r The Governonr cails the Bridegroom ( at whoſe coſt the provi. tion for the Featt was to be made) and mindeth him, that je ſeemed ro hive done contrary ro the common practice of ſuch zx made Featis; for they uſed to bring forth their belt Wine fit, when mens Palares were quickeit, and jeait adulterated ; and work / after rhat rhey had drank well ; fo rhe word wsluofo (nies ( as appears by the Sepruagines Tran!larion of the Hebrew word ſo figntying, Gen. 43.34. Hag. 1. 6. Not only mens diſtemyerins themſelves with Wine, (which it alſo ſometimes tignitieth) and this ſpeaketh our Tranſlation of ir, 1 Cor, 11.21. are druiten, Something hard; the word nor neceſſarily nor always ſo fipnifith, and they muſt be very uncharicable ro the Primitive Church of Corinth, who can think, that ir would: permit perſons aQully drunken to the Lords Table. Bur the cuftom it ſeerns, wa, if chey had any. Wine worſe than other, to bring it our to the Gueſts, after that the edge of their Palates was a little blunted wit the tait of better. 8 Now this Bridegroom, as the Goyernour f the Feaſt, (who knew nothing of the Miracle } thought, had kept his briskeſt and molt generous Wine ro the laft, thereby giving a grear Approbation of rhe Miracle, not only owning it to betrue Wane, bur much betrer than they had had before ar the Feat, 11 This beginning of miracles did Jeſus in Cana of Galilee «, and maniteited forch his glory 5 and hi diſciples believed on him x.
u Thefenſe is not, That this was the firſt Miracle which Chrilt wrought in Cana of Galilee ; but this was the firlt Mirace which Chriſt wrought after he was entred upon the publick Min{iry; and it was wrought in that Cana, which 1s within the Conf es of Gas flee, either inthe lor of Jebulon or Aſhcr ; yer rhere are ſome. vio would not have it the firſt Miracle which Chritt wrought, bucrac fri which he wrought in that place ; bur there is no reaſon for {uch an Interpretation ; for then there had been no reaſon for the following words, for Chriſt did not manife# hs Glorythere only ; rho! (one object rhoſe wonderful, or miraculous things, happening at our Saviours Birth, of which we read, Mat. 2.9, Luke 2. 11. as ſome diitinguiſh berwixt 9z7raand miracula; fo others git more plain and farisfactory anſwer, telling us thoſe wer? miraculo Operations, more proper to the Father and the Spirit ; thereby a reſting the Deity of Chriſt, than to Chriſt conſidered as God111: This was the firſt of thoſe miraculous Operations which
ne;
ſome think here were ſix) doth not appear. &4 For the content of theſe Veſlcls, it is uncertain ; the reaſon 1s becauſe the ſewiſh mea- fures, both for things ary and /zq:d, are much unknown to us, moſt Countries varying in th-ir meaſures. According ro our mea- ſures, theſe Veſſels ſhould contain three Hogiheads, or near it; bur It 1s not propable that ſo great Veſſels of Stone ſhould ſtand in a Room ; the end of their {tanding there, was for the People to wath in, before they did ear, Mat. 15. 2. Mark 7.3, and to waſh their Veſſels in, v:4. We are certain of the number of che Veſſels, but not ot the content of chem. Some ſay, they held ſo much Water, being rarned into Wine, w:s enough for 150 Perſons, but we can make no certain judgment of it,
7 Jeſus faith unto them, fill the water-pors with water /, And they fill:d them up to the brim ms.
{ Either the Water was defiled by ſoxie Perfons waſhing in ir, or elſe the Veſſels were nor full. Our Lord commanded them to be
|
filled, the Warer-pors, not Wine Vellels, with water, pure Warer he commands them a/! to be jil'ed by the Servants, who could yy relt the Miracle, that there was nothing in the Veſſels but pure Was ter. Rere was no ner Creature to be produced; he doth nor therefore commind the production of Wine out of nothing ; bur only the transformation of a Creature already exiſtent into a | Creature of another kind. |
wrought by Chrilt Jeſus as God-man, by which w He manifeſt. hs Glory, the Glory mentioned, Chap. 1, 14. as of the only vegotie? of the Father ; his Divine Majeſty and Power. x And k# Dijcipies, who before believed on him, John 1. 41. 42. now more firmly = lieved on him, Fohn 14. 1. as a Mediator. In Scripture that is it! faid ro be, which doth not commence, bur increaſe from that and occaſion.
12 T Afcerthis he went down to Capernaun ty and. his mother, and his brethren 2, an his diſciples; and they continucd there not many days s,
» Capernaum was a City /ifted up to heaven, for mercies of al ſorts, which Chriſt forerold, Mat. 11, 23. ſhould be brought c0%1 to Hell for thei contempr of his Doctrine and Miracles. IF v#? Ky the Tribe of Napthali, whoſe Lot was contiguous to Jebulon, an 4 on the North-eaſt of it, a place where Chrift afterwards Prea K much, and wrought many Miracles, Mat. 8 13e 14+ and - i Mar, 2.1. and $. 22, a place brought ſo low. in Hierom $T1Me vn x it ſcarce conlitted of ſeven poor Cortages of Fithermen. 7 —_ chis time went Chriſt and his Mother, and his Brethren ; (by i term the Scripture often exprefſerh any near Kaſinen ) and i : ciples ; whether only the Five mentioned in the former cage "long others alſo, is nor ſaid : a Bur chey did not ac thar rime {tay 10!
. : 6 to Ve The Servants diſpate not his Commands, | there, probably becauſe the Paſſover time, ( when they were ©
nor asKk any reaſon of his Command, but yicld that ready and abſo- | at Hreruſalem ) was ſo nigh, as would not admir any long
L,
|before they began their Journey ; 2nd it is likely,
that che Com pany
Chap, |
late Obedience which we all of us owe to D'vine Precepts. They 61 Chritt and his jchem, and fo full, that they could hold no more,
ha
hereti private tion, d| Tables, need w of him, Should , of Ley to that I,
I6 things merch
h At ly tota It 1s ſaid ſufficien;
mages, ( tho' fo Thoſe w this caſe, That it ig ſrip ) ſhoy cently ! be no | only a pat Cation des its terwarg ' erence ;
U7 Ant
& zeal c
Val, jr,
hap. TI.
S. FOHN
hl ny mentioned here, to be with Clirith ar Capernanm, did alfol &s The Diſciples.as well. as 3a to go along with him to the Paſſover, of which we next
nd _ | fon, and he 2 NO repute but
arg ; 4 «| And the Jews paſlover was ac and and Jeſns| ard with Authority to Crive - up to Hierafalem 5. and to body to oppoſe him ;
aft,