~hap. 1 .Seer.7 LopkifJg UJ$.fO !Jef't#. BqQk IV· gain in a dream to {{JfeBh,{aying,anfe ·and tnks thl y~ung child find Ma: .t. '9•~ his mctl;er, and return 11gain into the L:tnd ~f Jfrael,for thq are dead . which fought the young childs life. Herod,that took away the lives · . of all the infants in or about Bethlehem, is now himfe!f dead , and gone to his own place, and by this means the coa£1: is clean! for th_e return of that holy family; 0 the wonderful difpenfation of C'hri£1: in concfaling of himfelf from men! all this while he carries himfe!fas an infant,and though he know all things,yet he neither takes, nor givfs any notice of his removal , or difpofing , but appoints that to be done by his Angel , which the Angel coul~ aot have done but by him. As [hri(t was plea fed to take upon him our nature, fo in our nature he was plea fed to be a perfect child for that is the word, taks the youn:z. child 11nd his motl;er .· l1e fupprefr the manifeftation and excrcife of that Godhead : whereto the infant-nature was conjoyned; as the birth ofChrift, {o the infancy of Chrifr was exceeding humble; Oh how iliould we magnifie him, or deject our felves for him, who himfelf be" came .thus humble for our f.1kes ? ' . 5. When he was twelve years old, hr. wi.th his par!nts go up t9 {erufalem after the cuftome of the Feaft. Tbis pious a& ofhis Luke.~.41.0 younger years intends to lead our fir£1: years into timely dev.ol'ion. but I {hall not infi£1: on that; l would rather 0bferve him fitting i; MG the middeft of the '!Joflours, both he~tri11g them, dnd es/ijng them queftio~:Js ; whiles the children of his age , were _playing in the fir~.ets, h!! is found of his pa·rents Gtting in the Temple; not to , . c gaze on the outward glory of that boufe, of the golden candleft icks, or tables, or cherubims,or the pillars,or the ~olten fea , or the. Altar of gold ,or the veifels of pure gold; ·.no, no, but to hear and oppofe the Doct:ours. He,who as God,gave them alJ the wifdome they had, doth now as the Sonne ofman hearken to the wifdome he had give nthe m ; and when he had heard , then he asks, and after that,no doubt be anfwers; 'his very queftions were inftructions; for I .cannot think that h.e meant fo much to learn , as to teach rhofe Doaours of Ifr.ael. Surely thefe Rabbins had never heard the voice of fuch a Tutor; they could not but fee the very wifdome of God in this child , and therefore faith the Text, they all wondered, or they were all aitoniilied 4tv, 47 his underftauding and anfwet>t; their eyesfaw nothing but a child, but tLleir eares heard the wonderful things of.Gods Law; betwixt R r 2 what .J
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