CONTEMPLATION XV.-THE WOMAN TAKEN IN ADULTERY.

WHAT a busy life was this of Christ's! he spent the night in the Mount of Olives, the day in the temple; whereas the night is for a retired repose, the day for company: his retiredness was for prayer, his companableness was for preaching. All night he watches in the mount; all the morning he preaches in the temple. It was not for pleasure that he was here upon earth: his whole time was penal and toilsome: how do we resemble him, if his life were all pain and labour, ours all pastime?

He found no such fair success the day before: the multitude was divided in their opinion of him; messengers were sent, and suborned to apprehend him, yet he returns to the temple. It is for the sluggard or the coward to plead a lion in the way; upon the calling of God, we must overlook and contemn all the spite and opposition of men: even after an ill harvest we must sow, and after denials, we must woo for God.

This Sun of Righteousness prevents that other, and shines early with wholesome doctrines upon the souls of his hearers; the auditory is both thronged and attentive, yet not all with the same intentions. If the people came to learn, the Scribes and Pharisees came to cavil and carp at his teaching with what a pretence of zeal and justice yet do they put themselves into Christ's presence! As lovers of chastity and sanctimony, and haters of uncleanness, they bring to him a woman taken in the flagrance of her adultery.

And why the woman rather? since the man's offence was equal, if not more; because he should have had more strength of resistance, more grace not to tempt. Was it out of necessity? perhaps the man, knowing his danger, made use of strength to shift away, and violently break from his apprehenders. Or was it out of cunning? in that they hoped for more likely matter to accuse Christ, in the case of the woman than of the man; for that they supposed his merciful disposition might more probably incline to compassionate her weakness rather than the stronger vessel. Or was it rather out of partiality? was it not then, as now, that the weakest soonest suffers, and impotency lays us open to the malice of an enemy? Small flies hang in the webs, while wasps break through without control; the wand and the sheet are for poor offenders, the great either out-face or out-buy their shame a beggarly drunkard is haled to the stocks, while the rich is chambered up to sleep out his surfeit.

Out of these grounds is the woman brought to Christ: not to the Mount of Olives, not to the way, not to his private lodging, but to the temple; and that not to some obscure angle, but into the face of the assembly.

They pleaded for her death, the punishment which they would onwards inflict, was her shame; which must needs be so much more, as there were more eyes to be witnesses of her guiltiness. All the brood of sin affects darkness and secrecy, but this more properly; the twilight, the night is for the adulterer. It cannot be better fitted than to be dragged out into the light of the sun, and to be proclaimed with hootings and basins. O the impudence of those men who can make merry professions of their own beastliness, and boast of the shameful trophies of their lust!

Methinks I see this miserable adulteress, how she stands confounded

amidst that gazing and disdainful multitude; how she hides her head, how she wipes her blubbered face and weeping eyes. In the meantime it is no dumb-show that is here acted by these Scribes and Pharisees; they step forth boldly to her accusation; "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act." How plausibly do they begin! Had I, stood by and heard them, should I not have said, What holy, honest, conscionable men are these! what devout clients of Christ! with what reverence they come to him! with what zeal of justice! when he that made and ransacks their bosom tells me, "All this is done but to tempt him." Even the falsest hearts will have the plausiblest mouths: like to Solomon's courtezan, "Their lips drop as an honeycomb, and their mouth is smoother than oil; but their end is bitter as wormwood."

False and hollow Pharisees! he is your Master whom ye serve, not he whom ye tempt: only in this shall he be approved your Master, that he shall pay your wages, and give you your portion with hypocrites.

The act of adultery was her crime: to be taken in the very act was no part of her sin, but the proof of her just conviction; yet her deprehension is made an aggravation of her shame. Such is the corrupt judgment of the world; to do ill, troubles not men, but to be taken in doing it; unknown filthiness passes away with ease it is the notice that perplexes them, not the guilt. But, O foolish sinners, all your packing and secrecy cannot so contrive it, but that ye shall be taken in the manner; your conscience takes you so, the God of heaven takes you so; and ye shall once find, that your conscience is more than a thousand witnesses, and God more than a thousand consciences.

They that complain of the act, urge the punishment: "Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned." Where did Moses bid so? surely the particularity of this execution was without the book; tradition and custom enacted it, not the law.

Indeed, Moses commanded death to both the offenders, not the manner of death to either. By analogy it holds thus: it is flatly commanded in the case of a damsel betrothed to a husband, and found not to be a virgin; in the case of a damsel betrothed, who being defiled in the city, cried not tradition and custom made up the rest; obtaining out of this ground, that all adulterers should be executed by lapidation. The ancienter punishment was burning; death always, though in divers forms. I shame to think, that Christians should slight that sin which both Jews and Pagans held ever deadly.

What a miscitation is this! "Moses commanded: the law was God's, not Moses's. If Moses were employed to mediate betwixt God and Israel, the law is never the more his: he was the hand of God to reach the law to Israel, the hand of Israel to take it from God. We do not name the water from the pipes, but from the spring. It is not for a true Israelite to rest in the second means, but to mount up to the supreme original of justice. How reverent soever an opinion was had of Moses, he cannot be thus named without a shameful undervaluing of the royal law of his Maker. There is no mortal man whose authority may not grow into contempt: that of the ever-living God cannot but be ever sacred and inviolable. It is now with the gospel, as it was then with the law: the word is no other than Christ's, though delivered by our weakness; who

soever be the crier, the proclamation is the King's of heaven. While it goes for ours, it is no marvel if it lie open to despite.

How captious a word is this! Moses said thus, "what sayest thou?" If they be not sure that Moses said so, why do they affirm it? and if they be sure, why do they question that which they know decided ? They would not have desired a better advantage, than a contradiction to that received lawgiver. It is their profession, "We are Moses' disciples," and "we know that God spake to Moses." It had been quarrel enough to oppose so known a prophet. Still I find it the drift of the enemies of truth, to set Christ and Moses together by the ears, in the matter of the sabbath, of circumcision, of marriage and divorce; of the use of the law, of justification by the law, of the sense and extent of the law, and where not? but they shall never be able to effect it: they two are fast and indissoluble friends on both parts for ever; each speaks for other, each establishes other; they are subordinate, they cannot be opposite; Moses faithful as a servant, Christ as a Son. A faithful servant cannot but be officious to the Son. The true use we make of Moses is, to be our schoolmaster to teach us, to whip us unto Christ; the true use we make of Christ is, to supply Moses. " By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." Thus must we hold in with both, if we will have our part in either so shall Moses bring us to Christ, and Christ to glory.

Had these Pharisees out of simplicity, and desire of resolution in a case of doubt, moved this question to our Saviour, it had been no less commendable, than now it is blameworthy.

O Saviour, whither should we have recourse but to thine oracle? thou art the Word of the Father, the Doctor of the church; while we hear from others, what say fathers? what say councils? let them hear from us, "What sayest thou?"

But here it was far otherwise: they came not to learn, but to tempt, and to tempt that they might accuse like their father the devil, who solicits to sin, that he may plead against us for yieldance. Fain would these colleaguing adversaries draw Christ to contradict Moses, that they might take advantage of his contradiction.

On the one side they saw his readiness to tax the false glosses which their presumptuous doctors had put upon the law, with an "I say unto you;" on the other, they saw his inclination to mercy and commiseration in all his courses, so far as to neglect even some circumstances of the law,' as to touch the leper, to heal on the Sabbath, to eat with known sinners, to dismiss an infamous but penitent offender, to select and countenance two noted publicans; and hereupon they might perhaps think that his compassion might draw him to cross this Mosaical institution.

What a crafty bait is here laid for our Saviour! such as he cannot bite at, and not be taken. It seems to them impossible he should avoid a deep prejudice either to his justice or mercy. For thus they imagine, either Christ will second Moses in sentencing this woman to death, or else he will cross Moses in dismissing her unpunished. If he commands her to be stoned, he loses the honour of his clemency and mercy; if he appoints her dismission, he loses the honour of his justice. Indeed, strip him of either of these, and he can be no Saviour.

O the cunning folly of vain men, that hope to beguile Wisdom itself!

Silence and neglect shall first confound those men, whom after his answer will send away convicted. Instead of opening his mouth, our Saviour bows his body; and instead of returning words from his lips, writes characters on the ground with his finger. O Saviour, I had rather silently wonder at thy gesture, than inquire curiously into the words thou wrotest, or the mysteries of thus writing; only herein I see thou meanest to show a disregard to these malicious and busy cavillers. Sometimes taciturnity and contempt are the best answers. Thou that hast bidden us" Be wise as serpents," givest us this noble example of thy prudence. It was most safe that these tempters should be thus kept fasting with a silent disrespect, that their eagerness might justly draw upon them an ensuing shame.

The more unwillingness they saw in Christ to give his answer the more pressive and importunate they were to draw it from him. Now, as forced by their so zealous irritation, our Saviour rouseth up himself and gives it them home, with a reprehensory and stinging satisfaction; "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." As if his very action had said, I was loath to have shamed you, and therefore could have been willing not to have heard your ill-meant motion; but since you will needs have it, and by your vehemence force my justice, I must tell you, there is not one of you but is as faulty as she whom you accuse; there is no difference, but that your sin is smothered in secrecy, hers is brought forth into the light. Ye had more need to make your own peace by an humble repentance, than to urge severity against another. I deny not but Moses hath justly from God imposed the penalty of death upon such heinous offences, but what then would become of you? if death be her due, yet not by those your unclean hands; your hearts know you are not honest enough to accuse.

Lo, not the bird, but the fowler is taken. He says not, Let her be stoned; this had been against the course of his mercy: he says not, Let her not be stoned; this had been against the law of Moses. Now he so answers, that both his justice and mercy are entire; she dismissed, they ashamed.

It was the manner of the Jews, in those heinous crimes that were punished with lapidation, that the witnesses and accusers should be the first that should lay hands upon the guilty: well doth our Saviour therefore choke these accusers with the conscience of their so foul incompetency. With what face, with what heart could they stone their own sin in another person?

Honesty is too mean a term. These Scribes and Pharisees were noted for extraordinary and admired holiness: the outside of their lives was not only inoffensive, but saint-like and exemplary. Yet that allseeing eye of the Son of God, which "found folly in the angels," hath much more found wickedness in these glorious professors. It is not for nothing, that "his eyes are like a flame of fire." What secret is there which he searches not? Retire yourselves, O ye foolish sinners, into your inmost closets, yea, (if you can,) into the centre of the earth, his eye follows you, and observes all your carriages: no bolt, no bar, no darkness can keep him out. No thief was ever so impudent as to steal in the very face of the judge. O God, let me see myself seen by thee, and I shall not dare to offend.

Besides, notice, here is exprobration. These men's sins, as they had been secret, so they were forgotten. It is long since they were done; neither did they think to have heard any more news of them. And now, when time and security had quite worn them out of thought, he, that shall once be their Judge, calls them to a back-reckoning.

One time or other shall that just God lay our sins in our dish, and ▾ make us possess the sins of our youth. "These things thou didst, and I kept silence, and thou thoughtst that I was like unto thyself; but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thee." The penitent man's sin lies before him for his humiliation; the impenitent's, for his shame

and confusion.

The act of sin is transient, not so the guilt; that will stick by us, and return upon us, either in the height of our security or the depth of our misery, when we shall be least able to bear it. How just may it be with God to take us at advantages, and then to lay his arrest upon us when we are laid up upon a former suit!

It is but just there should be a requisition of innocence in them that prosecute the vices of others. The offender is worthy of stoning, but who shall cast them? how ill would they become hands as guilty as her own! what do they but smite themselves, who punish their own offences in other men? Nothing is more unjust or absurd, than for the beam to censure the mote, the oven to upbraid the kiln. It is a false and vagrant zeal that begins not first at home.

Well did our Saviour know how bitter and strong a pill he had given to these false justiciaries: and now he will take leisure to see how it wrought. While therefore he gives time to them to swallow it, and put it over, he returns to his old gesture of a seeming inadvertency. How sped the receipt?

I do not see any of them stand out with Christ, and plead his own innocency; and yet these men, which is very remarkable, placed the fulfilling or violation of the law only in the outward act. Their hearts misgave them, that if they should have stood out in contestation with Christ, he would have utterly shamed them, by displaying their old and secret sins; and have so convinced them, by undeniable circumstances, that they should never have clawed off the reproach: and therefore, “when they heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, they went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last."

There might seem to be some kind of mannerly order in this guilty departure; not all at once, lest they should seem violently chased away by this charge of Christ; now their slinking away "one by one," may seem to carry a show of a deliberate and voluntary discession. The eldest first the ancienter is fitter to give than take example; and the younger could think it no shame to follow the steps of a grave foreman.

O wonderful power of conscience! man can no more stand out against it, than it can stand out against God. The Almighty, whose substitute is set in our bosom, sets it on work to accuse. It is no denying, when that says we are guilty; when that condemns us, in vain are we acquitted by the world. With what bravery did these hypocrites come to set upon Christ! with what triumph did they insult upon that guilty soul! now they are thunder-struck with their own conscience, and drop away confounded; and well is he that can run away farthest from his own shame.