unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew,) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set 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 forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.-John ii. 1-11.

Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracles that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.-John vi. 7-14. See Matt. xiv. 13. 23; Mark vi. 34. 44; Luke ix. 12-17.

Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat,

and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, besides women and children.-Matt. xv. 32. 34. 38; Mark viii. 1-10. See Matt. xvi. 5-12.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE SACRED NARRATIVE.

God endued Moses with a power of miracles, to be an evidence to Israel, "that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared unto thee." And all along in the Old Testament, when God sent his prophets to make a new revelation, or upon any strange and extraordinary message, he always gave credit to them by some sign or wonder, which they foretold or wrought.

And when he sent his Son into the world, he gave testimony to him by innumerable great and unquestionable miracles, more and greater than all the prophets wrought. And there was great reason for this because our Saviour came not only to publish a new form of religion to the world, but to put an end to that form of religion which God had instituted before. And now that the gospel hath had the confirmation of such miracles as never were wrought upon any other occasion, no evidence inferior to this can in reason control this revelation of the will of God.

ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON.

Every miracle must have AN IMPORTANT END, AND WORTHY OF ITS AUTHOR, as to authorise a prophet, or to establish a revelation. An end so wise and so benevolent is well worthy of the Supreme Being.

This character of a true miracle is found in all the miracles recorded as

being performed by Moses and Jesus Christ. None of them are represented as having been wrought on trivial occasions. The writers who mention them were eye-witnesses of the facts, which facts they affirm to have been performed publicly, in attestation of the truth of their respective dispensations. They are, indeed, so incorporated with these dispensations, that the miracles cannot be separated from the doctrines; and if the miracles were not really performed, the doctrines cannot be true. Further, the miracles of Moses and Jesus Christ were wrought in support of revelations which opposed all the religious systems, prejudices, and superstitions of the age. This circumstance alone sets them, in point of authority, infinitely above the pagan prodigies recorded by ancient writers, as well as the pretended miracles of the Romish church, many of which may be shown to be mere natural events, while others are represented as having been performed in secret, on the most trivial occasions, and long before the time of the writers by whom they are related. REV. T. H. HORNE.

Jesus Christ constantly speaks of himself as being, not an instrument only, but the AGENT, in works of miraculous power: and it is remarkable that, while the apostles manifested a studious anxiety to avoid using

language that could be construed into any representations of themselves above that of a powerless instrumentality, they ascribed the final agency to Christ as readily as to God the Father. The "signs and wonders" which sanctioned the ministry of Paul, and of which the number and variety were so great, that his modesty refused to speak of them beyond a slight and necessary allusion, he definitely attributes to Christ as their AUTHOR: "Christ wrought them through me." Here, therefore, are reasons for understanding our Lord's words as asserting for himself a power of Divine agency, and consequently the possession of Divine perfections. "I do the works of my Father, that ye may know and be assured that in me is the Father, and I in him!" DR. J. P. SMITH.

Our Lord was pleased to order the servants to fill these vessels with water, by which they became unexceptionable witnesses to the reality of the miracle: they obeyed without hesitation, and filled the water-pots" to the brim!" As soon as this was done, Jesus directed them to draw from them, and carry it to "the ruler of the feast," to set before the guests as wine! "The ruler of the feast" seems to have been a person chosen to maintain order on such occasions, as well as to see that all the guests had what they wanted; and some think that a Levite or priest was generally chosen for that purpose. When this person, therefore, had tasted this fresh supply of wine, without knowing how it was procured, he found it so excellent, that he expressed his surprise to the bridegroom at his having acted so differently from what others used to do on such occasions.

This was the beginning of Christ's miracles, by which he "manifested his glory:" an expression never used concerning the miracles of any prophet or apostle, and which could not properly have been used, -for they were only instruments, the power being of God, and for the display of his glory, which belonged to him alone: but Jesus wrought by his own power, as Emanuel, and displayed his "own glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." This miracle, however, was not wrought publicly, or generally made known: yet it served to confirm the faith of the disciples in him, as the Son of God, and the promised Messiah. REV. THOMAS SCOTT.

The manner in which this miraculous supply was furnished, impresses us with a conviction of the dignity of him by whom it was afforded: it was a power equal to that which brought water from the rock, and changed into blood the same elements in Egypt: it was creative energy which the Saviour exhibited. He who, by a natural process, changes the showers of the spring, imbibed by the earth, into the sap which nourishes the root, and ascends to the trunk and diffuses itself through the branches of the vine, and thus, ultimately, into the juice of the grape, which, when it is pressed, ferments and becomes wine, -by a silent unseen exertion of the same energy, in a miraculous way, and, independently of this process, changed immediately the simple element into the same costly beverage. Deception in this case was impossible. It is only necessary further to remark, that the

exertion of creative power is altogether consistent with the Scripture testimony, relative to the dignity, the character, the offices,-in one word, the Deity of Jesus Christ. "For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist."Col. i. 16, 17.

The Evangelist might well say, that in this miracle he "manifested forth his glory," as it was thus a demonstration of his eternal power and Godhead. It was the third day after his interview with Nathanael, who is generally admitted to have been one of the party at this nuptial festivity. This pious and distinguished man, upon whom our Lord himself passed so high an eulogy, was not free from the little prejudices of a party spirit, and from bigoted partialities. Assuming that not any good thing could come out of Nazareth, he approached Jesus with feelings little disposed to determine in his favour; yet, he no sooner received an evidence of the omniscience of our Lord, than he acknowledged his mission, and paid homage to his dignity. On this occasion, Jesus promised that he should "see greater things than those" which had produced his conviction; and only three days after, the Saviour took occasion to exhibit his almighty power, by turning water into wine, when the faith of Nathanael unquestionably received a stability not to be shaken by any subsequent trial; and the effect produced upon the mind of this " Israelite indeed," extended itself to others; for of all his followers who were present, it is added, "his disciples believed on him." DR. COLLYER.

Was this then thy first miracle, O Saviour, that thou wroughtest in Cana of Galilee? And could there be a greater miracle than this, -that, having been thirty years upon earth, thou didst no miracle till now?—that thy divinity did hide itself in a corner of Galilee, unknown to those who, ever since thy "star," waited upon the revelation of a Messiah? O Saviour, none of thy miracles is more worthy of astonishment than thy not doing of miracles. What thou didst in private, thy wisdom thought fit for secrecy; but if thy blessed mother had not been acquainted with some domestical wonders, she had not now expected a miracle abroad.

The waiters could not but think strange of so unseasonable command, Fill the water-pots. "It is wine that we want: what, do we go to fetch water? Doth this holy man mean thus to quench our feast and cool our stomachs? If there be no remedy, we could have sought this supply unbidden." Yet so far hath the charge of Christ's mother prevailed, that instead of carrying flagons of wine to the table, they go to fetch pails full of water from the cisterns. It is no pleading of unlikelihoods, against the command of an all-mighty power. He that could have created wine immediately in those vessels, will rather turn water into wine. In all the course of his miracles, I do never find him making aught of nothing: all his great works are grounded upon former existences. He multiplied the bread, he changed the water, he restored the withered limbs, he raised the

dead; and still wrought upon that which was not. What doth he, in the ordinary way of nature, but turn the watery juice that arises up from the root into wine? He will only do this now suddenly and at once, which he doth usually by sensible degrees. It is ever duly observed by the Son of God, not to do more miracles than he needs.

There is a marriage whereto we are invited; yea, wherein we are already interested, not as the guests only, but as the bride, in which there shall be no want of the wine of gladness. It is marvel if, in these earthly banquets, there be not some lack. In thy presence, O Saviour, there is fulness of joy; and at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore. Blessed are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. BISHOP HALL.

From this narrative we may learn, 1. that marriage is honourable, and that Jesus, if sought, will not refuse his blessing. 2. On such an occasion, the presence and approbation of Christ should be sought. No contract on earth enters so deeply into our comfort here: perhaps none will so much affect our destiny in the world to come. It should be entered into, then, in the fear of God. 3. On all such occasions, and others, our conduct should be such as that the presence of Jesus would be no interruption or disturbance. He is holy he is always present in every place. That is not a proper state of feeling or employment which would be interrupted by the presence of the Saviour. In the very beginning of his ministry he worked a miracle which showed his benevolence. REV. ALBERT BARNES.

That

What flocking there was after Christ, which way soever he went! our Saviour might approve him every way beneficent, he that had filled the souls of his auditors with spiritual repast, will now fill their bodies with temporal, and he, that had approved himself the universal Physician of his church, will now be known to be the great Householder of the world, by whose liberal provision mankind is maintained. He did not more miraculously heal, than he feeds miraculously.

The place was desert; the time, evening. Doubtless, our Saviour made choice of both these, that there might be both more use and more note of his miracle. The disciples think they move well: "Send them away, that they may buy victuals." Had they had victuals, they had not called for a dismission; and not having, how should they give? It was thy wisdom, O Saviour, thus to prepare thy disciples for the intended miracle! I hear thee not say, "I will give them to eat ;" but, "Give ye;" as if it should be their act, not thine. Our Saviour hath what he would, an acknowledgment of their insufficiency: "We have here but five loaves and two fishes:" a poor provision for the family of the Lord of the whole earth! -five loaves, and those barley! two fishes, and those little ones!

I know not now whether more to wonder at. the miraculous eating or the miraculous leaving! Here were a whole host of guests, -five thousand men; and, in all likelihood, no fewer women and children. Perhaps some of these only looked on: nay, they did all eat." Perhaps every man a crumb, or a bit: nay, they did eat to satiety; all were satisfied.

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