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SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.

OUR LORD AT THE MARRIAGE.

ST. JOHN II. 11.

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory: and His disciples believed on Him.

OUR Church on this Sunday brings before us the account of our Lord's first miracle--that which He wrought at Cana of Galilee, when He made the water wine.

It is a miracle most rich in matter for our instruction —and, without further preface, I shall propose to make it the subject of some remark to you this morning.

The circumstances of the miracle are soon stated. Jesus, His mother, and His disciples, were all invited to a marriage feast. In the course of the entertainment, the wine which had been provided fell short. And the mother of Jesus-and it is thought from her doing this that she was a relation, and knew the arrangements of the house-said unto Him, They have no wine. Why she said it; whether, from an expectation that her Divine Son would be able to help in the difficulty, or simply because she was accustomed to consult Him and seek

counsel at His hands, we know not. Our Lord in His reply appears to object to her interference- Woman, what have I to do with thee: mine hour is not yet come. But that very answer, mine hour is not yet come, gave her hope that in His own time something would be done, and so she turned to the attendants and said, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece—making in all a very large quantity-126 gallons. They were empty, and Jesus now bade the servants fill them-Fill the water-pots with water—and they filled them up to the brim. And He saith unto them, Draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. And when the ruler of the feast (he was not the master of the house, but a person appointed by the master to preside at the table, whose business it was to taste and distribute the wine) had tasted the water that was made into wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew,) he called the bridegroom—or rather, he called to the bridegroom, spoke to him from his place, and bore witness to the excellency of the wine newly produced-he said, 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 (adds the evangelist) did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples (there were but five at that time with Him) believed on Him.

Such is the account of our Lord's first miracle—let us consider what lessons there are in it for our learning.

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And first let us notice that the occasion-on which it was wrought-was a festive occasion; and its immediate object was to increase the means of a social entertainment—to supply wine to the guests at a wedding.

This itself is enough remarkable. We shall not find our Lord, as we go on with His history, doing any more as He did at Cana. We shall not meet with Him often in the house of feasting. He will come before us more frequently as a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. But the fact that He once graced a wedding by His presence and helped to promote festivity by the miracle that He wrought-should not be forgotten. It should teach us how entirely He sympathizes with us in our lot -in all that affects our human life. It should lead us to make Him a partaker with us, not in trouble only, but in joy.

As it is-we think only of going to Christ in the day of sorrow-to be lifted up when we are down-to have our burden taken off to be healed by Him of our infirmities but when we are well and happy we are content to do without Him-His presence does not then seem necessary to us.

But surely we are wrong. Christ ought to be with us always in the day of feasting as in the day of mourning-in our prosperity as in our adversity. Nor need the thought of Him darken our festivities. It need only check excess. He is no enemy to reasonable enjoyment. He is only the enemy of what is really hurtful to us—sin and intemperance. Clearly has He shewn by what He did at Cana-and by His conduct at other times as well that He did not come to curtail our liberty in

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meats and drinks-that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it is received with thanks

giving. Again. It was, observe, a marriage feast which Christ adorned and beautified with His Presence-and this too has its meaning. It seems a protest beforehand against those who should afterwards arise in His Church "forbidding to marry," who cry up the single state as being in itself higher, holier, nearer to the life of God.

Surely for ever against such views may our Lord's proceedings at Cana now be quoted. Surely Christ had not commenced His public ministry. by being present at a marriage feast, by working a miracle to do honour to that feast, had He not wished to mark with His approval the holy estate of matrimony!

Very thankful must we feel for this very thankful that we have the weight of Christ's example with us in vindicating the holiness and sacredness of marriage—in resisting those who, contrary to "honest Nature's rule,” contrary to the fiat of our Creator, would affirm that it is good for man to be alone.

But to look at the miracle itself-what a witness does it bear to Christ's Divinity. For what was it that He did?-turned the water into wine-did in a moment what God does each year by slow and more perceptible degrees.

For, brethren, there is no such great difference between this work of Christ's at Cana, and what God works in and through the course of nature.

For think only of this one thing-the production of wine-how is it brought about? First, water rises out

of the sea and becomes a cloud, and the cloud falls in rain, and fertilizes the soil, and swells the grape which grows upon it, and then this, when ripe, passes, by a process of fermentation, into wine. And so, in the end, out of water is made wine.

This, which is ordinarily the work of a year, was by our Lord's will effected at an instant. And mark the inference-He who could do such a thing-work as God works-turn water into wine-how can He be less than God?

And so it is implied by the Evangelist—He manifested forth His glory-the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father-as of one who worked His Father's works-the same with Him in wisdom, power, and goodness.

Be it our glad office to praise and magnify His glorious Name! Be it ours to see in Jesus, not simply the most righteous man, the only perfectly righteous man that ever lived, nor simply the Teacher come from God to shew mankind the path of life-but to see in Him One who, while He is all this, is also much more-is perfect God as well as perfect man-Lord of the powers of nature; able to subdue all things to Himself! Worthy art Thou, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created!

But again. All who have commented on this miracle have loved to point out its inner symbolical meaning.

I cannot now dwell at length upon this-but I may observe that in His first work our Lord gave the hint of all He would do afterwards for man's benefit.

For what was He ever engaged in? what is He engaged

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