John 2:3–4

The third and nearest occasion of this miracle, is, the want of wine, occasioned, as would appear, rather through their poverty, and that some of their guests, (and belike Christ and his disciples newly come to the countrey) had not been expected, then through any excesse. Unto this is subjoyned the miracle it self, in recording whereof John sets down what past betwixt several parties, in the preparations to it, and manifestation of it; and first we have, by way of preparation, Maries part with Christ, and his answer; She being sensible of the want, and respecting (as should seem) her kinsfolks credit, and having known many things of her Sonne, partly by the Angels intimation at his conception, partly by what Simion, and Janna, and John the Baptist had said of him, if not also by his own private information during his private life, that he was shortly to manifest himself by doctrine and miracles: She, I say, knowing this, doth represent the matter unto him for remedy: But he judging of her discourse by her secret thoughts, doth sharply reprove her for thinking to usurpe power over him in the works proper to his Godhead, and belonging to his office, and for prescribing of times to him wherein to work, though he were otherwise willing to do the thing. Doctrine 1. Such is Christs tendernesse, that he doth not discover wants, that he may leave men in misery, but that he may take occasion to let the riches of his power, providence, mercy and help be seen; for, their wanting wine, whatever cause it slowed from, was the occasion of this miracle. 2. Very lawful suits and requests to Christ may be ill managed, and propounded; And there may be great ill in Saints wayes, then they are aware of, or do see; for it was a very lawful course to go with needs to Christ, and yet he findeth matter of reproof in her so doing: and Albeit Mary seeme to deale very submissively, in telling the need, they have no wine, without prescribing, yet Christ, who understood the secret thoughts of her heart, findeth great presumption in it; So Peter little dreamed that Satan should borrow his tongue in wishing well to his Master, till himself told it. Matth. 16.22, 23. 3. Such is Christs vigilancy, and zeal, and tendernesse, that at be discovereth, so he will not beare with faults in those that are dearest to him; for, he faileth not to reprove his own mother. 4. Albeit Mary was blessed among women in being the mother of Christ, yet was she not free of sin, not onely Original, but even of actual out-breakings; for, seeing Christ, who could not erre, reproveth her, she is not faultlesse. And this is registrate in Scripture, to prevent mens conceiting of that blessed woman above what is meer. 5. It is an affront offered to Christs glory, to think that Maries motherhood gave her any power over him, to direct him in works wrought by his divine nature, or in works of his office of Mediator, or to employ her for that end; for, his reproof taxeth this secret presumption in her self, while as he who was subject to her, as man, during his private life, as to a mother, Luke 2.51. doth now say unto her, woman, not mother, as accounting her to have no motherly authority in the matter of his office; and, What have I to do with thee? thou hast nothing to do to meddle by any motherly power, for as a (supplicant she might) with what I do now in my publick office, not so much as to obtain a miracle of me. 6. Christs saddest reproofs of his people, for their miscarriages in coming to him, ought not to put them out of hope that he will respect their reall necessities in due time, as he seeth meet; for, though Christ thus reprove; yet the last part of it, mine hour is not yet come, importeth that it would come, yea, and that he had been waiting for it, and thinking on the matter before she spake. 7. Even when Christ is about to manifest himself; yet our time wherein we would have him work, and his time wherein he will work, are often very different; We are hasty, and would be through straits without any humbling exercise and trial of graces; But Christ looks on these fruit as better then simple out-gate, and our presuming to prescribe to him, is matter of reproof; for, mine hour is not yet come, saith he, reproving Mary, who would have had an out-gate already. 8. Whatever our desires be under wants, yet Christ will not manifest his help, when it would please us best, but when his glory in working may be best seen, and particularly, when our emptinesse without his help is most sensibly seen; for, when wine began to be scant, (as the words will beare) and was sparingly distributed, was the fittest time in Maries account, for keeping the Bridegroomes credit, and hiding the want; but Christs hour was not come, till the want was better known and felt, and by his so doing, he looks more to the setting forth of his own glory, then to saving the credit of a creature.