yhap. 2. Seer. r. l!.rosmg unto Jjefu~. Book IV. t41 to them. as he went up to JerPfalem to worfl1ip God, and in fome fort to lhew himfelf God. fo now he goes down to Na:r..areth to attend his particular Calling, This is rhe Luke 2. St. meaning of thofe words, andhe was Jubje& to them: Chrifts fubjection to his Parents extends to 1 he profeffion a_nd exercife of his life \ cerrai.nly Chrift was not ~11 rh_at rime from twelve 10 thirty years, tdle; as he was educated by hts Parents, fo. ofhts reputed Father Mark 6 1 he learnt to be a Carpenter ; this, I rake it, is plain in thefe words, Is not thu the Carpenter, · • rhe Son of Mary l It appears (fay our Englin1 Annot~tions) thst Chrijt exercifld that Mai. IJ· H. Trade in hisyoungeryears. I know Matthew.renders tt thus, Is not thu thr CArpenters Son,u not hu Mother called Mary l but Mark.. thus, unot thu the Carpemer l &c. Some comment thus, that while 'fofeph was alive, Chrift wrought with him in the Trade of a Carpenter, and when Jofeph died, which happened before the tknifeflation of Jefus unto Jfrael, he wroug~t alone, and was no more called the Carpenters Son, but the Carpenter himfelf: heres comfort f~r men of rhe meandl Calhngs; as Husbandry was honoured in the perfon and condmon of the fir!l: .Adarn before Ius Fall, fo now the Handicraft. 0 the poverty, humility, feverity of 'fefm ! it appears at this time efpecially, in his labouring, working, hewing of wood, or thelike; here'sa f11arpreproofroall rbofe that fpend their time in idlenefs,.or without a particular Calling, that take no pains at all, unlefs in purfuit after vain, foolilh, fuperlluous, finful things; what! are rhey wifer than Chrifl? Our Jefus would not by any means thus fpeod his time. Indeed forthe while he did nothing famous, or of publick note; but neither was this without a Nihil fiicien4o myfiery: In doing nothir;g publick_, fait~ one, he atchievedgreat, and [Hmptuom, and fecit m•t•ifico prAi[eworthy acts : rhere 1s a feafon and tlm~ to ~very purpofe under hea~en : as there u "time of filence, and 11 time toJPeitk_, fo there ts a time for publtck, and a time for private negotiations \ as yet Chri!l: conceals his virtues, and conforms himfelf to the converfation of men, that themxftery of. his Incarnation might not be thought a Phantafme; then he would have hrsv1ttuesa,nd graaesto fluneout, when men ufually come to their vigour and flrengrb both of body and mind. And befides, as it was faid of aDivine, that Mt. B•lton. he w•uld never preach a Sermon, but he wouldfir Jf endeAvour to pra&ife it Jelf, fo I am fure Mot! 1 t.>9· did Chrift; he would not teach the~orld, faying, Learn of me, for I ""' meek and low- A111. 1. ly in heart, butfir!l: he would prachce; fir!l: do, then teach; as Luk! tells Theophilm, he h~dwrit ofall that Je(us began both to do and teach. But concerning tnis time of his youth, · becaufe in Scripture thereis fo deep afilence I IJJall therefore pafs it by. · ' Thus far have I propounded the Objed we are to look unto; it is Jef>U in hisfir!l:com– ing, orincarnation, whiles yet aChild of twelve years old: Our next Work is ro direCt you in the Art or My!l:ery, howwe a(e to' look umohim in'rhis refped. · CH A P. I I. SECT. I. Of lz.nowing Jef~~.r as carrying on the,grcat Worlz of 011r Salvation inhis Birth. W, Hu.Lo<k.ing] comprehends, you have heard before : And that we may have an.mward expertmemallook.. •n him whom our fouls pant after, let us prachfe all thefe Particulars: As-- • • I. Let us !Qtow [ef~~<, carryiflg on the great work of our Salvation in his i;;~ngor Incarnation. , Come let us learn what he did for us when hecameamongfl us. J' _ere 1ffib~ onh Paffage mhis fir!l: appearing, but it is of mighty concernment unto us : ( s tt po h e that the great God of Heaven and Earth lhould fo infinitely condefcend b:s be av 1 e ~.ard) bnt on fome great Delign r And what Defign could there ' .ur on Y. ts <?lory, and the Creatures good ? 0 my Soul! if thou hall arg. tnt~e: m ChnA: , alL this concerns thee; the Lord Jefus in thefe very tranf. a tons a an eye to thee; he was incarnate for thee, he was conceived and . · - 'born
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