apain to Jeruſalem,ſeeking him. Tie Featt of the Patfover, and of Unleavened Bread, held ſeven | Days, during which time Foſeph and Mary ſtayed in Feruſalem, and then returned. They uſually both went to and returned from theſe Feaſts, in great Troops or Companies. Chriſt tarriced behind, Mary thinking ke had been in the Company, miſſed him not z they re- turb to Feiuſalem toleck him
46 And it came to paſs, that after three days, they found hum in the temple, fitting in the midſt of the Doctors,both hearing them,and asking them queſtions.
aitcr tiirce ays, po'fibly here is to be underſtood from the time they ftcle weat from Fernſalem 3 one Day they went torward in their Journey, a ſecond day they were coming back, and the third Day they found him; for it cannot be thought they ſhould be in Feruſa- {?n three Days betore they found him, contidering that they found bum in the Temple, which it-is likely was the firſt place they ſought for him in. It ihould ſeem that the D:#ors of the Law gave a gene- ral liverty to any; to propourid any Queſtions to them about the Law of God, to which they gave Anſwers: Bur it is very probable, that
Wet, Bs
him to 5#t 2mon;ſt them; for tho themſelves ſate on Benches yet
| ng brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, t-. 47 And * ll that heard him were aſtoniſhed at his | | Underſtanding and anſwers.
1.22, . What was the Subjet-matter of the DJors and Chriſt's Diſcour- "e 4, 'S Evainly queſtioned ; only in the general we may be aſſured, it
hap IL | S. LL © BE:
1" ; Bp by . * . . . . loncthing more than 0:410ary apreared in him, that they admitted *
thelr Au litors uſually fate at their Feet ; hence we read of Paul's be-
diator, and the great Prophet promiſed, that ſhou!d reveal the Wiil
ap FR Slled with wiſdom, and the grace of God was up- of God to People ; much icfs did the yet fully and diftinaly under-
ſtand, that he was by Nature the Erernal Son f God, She beli-ved ſo much as was revealed to nerclear:y concerning Chriit. It 3s /.1/f which he ſpabs unto them ;, they had not a clear and diftin&t undcritinding = 4 In the ha Frnrn from theſe Words cf our Saviour, and th:- Fi > 5ſhis. we may carr, That Inferiurs are mt {it all things under th» P; wer 'f tne 1919t] Aj 1. tural Superiours 3 particularly not in ſuc; things wheroin they cmmor yield Obedience to them without « Diſpbcedience unto God, Thor are ſome Caſes wherein inſtcad of obcy ing, we 2:6 bound 1 5 14s both Father and Mother by our Sav:our's Precept.
51 And he went dowa with then, and cams co I: zareth, and was ſubject unto them. But his wother kept all theſe ſayings in her heart.
we left him at Nigarety, after Mrys Pur!'t, ation, V, 29, We fhnd him at Nazareth now at twelve Years old. We thi!! 10W rea:i no more of him till Chap, 3. 23. when he came to bo 251t thiry Years of age. What he did in the mean time, is a YZuiincf. »f too much Curioſity for us to enquire, and of very little Sigiiicancy to-us if we knew. Some think he wrought with his Father upon his Trade : as I cannot tell how to prove it, 15 I know nothing 2gainft 1t, It 45 not like he was ſent to any of the Schorfs of thetr Prophets; as he who could argue with the Dofors pertinently at twelve years of 4Aye, 2nd to whom theSpirit was given not by meiſure,had no necd of the:c Inſtructions ; ſo their Academies were not ſuch as we can reafonavly tink that, Zoſeph and Mary ſhould feck any Education for him tn them : and know no reaſon why we thould think. that he who 2!) horred not the Womb of the Virgin, nor a Stable, nor 4 Main: , [hould abhor the Works of an honeſt Vocaticn, and not much more abhor an idle Life. But we diſpute about thecte things in vain. being ſuch as to which we can never be ſatisfied, (Gad having |:1d- den them from our Knowledge : ) What is for onr InſtruRion :s 16.4 us, He was ſubject unto his Parents. This teacheth the greateit ana higheſt Mortals, to honour their Fathers and Mothers ; which (tuuch the Apoſtle ) is the firſt Commandment with promije, Solomon honour'd his Mother, and behold a greater than Solomon 1s here, paying hi. Homagealfo both to the Womb that bare him, and to his ( ſuppoled } Father, that provided for him, and protefted him. { Bur his 317he; kept all theſe ſayings in her heart. ] Mary was no forgetful Hearer, ſine things ſhe did not yet clearly underſtand, but the kept them in !.er hearr 3 and thoſe who do ſo as to Ged's Word, itall in tune under ſtand them. :
and in favour with God and Man.
If any ask how he,who was che Etzrnut Wiſdom of the Father Cwho is the only wiſe God) encreaſed in Wiſdom 2 they muſt know, that all things in Scripture which are ſpoken of Chritt, are not ſooken with reſpe& to his entire Perſon, but with rc tpet to the one us the other Nature united in that Perſon ; he encreaſedt tn Wiidim. as tic did in Age, or Stature, with reſpe&t to his Humine, not to his Dt- vine Nature, And, as God dayly magnitted his Srace and Favour toward him, ſo he gave him Favour with the Ncighbourho:d and People of Galztlee ; fo 2s thac when he came forth to be a Fublick Mimifter, he came forth as a Biſhop {the chief Brihop of Souis eſpecial.y ) ought to do, Having a good Repute even of thife why were without, And thus we leave our Savicur's Hiitory, for about | eighteen Years of which, the Hiſtory of the Golpe!l teils us nothing.
CHAP IL
The time of Fobn's entring on this Office, 1, 2. A fhort account of Fohn's Preaching, Z=—0, He exhortcth the Phariſees t9 repent ard bi Baptized, 1—9g. Several Queſtions propoſed to him, which he ar. ſwereth, To—14. Te't:neth of Chriſt, no. 3s rmprijoned by #f.- 1d, 10, 20, Jeſus Ravti>oth ty Fohn, to whom, the Firaten: are
| opened, 21, 22. Chriſt s Age, 2%. ard Genealgy rehearſe® 19 4.1.79
I OW in the ftcenth year of t
rins Ceſar, Pui.tins Prare being g2vernony of
Judea, and Herod ten? rerrarch of Galljeczand his Dro.
ther Philip tetrar: » 06 1tr:rea and of the 2 egion of 3 ra- * » . a &.* RI
chonitis, and Lyſaria< the terrarch of Ante: e.