them modeſtly, and temperately, being not ouer- much affected vato chém; and we muſt fett God'no tymc, bus expect his cyme, and pleaſure. This weelcarne here of the bler ſed Virgin Mary, who being at a marriadge feaſt, where their wine fayled, and came fhort and ſo the gaeftes might have wan- ted wine, which had ben a great faultin ſuch a feaſt, and a diſgrace to them that made it; and no queſtion but our bleſſed ladie chad: extraordinary great compaſſion of it, as her charity was extraordinary great to all, but especially here, the brides groom being, as is aforeſaid, her natural kinsman Saint John the Evangelist: yet the said no more, then there five modeſt words, to her son. They have no Prince ; and having a seeming denial of Christ answering her 

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 1 1 inc print asic 320 her thus :( woman what is that to mee , and thee, my homer is not yet come ) lhe replied. not , nor made any further inſtance, but helde her peace, expectinge his owne time , not doubting but he woulde doe it, then it was moft to be done. His time was, ſhoulde ſeeme Rot before the wine was quite done, that the miracle might be euident to all the gueftes, to manifeft his gloric the more, as is, faide in che goſpell, where we maie learne that as the hower of God to geuc vs his temporalt benefites is ſooner or later, as he knoweth is for our greater good, and his glorie, ſo ours fboulde be to ſeruc him with thoſe circundan- ces of times perſons and places, and in ſuch fasſbon, as is moft to his honour and our foules health : which two thinges allwaies goc together in cquall pro: 

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 pathway to heauen. 337 proportion : But alas we doc quite contrarie; our time to doc the leruice of God for the good of our ſoules is oftentimes to deferr it for the worſt , as to de. förr our praiers, and deuotions yppon tuery flight occafion till it be to late, or till we are faine to ſaie then in ſuch time or place as we doe it without deuotion or edification and the like of other good worckes, and ſeruice of God: not makinge our beſt benefit thereof, and many times no benefitt at all, but rather an offence of God: for which , and all other defects of ours,we haue an Aduocate, if wee humble re- curr voto her, the bleſſed Virgin Marge, who not for any repulfe of her parte, (as ir maie ſeeme to ſonie,) but for our greater com- fort, and confidence in her in- terceflion for us Chriſte here called woman, ſaying ( Woman) P Dias 

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I ne plaine -> what is that to thee, and mee: for ( mulier ) which in Engliſhe lige nifieth ( womax ) is compoſed as ſome holde ( and that not without a conuenient allufion) of theſe two Latine vordes, modo liens herum, or virum,which lignj. fie mollifiinge her Maſter, that is tu faie her husbande or man who by ſexe is her Maſter or Superiour. So that according to this Etimologic of (woman) when Chrifte here called our bleſſed ladie woman: he ſignified vnto vs that thee fhould haue the power with him to mollific the rigour of his iuſtice, and preuaile with him in her inter- ceſsion for vs in other thinges, as ſhe did here in this his tour- ninge water in to wine

A PLAINE PATH-WAY TO HEAVEN BY FR.THOMAS HILL 1634