[ontemplationr. LIB. X. The mother muft conceive the onely Gtanr of lfracl, and yet muft drinke but A water; neither muft rhe child touch any other cup. Never wine made fo flrong a champion as water did here. The power ofnourifhment is not in the creatures but in their Maker. Daniel and his threecompanions kept their complexion, with 'rhe fame diet wherewith Samfon got his ftrength; he that gave that power to the grape can give it to the ftreamc. 0 God, how ju!Uy doe we rai!e our eyes from ourrable; unto thee, which canll make water nourifh,and wine enfeeble us! smnfon haci not a better morher, than Manoahhad a wife; 1l1e hides nottho good newes in hcrowne bofome,butimparts it roher husband:That wife hatblearned eo make a true ufe of her head,which is ever ready to confult with him about the meffagcs of God. lffhewere made for his helper,he is much more hen. Thus fliould good women make amends for their firft offence; that as eve no fooner had recei- B ved an ill motion,but fl1e delivered it to her husband; (o they tlJould no fooner receive r,ood, rlun they Chould impart it. llfano,,h (like one which in thofe lewd times had not lofl his acfuainrancc wi.rh God) fo foonc as he bcares the ncwes, fals downe upon his knees. doe not heare him call forth and addrelfe his fervaots ro all the coafts of heaven (as the children oft! e Prophets did in the fearchof£/ia<)to findeout theme!fenger; but r fee him rJther looke ftraight up, to that God which fent htm; <..My Lord, 1 pr'IJ thee/et that man ofCjodcome againe. As a ftraight line is the fhorteft,the necreft cut to any bleffing is to goeby heaven; As we may not Cue to God,and neglect means, fo we mufl fueto Goct forrhofe mcanes which we Chall ufe. When I fee the flrength of Man~a/Js faith, I marvell not that he had a Sam[on · to lm fomre; he faw not the me!lenger, he beard not the errand, he examined C nor the circumftanccs; yet now he takes thought, not whether he fhall have ' a fonne, but how he fhall orderthefon which hemuft have ;andfues to God,notfor the Con which as yet he 'had not, but for the direction ofgoverning him, when he 1l1ould be. Zach~riah had the fame me!fage, and craving.a figne, loll: that voyce wherewith hecrave.d it:Manoah feeks no flgne for thepromife,but counfel for himfelfe;and yet,that Angel fpake to Zachary liimfelfe,th!S only to thewifeof Manoah· that, in the Temple, Ilkea glorious fpirit; this, in the houfe, or field, Jikefom~ Prophet, or Traveller; that to a Prieft, this to a Woman. All goodmen have not equal! meafures of faith ; Thel>odies ofmen have not more differences of flature, than their graces : Credulity tomen is faulty and dangerous; but in thematters of D God,is the greateft vertue ofa Chriflian;Happy are tbey that have not feen,yet belee,•ed: True faith takes all for granted,yea for performed,which is once promifed. He that before Cent his Angel unasked, will much more fead him againe, upon intreaty ; thofe heavenly melfengers are readyboth toobeytheir Maker,and to releive his children. Never any man·prayed for direction in his duties to God, and was repulfed: rather will God fend an Angel from Heaven to inftruct us, than our good defires Chall be fruftrate. ManoaiJ prayed,the Angel appeared againe; not to him, but to his wife. It had been the fhorter way to have come firff to the man, whofe prayers procured his prefence: But as <..Manoah wentdirectly, and immediately to God, fo God comes rnediately and aboutrolrim; andwill makeherthemeanes to bearethe melfage E to her husband, who muCl beare him the fonne: Both the ble!lingand,t!Je charge arc chiefly meant to her. It was a good care of <..Manoah, when the Angell had given order to his wife alone for the governing of the childs diet, to proffer Eimfelfe to his charge ; How /hall r>ee order tbe childe t As both the Parents have their part in the lleingof their children, fo Chould they have in their•educa· tion; 1t is both unreafonaole and unnaturall in husbands to caft this burden upon , the weaker ve!fell alone: it is no reafon that fhe which alone bath had the paine of their birth, Chould have the paine of their breeding. Though the charge be renucd to the wife,yet the fpeech is directed to the husband; the act mull be hers, hi• mu(! be the over-fight;Ltt her obferoe a/ / commanded her. The headmuftmer-look the body;
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