BOOK 4. THE INCARNATION.
CHAPTER 1.
4.1.7. Of some Consequents after Christ's Birth.
Of some Consequents after Christ's Birth.
Some consequents after the birth of Christ may be touched, whilst yet he was but a child of twelve years old. As--
1. When he was but eight days old, he was circumcised, and named Jesus As there was shame in his birth, so there was pain in his circumcision; a sharp razor passeth through his skin, presently after he is born; not that he needed this ceremony, but that for us he was content legally to be impure; in this early humiliation, he plainly discovers the riches of his grace; now he sheds his blood in drops, and thereby gives an earnest of those rivers, which he after poured out for the cleansing of our nature, and extinguishing the wrath of God; and for a farther discovery of his grace, at this time his name is given him, which was JESUS: this is the name which we should engrave in our hearts, rest our faith on, and place our help in, and love with the overflowings of charity, and joy, and adoration: above all things we had need of a Jesus, a Saviour for our souls, and from our sins, and from the everlasting destruction which sin will otherwise bring upon our souls; hence this name Jesus, and this sign circumcision are joined together, for by the effusion of his blood, he was to be our Jesus, our Saviour; "Without shedding of blood is no remission of sins," Heb. ix. 22 . No salvation of souls, "circumcision was the seal," Rom. iv. 11 . And now was it that our Jesus was under God's great seal to take his office, we have heard how he carried on the great work of our salvation from eternity; this very name and office of Jesus, a Saviour, was resolved on in God's fore-council, and given forth from the beginning, and we have heard of late how it was promised and foretold by an angel; but now it is signed and sealed with an absolute commission and fullness of power, "him hath God the Father sealed," John vi. 27. It is his office and his very profession to save, that all may repair unto him to that end, "Come unto me all ye that are weary," Matt. xi. 28. And "him that cometh unto me I will in no ways cast out," John vi. 37. In which respect he is called "the Saviour of the world," John iv. 42. i.e. Of Samaritans, Jews, Gentiles, kings, shepherds, and of all sorts of men.
2. When he was forty days old, "He was brought to Jerusalem, and presented to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb, shall be called holy to the Lord," Luke ii. 22, 23. O wonder! there was no impurity in the Son of God, and yet he is first circumcised, then he is brought and offered to the Lord; he that came to be sin for us, would in our persons be legally unclean, that by satisfying the law he might take away our uncleanness; he that was above the law, would come under the law, that he might free us, from the law; we are all born sinners, but O the unspeakable mercies of our Jesus, that provides a remedy as early as our sin. First, He is conceived, and then he is born, to sanctify our conceptions and our births; and after his birth he is first circumcised, and then he is presented to the Lord, that by two holy acts, that which was naturally unholy might be hallowed unto God: Christ hath not left our very infancy without redress, but by himself thus offered, he cleanseth us presently from our filthiness. Now is Christ brought in his mother's arms to his own house, the temple: and as man, he is presented to himself as God. O how glorious did that temple seem, now the owner was within the walls of it? Now was the hour, and guest come, in regard whereof the second temple should surpass the first; this was the house built for him, and dedicated to him, there had he dwelt long in this typical presence, nothing was done there whereby he was not resembled; and now the body of these shadows is come, and presents himself where lie had ever been represented. You will say. What is this to me, or to my soul? O yes, Jerusalem is now every where, there is no church assembly, no Christian heart which is not a temple of the living God; and there is no temple of God wherein Christ is not represented to his Father. Thus we have the benefit of Christ's fulfilling the law of righteousness; "God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons," Gal. iii. 4, 5. It is as if the Father had said to Christ, "Come, my dear Son, here are certain malefactors under the law to suffer and to be executed; what say you to them?" Why, I will become under the law, (saith Christ) I will take upon me their execution, and suffer for them; and to this purpose he is first circumcised, and then he is presented to the Lord.
3. When he was yet under one year old, as some; or about two, as others, he fled into Egypt. As there was no room for him in Bethlehem, so now there is no room for him in all Judea; no sooner he came to his own, but he must fly from them, what a wonder is this? Could not Christ have quit himself from Herod a thousand ways? w hat could an arm of flesh have done against the God of spirits? Had Jesus been of the spirit of some of his disciples, he might have commanded fire from heaven on those that should have come to have apprehended him; but hereby he taught us to bear the yoke, even in our youth, thus would lie suffer, that he might sanctify us to our early afflictions, he flies into Egypt, the slaughter-house of God's people, the sink of the world, the furnace of Israel's ancient afflictions; what a change is here? Israel, the first-born of God flies out of Egypt, into Judea; and Christ the first-born of all creatures flies out of Judea into Egypt; (Euseb. de Demonst. L. 6. C. 20), reports, that the child Jesus arriving in Egypt, and being by a design carried into a temple, all the statutes of the idol gods fell down, like Dagon, at the presence of the ark; and to this purpose he cites Isaiah's prophecy, "Behold the Lord shall come into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence," Isa. xix. 1. Now is Egypt become the sanctuary, and Judea, the inquisition-house of the Son of God; surely he that is every where the same, knows how to make all places alike to his, he knows how to preserve Daniel in the lions den; the three children in a fiery furnace; Jonah in a whale's belly: and Christ in the midst of Egypt.
4. When he was now some five years old, say some; or but two years and a quarter old, say others, an angel appears again in a dream to Joseph, saying, "Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and return again into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child's life," Matt. ii. 19, 20. Herod, that took away the lives of all the infants, in or about Bethlehem, is now himself dead, and gone to his own place; and by this means, the coast is clear for the return of that holy family; O the wonderful dispensation of Christ in concealing of himself from men! all this while he carries himself as an infant, and though he knew all things, yet he neither takes, nor gives any notice of his removal, or disposing, but appoints that to be done by his angel, which the angel could not have done but by him. As Christ was pleased to take upon him our nature, so in our nature he was pleased to be a perfect child, for that is the word, "Take the young child and his mother;" he supprest the manifestation and exercise of that Godhead, whereto the infant-nature was conjoined; as the birth of Christ, so the infancy of Christ was exceeding humble. Oh how should we magnify him, or deject ourselves for him, who himself became thus humble for our sakes.
5. When he was twelve years old, "He with his parents goes up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast," Luke ii. 42. This pious act of his younger years intends to lead our first years into timely devotion; but I shall not insist on that; I would rather observe him "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions," verse 46. While the children of his age were playing in the streets, he is found of his parents sitting in the temple, not to gaze on the outward glory of that house, of the golden candlesticks, or tables, or cherubims, or the pillars, or the molten sea, or the altar of gold, or the vessels of pure gold; no, no, but to hear and oppose the doctors. He, who, as God, gave them all the wisdom they had, doth now as the Son of man hearken to the wisdom he had given them; and when he had heard, then he asks, and after that no doubt he answers; his very questions were instructions, for I cannot think, that he meant so much to learn, as to teach those doctors of Israel. Surely these Rabbins had never heard the voice of such a tutor; they could not but see the very wisdom of God in this child, and therefore, saith the text, "They all wondered, or they were all astonished, at his understanding and answers," verse 47. Their eyes saw nothing but a child, but their ears heard the wonderful things of God's law; betwixt what they saw, and what they heard, they could not but be distracted and amazed. But why did ye not, O ye Jewish teachers remember now the star, and the sages, and the angels, and the shepherds? Why did ye not now bethink yourselves of Herod, and of his inquiry, and of your answer, That "in Bethlehem of Judea Christ should be born?" You cited the prophets, and why did you not mind that prophecy now, That "unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace?" Isa. 9. 6. Fruitless is the wonder that endeth not in faith, no light is sufficient, where the eyes are held through unbelief and prejudice.
6. After this, from twelve to the thirtieth year of his age, we read nothing of the acts of Christ; but that "he went down with his parents into Nazareth, and was subject to them," Luke ii. 51. As he went up to Jerusalem to worship God, and in some sort to show himself God; so now he goes down to Nazareth, to attend his particular calling. This is the meaning of those words. "And he was subject to them." Christ's subjection to his parents extends of the profession, and exercise of his life; certainly Christ was not all that time from twelve to thirty years idle: as he was educated by his parents, so of his reputed father he learned to be a carpenter: this I take it is plain, in these words, "Is not this the carpenter the son of Mary?" Mark vi. 3. "It appears (says our English annotations) that Christ exercised that trade in his younger years." I know Matthew renders it thus, "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary?" Matt. xiii. 55. But Mark thus, "Is not this the carpenter," etc. Some comment thus, That while Joseph was alive, Christ wrought with him in the trade of a carpenter, and when Joseph died, which happened before the manifestation of Jesus unto Israel, he wrought alone, and was no more called the carpenter's son, but the carpenter himself: here is comfort for men of the meanest callings: as husbandry was honoured in the person and condition of the first Adam before his fail, so now the handicraft. O the poverty, humility, severity of Jesus? It appears at this time especially in his labouring, working, hewing of wood, or the like: here is a sharp reproof to all those that spend their time in idleness, or without a particular calling: that take no pains at all, unless in pursuit after vain, foolish, superfluous, sinful things. What! are they wiser than Christ? Our Jesus would not by any means thus spend his time. Indeed for the while he did nothing famous, or of public note: but neither was this without a mystery. Nihil faciendo, fecit magnifica, saith one, "in doing nothing public, he achieved great and sumptuous, and praise-worthy acts." There is a season and time to every purpose under heaven: as there is a time of silence, and a time to speak: so there is a time for public, and a time for private negotiations: as yet Christ conceals his virtues, and conforms himself to the conversation of men, that the mystery of his incarnation might not be thought a phantasm: then he would have his virtues and graces to shine out, when men usually come to their vigour and strength, both of body and mind: and besides, as it was said of a divine (Mr Bolton) that he would never preach a sermon, but he would first endeavour to practise it himself. So I am sure did Christ He would not teach the world, saying, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart," Matt. xi. 29. But first he would practise, do, and then teach, as Luke tells Theophilus, "He had writ of all that Jesus began both to do and teach," Acts i. 1.
But concerning this time of his youth because in scripture there is so deep a silence: I shall therefore pass it by.
Thus far I have propounded the object, we are to look unto: it is Jesus in his first coming or incarnation; whiles yet a child of twelve years old; our next work is, to direct you in the art and mystery, how we are to look to him in this respect.