Serm. CXXXVII. con/ider'd, as our Example. 2 3 9 Cafe, the Prophet (peaks in the Name, and by the Authority of one infinitely greater than the greats(} upon Earth ; as in the Lord's Name, and by his Commif- lion,' any Man may check inferior Magiftrates, and that in fuel] a Manner, as would be Rudenels and Infolence for any other not fo warranted to do it. And of this, there are manifold Examples in the Prophets of the OldTeftament; and what the Tenour of their Commiffionwas, we may fee in that given to the Pro- phet Jeremiah, Chap. r. Vert-0 to. Behold, Ihave fit thee over the Nations, andover the Kingdoms, to root out, and to pall up, and to deflroy, and to throw down, to build, and toplant, ( that is, to denounce Judgment and. Calamities, or Peace and Pro- fperity to them) and Ver. 17, t 8. Thou therefore gird up thy Loins, and arifi, and (peak unto them all that I command thee ; k not dlfhayed at their Faces, left I con- found thee before them. For behold I have made thee this Day a defencedCity, and an Iron Pillar, andBrazen Walls againfi the whole Land, againfi the Kings of Judah, againfi the Princes thereof, again(? the Priefls thereof, and againfi thePeopleof the Land. This Commiffion let him above them all in the Difcharge of his Office : And therefore what our Lord did in this Kind, byVertue of an extraordinary Corn- million, and the Privilege of a Prophet immediately lent by God, is not to be drawn intoExample in ordinary Cafes : For we may do that by fpecial Commif- fion from God, which the ordinary Rules of Duty and Refpe& toPrinces and Go- vernors will by noMeans allow to be done. The Fourth andLei Obje&ion is, That our bleffed Saviour does not feem to bear himfelf with that Duty and Refpe& towards his Mother, which that Rela- tion feems to require. And to (peak according to the firft Appearance of Things, this feems tobe, of all other, the molt exceptionablePart of his Life, and to re- quire Tome particular andextraordinary Reafon, not foobvious at firft Sight, fot the Vindication of it. There are, to my belt Remembrance andObfervation, but five Pafiages, in the Hiftory of our Saviour's Life, concerning his Carriage towards his Mother, and his Difcourfe with her, and of her; in all which he feems rather to treat her with fome Appearance of Negle&, than with any great Shew of Reverence and Refpe&. Not that we are to imagine, but that he did pay her an entire Duty ; for we know that he fulfilled allRighteoufnejs : But for Reafons belt known to his infinite Wifdom, he thought fit very much to conceal it in his publick Behavi- our, and to have as little Notice taken of it in the Hiftory of his Life. And the Fill Paffage is, Luke 2. 48. When Ms Parents having left him, at laft found him in the Temple difiuting among the Dollars; and his Mother reproved him : Son, why hall than thus dealt with us ? Behold, thy Father and Ihave fought thee farrow- ing. He gives them this fhort and oblcure Anfwer, which they knewnot what to make of, How is it thatyefought me? Will ye not that Imull be About my Father's Bull- net; ? This happen'd when he was but twelve rears old. And that we may not think, thatduringhis Minority, he didordinarily affume this Behaviour towards hisParents; but only upon this firft Effay of his publick Appearance, the Evan- gelift purpofely adds, Ver. g r. that he went down with his Parents to Nazareth, and was fubjel to them. TheSecond Paffage is, yohn 2.4. When his Mother defiringhim towork'a Mira- de, at his firft Appearance and Entrance upon his Publick Miniftry, he takes Occafion todeclare to her, that he was difcharged from her Condu& and Go- vernment, and this inTerms to all Appearance of no great Refpe& : Woman, what have Ito do with thee? MineHour is not yet come. Greg. Nyfn reads bothSenten- ces with an Interrogation, What have Ito do with thee? Isnot mine Hoarnow come? As if he had faid, " Why doff thou interpole in there Matters ? Is not the Time come, that I am to enter upon myOffice ; and in the Difchargeof it, to be di- " re&ed byGod, and none elfe. TheThird Paffage is, Matth. x2.47. When he was told that his Mother and his Brethren flood without, defiring to (peak with him: Who is my Mother, fays he, and who are my Brethren? And pointing to his Difciples, Behold my Mother; and my Brethren; for whofaever flail do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven, the fame is my Brother, and Sfle'r, and Mother, Here is but little Appearance of Regard; for we do
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