But here I cannot help remarking what a sad inference one of our masters of _Israel_, in a printed sermon, has lately drawn from this commendation of the bridegroom. His words are these. “Our blessed Saviour came eating and drinking, was present at weddings, and other entertainments, (though I hear of his being only at one;) nay, at one of them (which I suppose is that of which I am now discoursing) worked a miracle to make wine, when it is plain there had been more drank than was absolutely necessary for the support of nature, and consequently something had been indulged to pleasure and chearfulness.”¹
¹ See Dr. _Trap_’s sermon against being righteous over-much, page 17.
I am sorry such words should come from the mouth and pen of a dignified clergyman of the Church of _England_. Alas! how is she fallen! or at least, in what danger must her tottering ark be, when such unhallowed hands are stretched out to support it! Well may I bear patiently to be stiled a blasphemer, and a setter forth of strange doctrines, when my dear LORD JESUS is thus traduced; and when those who pretend to preach in his name, urge this example to patronize licentiousness and excess. It is true (as I observed at the beginning of this discourse) our blessed Saviour did come eating and drinking; he was present at a wedding, and other entertainments; nay, at one of them worked a miracle to make wine, (you see I have been making some observations on it) but then it is not plain there had been more wine drank than was absolutely necessary for the support of nature; much less does it appear, that something had been indulged to pleasure and ♦chearfulness.
♦ “charfulness” replaced with “chearfulness”
The governor does indeed say, “When men have well drunken,” but it no where appears that they were the men. Is it to be supposed, that the most holy and unspotted Lamb of GOD, who was manifested to destroy the works of the devil, and who, when at a Pharisee’s house, took notice of even the gestures cf those with whom he sat at meat; is it to be supposed, that our dear Redeemer, whose constant practice it was to tell people they must deny themselves, and take up their crosses daily; who bid his disciples to take heed, lest at any time their hearts might be over-charged with surfeiting and drunkenness; can it be supposed, that such a self-denying JESUS should now turn six large water-pots of water into the richest wine, to encourage excess and drunkenness in persons, who, according to this writer, had indulged to pleasure and chearfulness already? Had our LORD sat by, and seen them indulge, without telling them of it, would it not be a sin? But to insinuate he not only did this, but also turned water into wine, to increase that indulgence; this is making CHRIST a minister of sin indeed. What is this, but using him like the Pharisees of old, who called him a glutton, and a wine-bibber? Alas! how may we expect our dear LORD’s enemies will treat him, when he is thus wounded in the house of his seeming friends? Sirs, if you follow such doctrine as this, you will not be righteous, but I am persuaded you will be _wicked over-much_.
But GOD forbid you should think our LORD behaved so much unlike himself in this matter. No, he had nobler ends in view, when he wrought this miracle. One, the evangelist mentions in the words of the text, “to shew forth his glory,” or to give a proof of his eternal power and godhead.
Here seems to be an allusion to the appearance of GOD in the tabernacle, which this same evangelist takes notice of in his first chapter, where he says, “The Word (JESUS CHRIST) was made flesh, and dwelt (or, as it is rendered in the margin, tabernacled) amongst us.” Our dear LORD, though very GOD of very GOD, and also most perfect and glorious in himself as man, was pleased to throw a veil of flesh over this his great glory, when he came to make his soul an offering for sin. And that the world might know and believe in him as the Saviour of all men, he performed many miracles, and this in particular; for thus speaks the evangelist, “This first,” &c.
This then was the chief design of our LORD’s turning the water into wine. But there are more which our LORD may be supposed to have had in view, some of which I shall proceed to mention.