at the court, when the world could not choose but know the malicious ground of that wrongful edict, the shameful death of the procurer, the power of the party opposite, any one should be found throughout all the provinces that would once lift up his hand against a Jew? that with his own danger would endeavour to execute a controlled decree? The Church of God should cease to be itself if it wanted malicious persecution. There needs no other quarrel than the name, the religion of Israel.

Notwithstanding the known favour of the king and the patronage of Mordecai, the thirteenth of Adar is meant to be a bloody day. Haman hath too many abettors in the Persian dominions. These join together to perform that sentence whereof the author repented. The Jews take heart to defend themselves, to kill their murderers. All the provinces are turned into a field of civil war, wherein innocence vanquisheth malice. The Jews are victors; and not only are alive, but are feared. The most resist them not; many assist them, and some become theirs. The countenance of the great leads the world at pleasure. Fear of authority sways thousands that are not guilty of a conscience.

Yea, besides the liberty of defence, the Jews are now made their own justices. That there may be none left from the loins of that accursed Agagite, who would have left none of the Jewish seed, they slay the ten sons of Haman, and obtain new days of further executions. Neither can death satisfy their revenge. Those ten sons of Haman shall in their very carcasses bear the reproach of their father, and hang aloft upon his gallows.

Finally, no man doth, no man dares frown upon a Jew. They are now become lords in the midst of their captivity. No marvel if they ordain and celebrate their joyful Purim for a perpetual memory to all posterities of their happy deliverance. It were pity that the Church of God should not have sunshines as well as storms and should not meet with interchanges of joy in their warfare before they enter upon the unchangeable joy of their endless triumph.

CONTEMPLATIONS

UPON

THE HISTORY OF

THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

THE FIRST VOLUME.

TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY,

CHARLES,

BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, AND IRELAND, DEFENDER OF THE FAITH.

Most Gracious and Dread Sovereign,-More than twenty years are slipped away since I entered upon this task of sacred Contemplations; presuming so long ago to prefix your Royal Name to some of the first pieces of this long work, which I rather wished than hoped I might live to finish. The God of heaven hath been pleased to stretch out my days so far as to see it brought at last, after many necessary intermissions, to an happy end. Now, not with more contentment than boldness, I bring to your sacred hands, besides variety of other discourses, that work complete, whereof some few parcels saw the light before, under subordinate dedications. The whole is your Majesty's due, no less than the unworthy Author; whose age pleaseth and prideth itself in nothing more than the title of one of your Majesty's most ancient attendants, in my station, now living.

JOS. EXON.

CONTEMPLATIONS.

BOOK I.

TO MY MUCH HONOURED AND RIGHT WORSHIPFUL FRIEND,

SIR HENRY YELVERTON, KNIGHT,

ATTORNEY GENERAL TO HIS MAJESTY a.

Right Worshipful,-It is not out of any satiety that I change from the Old Testament to the New. These two, as they are the Breasts of the Church, so they yield milk equally wholesome, equally pleasant, unto able nurslings. Herein I thought good to have respect unto my reader, in whose strength there may be difference. That other breast perhaps doth not let down this nourishing liquor so freely, so easily. Even so small a variety refresheth a weak infant. Neither will there perhaps want some palates which will find a more quick and pleasing relish in this fresher substance. These I thought good to please with a taste, ere they come to sate themselves with a full meal of this divine nourishment; in emulation of the good scribe that brings forth both old and new. If it please God to enable my life and opportunities, I hope at last to present this Church with the last service of the history of either page, wherein my joy and my crown shall be the edification of many. In the mean time I dedicate this part unto your name, whom I have so much cause to observe and honour. The blessing of that God, whose Church you have ever made your chief client, be still upon your head, and that honourable Society which rejoices in so worthy a leader. To it and yourself I shall be ever, as I have cause,

Humbly and unfeignedly devoted,

JOS. HALL.

THE ANGEL AND ZACHARY.-Luke i.

WHEN things are at worst then God begins a change. The state of the Jewish church was extremely corrupted immediately before the news of the Gospel; yet, as bad as it was, not only the priesthood, but the courses of attendance continued, even from David's time till Christ's. It is a desperately depraved condition of a Church where no good orders are left.

Judea passed many troubles, many alterations, yet this orderly combination endured about an eleven hundred years. A settled

a [Afterwards, 1617, a puisne Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.]

good will not easily be defeated, but in the change of persons will remain unchanged; and if it be forced to give way, leaves memorable footsteps behind it. If David foresaw the perpetuation of this holy ordinance, how much did he rejoice in the knowledge of it! Who would not be glad to do good on condition that it may so long outlive him?

The successive turns of the legal ministration held on in a line never interrupted. Even in a forlorn and miserable Church there may be a personal succession. How little were the Jews better for this, when they had lost the Urim and Thummim, sincerity of doctrine and manners! This stayed with them even while they and their sons crucified Christ. What is more ordinary than wicked sons of holy parents? It is the succession of truth and holiness that makes or institutes a Church, whatever become of the persons.

Never times were so barren as not to yield some good. The greatest dearth affords some few good ears to the gleaners. Christ would not have come into the world but he would have some faithful to entertain him. He that had the disposing of all times and men would cast some holy ones into his own times. There had been no equality that all should either overrun or follow him and none attend him.

Zachary and Elizabeth are just, both of Aaron's blood, and John Baptist of theirs. Whence should a Whence should a holy seed spring, if not of the loins of Levi? It is not in the power of parents to traduce holiness to their children: it is the blessing of God that feoffs them in the virtues of their parents, as they feoff them in their sins. There is no certainty, but there is likelihood, of an holy generation when the parents are such.

Elizabeth was just as well as Zachary, that the forerunner of a Saviour might be holy on both sides. If the stock and the griff be not both good, there is much danger of the fruit. It is an happy match when the husband and the wife are one, not only in themselves but in God, not more in flesh than in the spirit. Grace' makes no difference of sexes; rather, the weaker carries away the more honour, because it hath had less helps.

It is easy to observe that the New Testament affordeth more store of good women than the Old. Elizabeth led the ring of this mercy, whose barrenness ended in a miraculous fruit both of her body and of her time.

This religious pair made no less progress in virtue than in

age, and yet their virtue could not make their best age fruitful; Elizabeth was barren. A just soul and a barren womb may well agree together. Amongst the Jews, barrenness was not a defect only, but a reproach: yet while this good woman was fruitful of holy obedience, she was barren of children. As John, which was miraculously conceived by man, was a fit forerunner of him that was conceived by the Holy Ghost; so a barren matron was meet to make way for a virgin.

seasons.

None but a son of Aaron might offer incense to God in the temple; and not every son of Aaron; and not any one at all God is a God of order, and hates confusion no less than irreligion. Albeit he hath not so straitened himself under the Gospel as to tie his service to persons or places, yet his choice is now no less curious because it is more large. He allows none but the authorized, he authorizeth none but the worthy.

The incense doth ever smell of the hand that offers it. I doubt not but that perfume was sweeter which ascended up from the hand of a just Zachary. The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to God.

There were courses of ministration in the legal services. God never purposed to burden any of his creatures with devotion. How vain is the ambition of any soul that would load itself with the universal charge of all men! How thankless is their labour that do wilfully overspend themselves in their ordinary vocations!

As Zachary had a course in God's house, so he carefully observed it. The favour of these respites doubled his diligence. The more high and sacred our calling is, the more dangerous is neglect. It is our honour that we may be allowed to wait upon the God of heaven in these immediate services. Woe be to us if we slacken those duties wherein God honours us more than we can honour him!

Many sons of Aaron, yea, of the same family, served at once in the temple, according to the variety of employments. To avoid all difference, they agreed by lot to assign themselves to the several offices of each day. The lot of this day called Zachary to offer incense in the outer temple. I do not find any prescription they had from God of this particular manner of designment. Matters of good order in holy affairs may be ruled by the wise institution of men, according to reason and expediency.

It fell out well that Zachary was chosen by lot to this ministration; that God's immediate hand might be seen in all the pas