in her Cosin Elisabeth Thirdly confirming her from the power of God to which nothing is impossible Now whereas this unrestrained power of God was the onely cause of such examples as the childing of Elisabeth and other barren women in this birth of the Virgin something more and of more extraordinarinesse is to bee looked after In it therefore two actions are expressed to concurre First The Holy Ghost his comming upon the Virgin Secondly The power of the most High overshadowing her and two fruits or consequents of these two actions answerable to them First The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee therefore that that is borne of thee shall bee holy Secondly The power of the most High shall overshadow thee therefore that that is borne of thee shall bee called the Son of God The comming of the Holy Ghost upon her was First In the gift of Prophecy whereby shee was both informed of the very instant when the conception was wrought and also more fully of the mystery of the Incarnation then before Secondly Hee did prepare and sanctifie so much of her flesh and blood or seed as to constituâ—â— the body of our Saviour The worke was the worke of the whole Trinity but ascribed more singularly to the Holy Ghost first because of the sanctifying of that seed and cleering it of originall taint for sanctification is the worke of the Holy Ghost Secondly for the avoiding of that dangerous consequence which might have followed among men of corrupt minds who might have opinionated if the conception of the Messâ—as in the wombe had been ascribed to the Father that the Sonne had had no other manner of generation of him The power of the most High His operating power supplying the want of the vigour and imbraces of the masculine Parent For to that the word overshadow seemeth to have aliusion being a modest phrase whereby the Hebrews expressed the imbraces of the man in the act of generation as Ruth 3. 9. Spread the skirt of thy garment over thine handmaid Therefore that holy thing This title and Epithet first not onely sheweth the purity and immaculatenesse of the humane nature of Christ but also secondly it being applyed to the preceding part by way of consequence as was touched before it sheweth that none ever was borne thus immaculate but Christ alone because none had ever such a way meanes of conception but onely hee Ver. 36. Thy Cosin Elisabeth hath conceived a Son As hee had informed the Virgin of the birth of the Mâ—ssiâ—â— of her selfe so doth he also of the birth of his fore-runner of her Cousin Elisabeth For that hee intended not barely to informe her onely that her Cousin had conceived a Childe but that hee heightens her thoughts to think of him as Christs fore-runner may bee supposed upon these observations First that hee saith A Son and not a Childe Second that such strangely borne Sonnes were ever of some remarkable and renowned eminency Thirdly that if hee had purposed onely to shew her the possibility of her conceiving by the example of the power of God in other women hee might have mentioned Sarah Hannah and others of those ancient ones and it had been enough Ver. 39. And Mary arose c. And went with haste into the hill Country into a City of Juda. This City was Hebron For unto the sons of Aaron Joshua gave the City of Aâ—ba which is Hebron in the hill countrey of Judah Josh. 21. 11. And Zacharias being a sonne of Aaron and dwelling in the hill Countrey of Judâ—â—â— it were senselesse to seek for his house in any other place then Hebron This place had been excellently renowned in ancient time Here was the promise given of Isaac here was the institution of Circumcision here Abraham had his first land and David his first Crowne and here lay interred the three couples Abraham and Sarah Isaac and Rebecca Jacob and Leah and as antiquity hath held Adam and Eve Now there are many reasons given by Expositors of Maries hasting hither after the Message of the Angel As either to know the truth of what was told her about Elisabeth or to congratulate and rejoyce with her or to minister to her in her great bellyednesse or that the Baptist in Elisabeths wombe might bee sanctified by the presence of Christ in hers c. But I cannot but conceive this to bee the very reason indeed That shee might there conceive the Messias where so many types figures and things relating to him had gâ—â—e before namely in Hebron For First this suited singularly with the Harmony and Consent which God useth in his workes that the promise should begin to take place by the conception of Messias even among those Patriarchs to whom the promise was first given Secondly A kind of necessity seemeth to lie upon it that this Shiloh of the Tribe of Juda and the seed of David should bee conceived in a City of Juda and of David as hee was to bee borne in another City that belonged to them both Thirdly the Evangelists so punctually describing this City seemeth rather to referre to Christ then John who being of the Priests might indifferently have been born in any of the Tribes whatsoever Only the Holy Ghost giveth us to observe this which may not bee passed That John that should bring in Baptisme in stead of Circumcision was borne in that very place where Circumcision was first ordained in the City Hebron It is generally held indeed that the Virgin conceived in Nazaret and in the very instant of the Angels talking with her but whether there bee not as much probability for this opinion as for that I referre to the equall and judicious Reader Ver. 40. And saluted Elisabeth This seemeth to have beene at some distance and a wall or floore between as consider seriously on ver 42. 44. Ver. 41. The babe leaped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This word is used by the Lxx. for Jacobs and Esaus stirring in the wombe Gen. 25. 22. And the leaping of the mountains at the giving of the Law Elisabeth in ver 44. addeth The babe leaped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not that hee knew what hee did when hee leaped any more then they but that either this was the first time or this time was extraordinary The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth outward gesticulation or exultation as well as inward joy yea though there bee no inward joy at all as Psal. 65. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the little hils shall bee girded with exultation And so is it to bee understood here The babe in my wombe leaped with extraordinary gesticulation or exâ—ltation and 〈◊〉 to signifie the manner of the thing done and not the cause of the doing Ver. 45. And blessed is shee that beleeved Elisabeth in this clause seemeth to have an eye to her owne husbands unbeleefe and the punishment that befell him for the same Hee a Man a Priest aged learned eminent and the message to him of more appearing
the word of the Lord was expired and extinguished long agoe in the death of Malachi the last of that race there is now another race of such preachers to be raised againe viz. John and the great Prophet and the Apostles and this is the entrance or beginning to that glorious generation For wee are to distinguish betwixt having the gift and spirit of Prophecy and betwixt being sent by that spirit for a constant Preacher to the people Deborah and Barak and Huldah and Hannah and divers others both men and women had the spirit of Prophecy upon them but never had warrant to goe and preach and to be constant ministers to the Church But Esay and Jeremy and Ezekiel and the rest of that forme under the Old Testament and John and the Apostles under the New had not onely the spirit of Prophecy upon them to foretell things to come but they had also the word of the Lord came unto them which gave them commission to bee continuall preachers and entred them into the function of a constant Ministery As see how the Baptist himselfe explaineth what is meant by this word of the Lord comming to him Joh. 1. 33. He sent mee to baptize SS To John the Son of Zacharias in the wildernesse The Children of the Priests when they came to age were to bee installed and inrolled into the service of the Temple their names being entred there and the name of their father To this custome the Evangelist seemeth to referre when he calleth John the Son of Zacharias in this place and at this time when hee was to enter upon his Ministeriall function which though hee did not at the Temple as others used to doe but had another kind of employment laid upon him by the Word of the Lord comming to him in the Wildernesse in the place of his converse yet as had he been there he must have been inrolled and registred thus John the Son of Zacharias began his Ministration at such a time or to this purpose so doth the Holy Ghost inroll him here at his entrance into this his Ministry of another kind the word of the Lord came to John the Sonne of Zacharias And the like passage we observe in the same Evangelist concerning our Saviour at his being baptized and when he also entred upon his function Mat. 3. vers 1. Preaching in the Wildernesse of Judea That is in the Cities and Townes in the wildernesse as Josh. 15. 61 62. and 1 Sam. 23. 14. 24. some of which were probably within the territories and under the command of Hebron the place where John was born for there is mention of the Cities of Hebron 2 Sam. 2. 3. Mark 1. ver 4. John did baptize in the Wildernesse It is the most likely that John began to preach in the place where he was borne and from thence went to other places as hee saw occasion and the Spirit moved him And indeed Hebron it selfe was in a manner a City of the Wildernesse as well as the others mentioned though there be no such expression concerning it as is of them and if those words Luke 2. So He was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel were interpreted concerning his being in Hebron the interpretation might very well be justified though to avoid cavill and offence we have expounded it of places which the Scripture calleth Deserts or Wildernesses in expresse termes However be it in Hebron or out of Hebron that John was educated conversed and began to preach certaine it is that he did the last of these in some Cities of the Wildernesse not farre from Hebron and if it be said that he baptized also in these Cities where hee preached and as yet was not gone downe to Jordan till Jerusalem and all Judea heard of him and came to be baptized and then hee went thither for the conveniency of water I suppose it crosseth nothing either in the History or Mysterie and it averreth no more concerning John now then we shall find him doing hereafter namely baptizing in other waters beside Jordan And indeed how can it rationally be understood otherwise then that John baptized first in these Cities and Townes before multitude of company drew him downe unto the River For first it cannot be conceived that hee walked or stood in the open fields neere Jordan and there began to preach but that hee betooke himselfe to Townes or Cities where was concourse of people Secondly it can as little be conceived that when any people in this or that City embraced his Doctrine and desired to be baptized that he should bring them to the River which was sometime farre off or delay them till all the multitude should meet him there together unlesse it could bee shewed that the water of Jordan was only allowed to be baptized in and no other the contrary to which we shall see anon The Story therefore and progresse of his Ministery and baptizing out of the three Evangelists may be compiled thus That first hee came preaching in the Wildernesse of Judea in the Townes and Cities that were there about the place of his education That hee baptized there those that were converted by his preaching and that desired to bee baptized by him That hee went abroad from thence up and down all the Countrey round about Jordan and when his converts and the concourse were now grown numerous he baptized them in Jordan because there was water enough as Joh. 3. 23. SS And preach the baptisme of repentance The Evangelist useth this title or epithet in opposition Circumcision and baptizing of Proselytes which had been the way and doore of admission into the Church before They might very fitly be called the Circumâ—ision and the baptisme of performance as this the baptisme of repentance For whosoever received circumcision was ingaged by it to the performance of the whole Law Gal. 5. 2. And the like was every Proselyte ingaged that received Baptisme But this baptisme of John or the baptisme in the Christian Church is cleane of another nature For whereas those two challenged of every one that went through those dooâ—es into the Church that they should stand debtors to the whole Law and bee obliged to a legall righteousnesse our baptisme requireth a cleane contrary thing namely that we should bee obliged to repentance in regard that the performance of the law is a thing that is to us impossible and that we should be buried with Christ in his death and seeke after his righteousnesse seeing that we have none of our owne Hence appeareth clearly first a reason why the baptisme of John is called the beginning of the Gospel for it opened a doore and gave an inlet into the Church upon other termes then had ever been before And secondly that baptisme belongeth to Children though it be the baptisme of repentance and they know not what repentance meanes For it requireth not their repentance at their receiving of the Sacrament when they stand but in
thus wee see and may observe Rome come to its intire and absolute Monarchy but at this time and the state and power that should persecute Christ in his Members to the end of the world beginning and borne as it were at the very same time when Christ himselfe Augustus as Tacitus recordeth of him did cause an account to be taken of all the Empire and himself had a Book Record of it written out with his own hand Opes publieae continebantur quantum civium sociorumque in armis quot classes regna Provinciae tributa aut vectigalia necessitates ac largitiones quae cuncta suae manu perscripserat Augustus which contained the publick revenue the number of Citizens or confederates in the Armies what Shipping Kingdoms Provinces Tributes or Subsidies and reliefe money and beneficences Dion also in the life of Augustus and much also about this time mentioneth a taxe laid by him upon those that dwelt in Italy whose estates were not lesse then five thousand Sesterces and poorer then these hee taxed not Ver. 2. This taxing was first made when Cyrenius was Governour of Syria The Taxe is dated by the time of Cyrenius his Governing of Syria First because Judea was annexed to Syria as a member of it and in naming the one the other is included Secondly hereby the losse and want of the Scepter and Law-giver in the Tribe of Judah is the better seen for the subjection of the Jewes by this is shewed to bee in the third degree They subject to Herod Herod to Cyrenius and Cyrenius to Augustus Thirdly from Syria had Israel had their greatest afflictions that ever they had in their own Land as by Gog and Magog Ezek. 38. or the house of the North Dan. 11. And Luke deriving the taxing of the Jewes from Syria calleth those things to mind and sayeth as it were the last verse of Dan. 11. and the first of Dan. 12. together The taxing is said first to bee made in his time As first denying that ever there was such an universall taxation in the Empire before for the Empire was never in that case of universall quietnesse to bee taxed before And secondly importing the taxes of that Country that followed after Augustus at this very time laying the platform subjection and submission of the Empire for succeeding posterities And here let it bee said againe in exact propriety beginneth the Romane Monarchy and is farre from being any of the foure Mentioned Dan. 2. or 7. Josephus mentioneth Cyrenius his comming into Syria after Archelaus his death To doe justice and to assesse and taxe every mans goods and hee came into Judea which was now annexed to Syria and did so there Now Archelaus reigned after Herod Mat. 2. and reigned till Christ was about ten yeers old forten yeers hee reigned as saith the same Josephus and therefore either Cyrenius came twice into Syria to lay taxations as Funccius concludeth or else Josephus fayleth here as hee doth not seldome elsewhere in Chronology Ver. 3. And all went to bee taxed This taxing was first by Kingdomes and Countries then by Cities and Townes and then by poll First Kingdomes and Provinces were divided one from another Secondly Cities and Townes in every Kingdome and Province were also particularized and notice given that every one should repaire to the place to which by stock and descent they did belong Thirdly the people being thus convened in their severall Cities their names were taken and inrolled and so the Greek word here used doth signifie in the neerest propriety Then did they make profession of Subjection to the Romane Empire either by some set forme of words or at least by payment of some certaine summe of money which was laid upon every poll And now first are the Jews entring under the yoke of that subjection which they never cast off again but it pressed them into a finall desolation even to this day Secondly They had voluntarily brought this misery upon themselves in calling in the Romans in their civill warres Thirdly No sparke of their former freedome and authority is left among them for their King and Law-giver is cleane gone Fourthly they are now to bee inrolled and registred for vassals to all succeeding generations Fifthly they must now leave their own occasions and many of them their owne houses to attend their owne bondage and misery And thus It is in the words of our Rabbins if thou see a generation that hath many afflictions then looke for the Redeemer from Isa. 59. 17 18. Jer. 30. 6 7. c. D. Kimch in Isa. 59. Ver. 4. And Joseph also went up from Galilee c. Whether it were for the feare of Herod that had a murderous spite at the stock of David or for the more commodiousnesse for his trade or for whatsoever else it was that Josoph a Bethlehemite became a resident in Galilee surely it was the wondrous disposall of the Lord that a decree from Rome should bring him now from Galilee to Bethlehem that the Prophecy of Christs being borne in that place might take effect Ver. 7. Shee brought forth her first-borne This is to bee understood according to the propriety and Phrase of the Law agreeable to which it speaketh Now the Law speaking of the first-borne regardeth not whether any were borne after or no but onely that none was borne before As Hur is called the first-born of Ephrâ—â—â— 1 Chron. 2. 5. and yet no mention of any childe that shee had after So Christ is here called the first-borne not as though shee had any children besides but to shew that in him was fulfilled what was typifyed by the first-borne under the Law who was as King Priest and Prophet in the Family and holy to the Lord. And so likewise in that spâ—â—ch of Matthew chap. 1. 25. Hee knew her not till shee had brought fâ—rth her first-borne It implyeth not that 〈◊〉 knew her after for the word till inforceth no such thing as see the Geneva notes upon the place but the Evangelists intention is to cleere the birth and generation of Christ from any carnall mixture of Joseph and Mary before hee was borne And here it is not unseasonable to looke a little narrowly into the time of our Saviours birth namely the time of the yeere â—â— which hee was borne as wee have done into the yeere it self or the time of the world heretofore The yeere of the world as wee observed then was 3928. The yeere of Augustus is neither so necessary to seek nor so ease to find partly because there is some difference among Historians about the number of the yeeres of his Reigne and partly because there may bee some about the yeere of Tiberius in which Christ was Baptized from which wee should count backward For though it bee said that John came Baptizing in his fifteenth yeere Luk. 31. yet may it bee questionable whether hee Baptized Christ in that yeere or no But not to swarve from the most common
Frankiniense and Myrrhe The mysterious application of these presents as Myrrham homini uncto aurum c. be left to them that delight and content themselves in such things the plaine and easie interpretation of the matter is that they tendered to Christ the chiefest and choicest commodities that their Countrey could afford which they carried in their treasures as the text calleth it that is in and among those commodities that the men of those Nations used to carry with them when they travailed especially when they meant to present any one to whom they went as Gen. 24. 53. 1 Kings 10. 2. Vers. 15. Out of Egypt have I called my Sonne The two allegations produced here out of the Old Testament this and that out of Jeremy in Rama was a voice heard are of that fulnesse that they speake of two things a piece and may very â—itly be applyed unto them both and shew that the one did resemble or prefigure the other as this text of Hosea aimeth both at the bringing of the Church of Israel in old time and of the head of that Church at this time out of Egypt Then a Joseph nourished his father now a Joseph doth so to his redeemer then was Egypt deadly to every male child that was borne now is it a place of refuge and preservation to this child Ver. 18. In Rama was there a voice heard c. Ramah stood not farre from Bethlehem though they were in two Tribes and the cry that the poor Parents and children made in Bethlehem when this matchlesse 〈◊〉 was in hand reach't to Ramah and was plainly heard thither Now observe the fulnesse of this Scripture as it is uttered by the Prophet as it is applied by the Evangelist It was fulfilled in one kind in the time of Jeremy him self and then was the lamentation and weeping in Ramah it selfe for hither did Nebuzaradan bring his Prisoners after hee had destroyed Jerusalem and there did he dispose of them to the Sword or to Captivity as seemed good unto himself Jer. 40. 1. And imagine what lamentation and crying was then in that City when so many were doomed there either to bee slaine in that place or to goe to Babel never to see their owne Land againe Then was the cry in Ramah and it was heard no doubt to Bethlehem But now the Prophecy is fulfilled in another kind when Harod destroyeth so many Children in Bethlehem and in the Suburbs and Borders belonging to it And now the cry is in Bethlehem and it is heard to Ramah SS Rachel weeping for her children c. Rachels grave was betwixt Bethlehem and Ramah or at least not farre distant from either of them Gen. 35. 16. 20. 1 Sam. 10. 2. The holy Ghost therefore doth elegantly set forth this lamentation by personating Rachel who dyed in the birth of her 〈◊〉 the Sonne of her Sorrow sorrowing for her Sonnes and Children that were thus massacred And this sheweth that the text in the Prophet aimeth in the first place and intention at the matter of Nebuzaradan for in Bethlehem Rachel properly had no children at all that City being inhabited by the children of Judah which deseended of Leah but in Ramah dwelt Rachels children that being a towne of Ephramites descended from Joseph Howsoever Rachel may bee said to weepe for the Babes of Bethlehem as her owne children though they were not strictly and properly her seed in regard of the interest that shee had in all the tribes of Israel as being wife unto their Father as Joseph is often called the Father of Christ being onely husband to his mother And see such another phrase Gen. 37. 10. Shall I and thy mother come to bow downe before thee whereas Josâ—phs mother was dead already Vers. 19. But when Herod was dead c. The end of Herod was not long after the massacre of these infants and his bloodinesse which he had used all his life long and topped up in the murder of these innocents and in desire to have done as much to the Lord of life the Lord doth now bring upon his owne head This matter with the children of Bethlehem wee conceive to have been some three moneths more or lesse before his end in which space this was his behaviour as may be collected out of Josephus Hee had slaine long before this his two Sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus and now was he about to doe as much by his Sonne Antipater a child too like the Father and one whom hee left by will the Successor in his Kingdome Him suspected by him for some man chination against himselfe hee had now shut up in prison and intended him presently for the execution but that his sicknesse whereof he died seizing on him gave some more space to the imprisoned and some hopes and possibilities of escaping His disease was all these mixed together an inward burning and exulceration an insatiable greedinesse and devouring the collicke the goute and dropsie his loines and secrets crawling with lice and a stinke about him not to bee indured These wringings and tortures of his body meeting with the peevishnesse of old age for hee was now seventy and with the naturall cruelty which alwayes had been in him made him murderously minded above all measure insomuch that hee put to death divers that had taken downe a golden Eagle which hee had set up about the Temple And when he grew neer to his end and saw himselfe ready to die hee slew his Sonne Antipater and caused great multitudes of the Nobility and People to bee closed up in a sure place giving command to slay them assoone as hee was dead for by that meanes hee said hee should have the Jewes truely and really to sorrow at his death Vid. Joseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 8 9 10. and de Bel. lib. 1. câ—p 21. Vers. 20. For they are dead that sought the young childs life The like saying is to Moses Exod. 4. 19. where the word they may be understood of Pharaoh and his servants which jointly sought his life for the Egyptians sake whom hee had slaine and were now all dead and worne out in the fourty yeeres of his being in Midian But here it is true indeed that the seeking of the childs life may well bee applied to Herods Servants as well as himselfe but that all they died with him or about the time of his death who in flattery or favour or obedience to him had promoted the slaughter at Bethlehem and had sought the childs life I know not upon what ground it should be conceived I should therefore by the they in this place understand Herod and his Sonne Antipater jointly together For if it bee well considered how mischievous this Antipater was against his own Brethren and how hee wrought their ruine and misery for feare they should get betwixt him and the throne yea how hee sought the destruction of his owne Father because hee thought hee kept him out of the Throne too long it may
very well bee beleeved that hee would bloodily stirre against this new King of the Jewes that the wisemen spake of for feare of interception of the Crown as wel as his Father Hee dyed but five daies before his fathers death as it was touched before out of Josephus and thus God brought this bloodinesse of the Father and the Son and the rest of their cruelties to an end and upon their own heads at once and in a manner together and thus may the words of the Angel bee very fairely understood Take the childe and return to the Land of Israel for Herod and Antipater are dead that sought his life Ver. 22. Archelaus did reigne in Iâ—dea in the roome of his Father Herod Herod had first named Antipater for his Successor in the Throne of Judea but upon detection of his conspiracy against him hee altered his minde and his will and nominated Antipas and changing his minde yet againe hee named Archelaus and hee succeeded him a man not likely to prosper in a Throne that was so bebloodyed His conclusion was that in the tenth yeere of his reigne hee was accused by the Nobles of Judea and Samaria to Augustus banished to Vienna and his estate confiscate Jos. Ant. lib 17. cap. 15. Ver. 23. Hee shall bee called a Nazarene From Isai. 11. 1. where the Messias is called by the title Nezer which indifferently signifieth A branch and the City Nazaret one and the same word denoting Christ and the place where hee should bee borne SECT VIII S. LUKE CHAP. II. Christ sheweth his wisedome at twelve yeeres old Ver. 40. ANd the Childe grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdome and the grace of God was upon him 41 Now his Parents went to Jerusalem every yeer at the Feast of the Passeover 42 And when hee was twelve yeers old they went up to Jerusalem after the custome of the Feast 43 And when they had fulfilled the daies as they returned the Childe Jesus tarryed behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it 44 But they supposing him to have been in the company went a daies journey and they sought him among their kinsfolkes and acquaintance 45 And when they found him not they turned back again to Jerusalem seeking him 46 And it came to passe that after three daies they found him in the Temple sitting in the middest of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 48 And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Son why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing 49 And hee said unto them How is it that yee sought mee wist yee not that I must bee about my Fathers businesse 50 And they understood not the saying which hee spake unto them 51 And hee went down with them and came to Narareth and was subject unto them but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart 52 And Jesus increased in wisedome and stature and in favour with God and men Reason of the Order THe Order of this Section dependeth so clearely upon the proper Order of that preceding that that being made good to lie where it doth as in the proper place the subsequence of this to it can nothing at all bee doubted of For whereas all the Evangelists have unanimously passed over in silence all those yeeres of Christs minority which intervened or passed between his return out of Egypt and this passage of his at twelve yeeres old there is nothing possible to bee found in the Gospels that can come between to interpose this order and connexion The carriage and demeanour of our Saviour in the time between is onely briefely comprised in the first verse of this portion And the childe grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisedome and the grace of God was upon him Harmony and Explanation Ver. 40. And the childe grew c. TWo yeeres Old hee was when hee went into Egypt and there hee abode in his Exile a very small time it may bee some two or three moneths about such a space as Moses had been hid in Egypt in his Fathers house from the fury of Pharaoh When hee returned to Narazeth his Mothers City being now about two yeers and a quarter old hee was not weaned if in this hee followed the use and custome of the Jewish children as it is like hee did but still sucked his Mothers breasts As hee grew in body hee grew much more in minde for so the phrase Hee waxed strong in Spirit seemeth to bee understood by the Evangelist taking Spirit not so much for the Holy Ghost though it is past question hee was filled with that as for his Soule or spirituall part of his humane nature And so hee describeth his growth in both parts in the two expressions The childe grew in body and waxed strong in intellect and soule filled with wisedome in an extraordinary manner above other children and a graciousnesse appeared in him both in person and actions Vers. 41. Now his Parents went to Jerusalem c. Joseph is called the Parent of Christ as Paul calleth preaching foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1. 21 23. because hee was so commonly reputed by men And as for Womens going up to this Festivall whereas the Law required onely the Males appearance before the Lord three times in the yeere wee shall have occasion to speake of it hereafter Ver. 42. And when hee was twelve yeeres old c. At what age our Saviour sheweth his admirable wisdome in the Temple among the Doctors in this Story at the same age had Solomon shewed his in the matter of the two Hostesses about the dead and living child 1 King 3. 25. â—8 For that hee was twelve yeers old at that time may be conceived upon these collections First Absolom began to rebell in the thirty seventh yeere of Davids Reigne or three yeeres before his death or thereabout This is to bee picked out of that datelesse reckoning of yeeres 2 Sam. 15. 7. And after forty yeeres Absalom said let mee goe pay my vow c. These forty yeeres are counted from the time that Israel asked a King three of Sauls Reigne 1 Sam. 13. 1. and seven and thirty of Davids and then began Absalom to challenge the Kingdome and the reckoning from that date giveth this hint and intimation that as their asking a King then did sore displease the Lord so now are they punished in the proper kind for it when they have so many Kings that they know not well which to follow and many of them perish in following the usurper Secondly before his open rebellion Absalom had been two yeeres in Jerusalem and not seen the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 28. Thirdly before that time he had been three yeeres in deserved exile in Geshur 2 Sam. 13. 38. Fourthly and two yeeres had passed betwixt the rape of Tamar and
hath revealed my secrets to the 〈◊〉 of men And when he went about to explaine the 〈◊〉 or the bookeâ— of Holy Writ there came a Bath Kol or a divine voyce againe 〈◊〉 said It is enough What is the reason Because in them it revealed the end of the Messias In Megillah Now here it may bee doubly questioned First why they called it Bath Kol The Daughter of a voyce and not a voyce it selfe And secondly whether this voyce that wee have in hand were such a voyce as that or no To the first if the strictnesse of the Hebrew word Bath bee to bee stood upon which it alwayes is not it may bee answered that it is called the Daughter of a voyce in relation to the Oracle of Vrim and Thummim for whereas that was a voyce given from off the Mercy Seate within the vaile and this upon the decay of that Oracle came as it were in its place it might not unfitly nor unproperly bee called a Daughter or successor of that voyce But to the second and which is more materiall and pertinent to the subject in hand it may bee answered that this voyce was not of the nature of their Bath Kol upon these two reasons First because this voyce came descendingly from heaven but their Bath Kol cannot bee proved to have descended or at least to have constantly come from heaven For the 〈◊〉 hinc which gave warning of the destruction of the City came not from above but from the Temple as Isa. 66. 6. And this can hardly bee denyed to have been one of their Bath Kol voyces And if wee will beleeve the Jewish Authours in every place where they give examples of this their Bath Kol it will appeare rather to bee such a voyce as came to Samuel which was so farre from a perpendicular descending that hee could not distinguish whether it were the call of â—li Secondly because whereas the Jewes repute their Bath Kol both the last and the lowest kind of divine revelation among them this kinde of a voyce from heaven was both ancient as Gen. 21. 17. and 22. 11. and also most honourable Exod. 20. 22. Deut. 4. 33. 36 SS From Heaven The opinion that these words were spoken by an Angell deputed by God for that purpose which some do hold is not onely improper but also dangerous improper because it crosseth a plain and facile Text and dangerous because it bringeth a created Angell into a kind of equality and compartnership with the sacred Trinity For First Why should there bee any surmise of such an Angell uttering these words unlesse it might bee thought that God could not utter them himselfe Secondly as Paul saith To which of the Angels said God at any time Thou art my Sonne so may it bee said much more which of the Angels ever durst or might call Christ his Sonne Thirdly Peter speaking of the Parallel or like voyce to this which was uttered at our Saviours transfiguration hee saith it came from the excellent glory which doubtlesse sheweth more then from an Angell 2 Pet. 1. 17. Mat. 3. Ver. 17. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased In Marke and Luke it is Thou art my beloved Son c. whereas Matthew expresseth it This is which though it shew some difference yet is it not materiall nor doth the difference breed so much difficulty as it doth satisfaction to the Reader and fulnesse to the story For the two Evangelists first named relate it as spoken to Christ for the sealing of his person and in answer to his prayer but the other expresseth it onely as spoken of Christ and not to him but pointing him out to the notice of John Now this whole speech is taken from 2 Sam. 7. 14. Psal. 89. 26 27. and Isa. 42. 1. and when it is uttered again from heaven at our Saviours transfiguration this addition Heare him is put to it Mat. 17. 5. Luk. 9. 35. sealing him then for the great Prophet of his Church whom all must heare Deut. 18. 15. as it sealeth him now for the high Priest of his Church being now to enter into his Ministery Luk. 3. Ver. 23. And Jesus himselfe beganne to bee about thirty yeeres of age Agreeable to this age of Christ when hee beganne his Ministery was the age of the Priests when they entred their Office Numb 4. 3. the age of Joseph when hee came to promotion Gen. 41. 46. and the age of David when hee began to Reigne 2 Sam. 5. 4. Now how this is to bee understood is some controversie Some there are that take it thus that Jesus was now fully and perfectly thirty Others thus that hee now beganne or drew on to bee full thirty and so preaching three yeeres and six moneth that hee dyed at thirty three yeeres old and an halfe But this interpretation the phrase used by the Evangelist and the common and ordinary manner of the Scriptures reckoning of the ages of men and of other things doth sufficiently contradict For First in that Luke saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee was baptized beginning to bee as it were thirty the word beginning to bee denyeth his being thirty compleat and the word as it were denyeth his drawing upon thirty compleate likewise For if hee were full thirty then hee beganne not to bee so and if hee were drawing on to full thirty then was hee not drawing to as it were thirty but to thirty indeed By the phrase therefore is to bee understood that hee was now nine and twenty yeeres of age compleat and just now entring upon his thirtieth and this the Evangelist hinteth so clearely that it needeth not much confirmation For that hee was in his thirty current and not compleated is plaine by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were thirty that is thirty yeeres old after a certain reckoning and that hee was but now entring upon this his thirty current is as plain by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee began but to bee so To which also secondly may bee added the common and current use of Scripture in reckoning of ages either of men or beasts to account the yeere which they are now passing for a yeere of their age bee it never so newly or lately begun Examples of this it is needlesse to give the thing is so usuall and obvious to every eye So that now to take up the times of the world and of our Saviour according to this computation they result to this First That since hee was borne in the yeere of the world 3928. stilo veteri but newly begunne hee was baptized in the yeere of the world 3957. but newly begunne by the same stile likewise Secondly That since hee was borne in Tisri hee was also baptized in Tisri Thirdly That since his last residence in Bethlehem to his first appearing publickly in the worke of the Gospell were full seven and twenty yeeres all which time hee had lived either in Nazareth the Town of his