CHAPTER VI.

The Infancy of CHRIST and his disputing with the Doctors in the

Temple.

THE account of our Lord's childhood and youth is very slightly touched on in the sacred writings. How he was employed from his infancy, till he arrived at thirty years of age, is not to be found in any authentic history." This period includes the greatest part of his life, which is absolutely unknown to the Christian world. St. Luke, who is the most paticular in his account of our Lord's younger years, only tells us, that the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him." And, speaking of his life at his father's house at Nazareth, he informs us, "that he was subject to his parents, and that he increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

But, notwithstanding the silence of the sacred writings, we are not to suppose that the heavenly youth was subject to the common frailties of human nature, the follies of childhood & youth. It may naturally be concluded, from what is above declared, that the holy child was remarkable for. a native grandeur and majestic modesty in his deportment; that his temper was the most amiable, not peevish and pettish, but all meekness, kindness, condescension, and goodness; and that his mind was peculiarly turned to seriousness and contemplation. It is reasonable to suppose, that he was possessed of the most amazing faculties and powers of mind; a strong retentive memory; a lively imagination; a prodigious understanding; a penetrating judgment; and a remarkable solidity and sedateness, which led him to the most sincere and regular piety and spiritual exercises of every kind. It is reasonable to suppose, that he spent much time in private retirement, and in divine meditations, and spiritual converse with his heavenly Father; and that he behaved, in every respect, in such a manner to his friends and relations as made him the most amiable child in the age in which he lived. It cannot be learned from the evangilests that he had a liberal education; every account we have of the condition of his parents in the world conspires to prove that they were in low circumstances. Joseph was by trade a carpenter. Jesus abode with his parents till his public ministry commenced, and, no doubt, worked with his supposed father at his trade. He is called in one place in the gospels, the carpenter; and in another, the carpenter's son; so that it may be concluded that he had no other learning than what his parents themselves taught him, and what he might gather at the synagogue by attending to the reading of the law and the prophets. But it may be learned from the words of the evangelist above quoted, that the favour of God towards him was very apparent, and that the holy spirit with which he was filled appeared in his early youth. The wonderful advances he made in wisdom, the visible strength and steadiness of his mind, and the seriousness of his countenance, beyond what ever was seen before in one so young, were plain vindications of his divinity, and were every day improving and increasing.

It was the general custom of the Jews to take a journey to Jerusalem, and annually attend the feast of the passover. The parents of our Great Redeemer, with their numerous relations and friends, when the holy child was twelve years old, went to the capital of the kingdom on this occasion. Whether the child JESUS had been at Jerusalem before is not certainly known it is generally concluded that he had not. Having remained seven days with them, during their attendance at the temple, he separated himself from the company, and, when they set out on their return to their own country, stayed behind. They proceeded on their first day's journey and did not miss him till night, supposing he might be in company with some of their relations, who had been at the holy city on the same occa

sion with themselves, and were now returning. But inquiring amongst all their kindred and friends, they learnt that he was not in the company.Full of anxiety and distress, they returned to Jerusalem; and searched every place in the city where he was likely to be found. Two days they sought him in vain. On the third day, they found him in the outer court of the temple, amongst the learned doctors of the law, both hearing them and asking them questions.

In the outer court of the temple, called the court of the people, were several chambers belonging to the priests; and here the doctors of the law assembled at the feast of the passover, and at other times, to teach the people; and not only expounded the Mosaical institutions, but debated with one another, concerning the difficulties that occurred. Such youths asapplied themselves to learning, were permitted to converse with the assembly; and received such instructions as were necessary to enable them to pursue their respective studies. At this assembly of the doctors, Jesus presented himself, and not only gave attention to their debates, and proposed such questions, as naturally arose from the subjects under consideration; but propounded several difficult questions of his own, which, when the doctors could not clear up, he expounded himself to the satisfaction and surprise of all present.

The learned doctors, with the utmost astonishment, heard the young child manifest such wisdom and deep understanding, as not only exceeded men, but such men as were deputed the most learned and judicious amongst them. No doubt there was something remarkably majestic and amiably divine in his appearance; & as he led the discourse himself, we may reasonably suppose, that the question which he debated with the doctors, had reference to some prophecy concerning the Messiah; which he threw such light upon, and explained in such a manner, as raised the admiration of all that heard him. It is certainly very strange that the admiration which the holy child exited in this publick assembly, by his understanding and pertinent answers, did not excite some further inquiry after him. But, it is to be supposed, that the coming of such mean persons as Joseph and Mary, who appeared to be his parents, very much abated the regard which the learned doctors of the law would otherwise have had for so wonderful a child; but things which appear low in the world, are always despised by those lazy inquirers after truth, who seek the praise of man, and are only candidates for popular applause.

Joseph and Mary, who had been seeking the holy child with the utmost apprehensions and concern, found him in this situation with equal surprise and joy. And there is no doubt but JESUS, when he perceived the approach of his parents, arose and went with them immediately; taking this occasion to withdraw himself from the admiring assembly. His mother was very much affected with the appearance of her son, and the place and company in which she had found him. She gently asked him, "why he had left them in this manner ?" rather inquiring into the reasons of his staying behind, than designing to blame or chide him: for no doubt, she perceived that he was under divine direction; yet proceeding to inform him, that her husband and herself had been extremely concerned for him, and had sought him three days with the utmost anxiety and grief, the holy child, with the most amiable meekness,informed her, that they need not have wearied themselves with seeking him, nor their minds with anxiety and care, for he was under the protection of his Father, on whose business he had been employed. The expressions which the heavenly child used on this occasion, were not clearly understood by his wondering parents; but his mother, on this, as on every other remarkable occurrance in the life and conduct of her son, took notice of his words and treasured them up in her heart; and the child Jesus, having given this early and remarkable instance of his diligence and ready obcdience in the work in which he

was to be hereafter employed, now proceeded to give an open and manifest instance of his duty to his parents; for he returned with them to Nazareth, and was subject to them as before. Here he remained till he arrived at the age of thirty years, and made wonderful improvements in wisdom and knowledge, being favoured by God in an extraordinary manner, and highly esteemed, reverenced, and loved by all that knew him.

There is nothing expressly recorded in the evangelists, relating to our Lord's life and conversation, from twelve years old to the time when he entered on his public ministry, which was at the age of thirty; but from several passages of Scripture, various circumstances may be collected.It is plain, from his parents seeking him amongst his relations and acquaintance, when he was left behind at Jerusalem, that he was of a familiar friendly disposition; that he had no objection to company and conversation, and that he lived in familiarity and friendship with his neighbours and relations: it is also evident, that though the learned doctors, and the people in the temple, were filled with the highest admiration at the abilities and knowledge of JESUS, when a child; and, though afterwards, he, no doubt, gave to his mother and some few particular friends, plain proofs of his hea venly wisdom; yet his conversation with the common people was such, as cast a veil over his divinity; and the general course of his conduct and converse with the common people was such, that no noise was made about him, nor any great things expected from him in the Jewish nation, nor even in his own city. And it is to be supposed, that his mean appearance in the world, not a little contributed to prevent his being remarked and esteemed for those excellent qualities, which must certainly be apparent in him; for we find he was afterwards reproached in his own city, for pretending to teach them, when they knew the meanness of his extraction, and his illiterate education: "Whence," they cried, " hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary, and his brethren James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

And it may further be remarked, that the blessed Jesus did not give himself any airs of superiority amongst his brethren and friends; but meekly condescended to attend to the meanest employment, assisting the necessi ties of his parents with his labour, and not being desirous of popular applause. For as it is to be supposed, that he weekly attended on the reading the law and the prophets in the synagogue, was it not surprising that he could hear the erroneous expositions, which, no doubt were frequently made, and remain silent at Nazareth, after he had disputed with the learned doctors in the temple, and silenced the wise men of Jerusalem? Herein appears the most profound humility, and consummate wisdom of our Lord, in concealing his superior knowledge and understanding, when he might have gained the admiration and applause of his townsmen, and have been justly revered and esteemed by all. It is supposed that Joseph did not live till CHRIST began his public ministry, because he is not mentioned in the Gospels, after John began to baptise. Some of the antient writers have pretended to inform us what was the particular sort of carpentry which Joseph carried on: they say, it was making plows, yokes, and instruments of husbandry for his neighbours. And it is not unlikely, that our Lord lived with his mother, and assisted her in carrying on the trade, after her husband's death: and hence, it is supposed, he is called by St. Mark, "The carpenter, the son of Mary."

CHAPTER VII.

Of the Death of Elizabeth, and the Murder of Zacharias. The preaching of John the Baptist; his office, and Manner of Living: He baptiseth in Jordan, and rebuketh the Pharisees. CHRIST is baptised, and receiveth a Witness from Heaven. John the Baptist imprisoned and beheaded by Herod, at the instigation of Herodias.

WE must now pass over, in the history of the life of CHRIST, a peried of eighteen years; all the account the evangelists give of our Lord, during this time, is, that he dwelt at Nazareth, and was subject to his parents. But, having passed over this time in silence, all the evangelists agree in giving the history of his entrance on his public ministry, and the preparatory preaching of his great forerunner John the Baptist.

When our Lord was about fourteen years of age, the emperor Augustus died, after a reign of about forty years. Great was the grief of the whole empire, at his death, for he was a prince of such a disposition, and reigned with such wisdom, justice, and goodness, as gained him the love of his subjects. He was succeeded by Tiberius, the son of his wife Livia, by a former husband. Tiberius was admitted to a share in the government two or three years before the death of Augustus, and now succeeded without opposition. He was a price of a disposition vastly different to that of his predecessor, and governed the empire in such a manner, as rendered him justly hated by his subjects. Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great, had been deposed from the government of Judea, about three years before the death of Augustus, and that country was reduced to a Roman province.Rufus, who was governor of Judea, when the emperor died, was recalled in the second year of Tiberius, and Valerius Gratus was sent to succeed him. He, having continued in Judea about eleven years, was recalled, and succeeded by Pontius Pilate, a man of a fierce, irreconcilable spirit, and of a cruel, covetous disposition, too much like his master Tiberius.

Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, was tetrarch of Galilee, which dignity he had enjoyed twenty-eigth years. His brother Phillip was tetrarch of Iturea; and Lysanias of Abilene. The dignity of the high priesthood was vested in Caiphas, the son-in-law of Annas, who formerly had held that high office, and now was reverenced by the people as highpriest, and probably assisted his son-in-law in the execution of the sacred duties of priesthood.

Such was the state of the Jewish nation at the time of the opening of the glorious gospel; for in the first year of the government of Pontius Pilate, "the word of God came unto John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness." The sacred writers have been silent, with regard to the manner in which this extraordinary man passed the former time of his life; but there is an ancient tradition, that Elizabeth, hearing of the terrible slaughter which that execrable tyrant, Herod, made among the young children at Bethlehem, fled into the wilderness, to secure her child from his murdering cruelty and rage; and there attended him with all the care and tenderness of an affectionate mother. The child was about eighteen months old at the time of her flight, and about forty days after her abode in the desart, she died. His father Zacharias, the next time he officiated in the temple, was slain by Herod, because he would not discover the place of his son's retreat. The helpless infant, being thus deprived of all assistance from his parents, the Lord, who had a great work for him to accomplish, had mercy on him; and sent an angel to be his defender and support, till he was able to provide for himself. Whether this tradition is true or false, cannot be ascertained; but it is a certain fact, asserted by the evangelists, "that he abode in the desart till the day of his shewing uuto Israel."

Some learned men, who have been at great pains in endeavouring to fix the precise time when the prophet John began his public ministry, have

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fixed it to the month of October, and at the time of the proclamation of a year of jubilee. They say, that his preaching began on the great day of atonement, when the high priest went into the holy of holies. This was a particular day of penitence, and, it is said in the law, whosoever did not afflict his soul, should be cut off from the people. This day is supposed to answer to our nineteenth of October, and was the day whereon, by the solemn sounding of trumpets, the thirtieth jubilee of the Jews was proclaimed, which was the last they ever saw.

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This extraordinary person, in his appearance, and his way of life, very much resembled the ancient prophets, particularly Elijah, to whom he had been compared in prophecy. The coarseness of his clothing, and the hardness of his fare, were very remarkable: his garment was made of camel's hair, probably the sackcloth so often mentioned in the sacred writings, to be worn by penitents and mourners; and his food, the wild productions of the wilderness; locusts and wild honey, were his only provisions, and his drink, the clear cold water which bubbled from the mossy spring. In this situation, he began the work of God, and preached in the wilderness of Judea, Repent! for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand." The remarkable austerity of his life, and the air and appearance of the old prophets, which he assumed, commanded reverence from the people; and his whole demeanor, being so particularly adapted to the doctrine of repentance which he taught, engaged the attention of the public. Nor is it any wonder, that great notice should be taken of so remarkable a person, at a time when the whole nation earnestly expec ted the appearance of the Messiah. And as he preached the necessity of repentance, because the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and had a commission from God, to baptise in water, those who confessed their sins, and adhered to his ministry, great numbers of all ranks, sects, and characters, surrounded him in the desart, and, confessing their unworthiness and sinfulness, were baptised by him in the river Jordan.

John when he began his ministry did not come to Jerusalem, or the adjacent cities of Judea, but continued about the banks of the noted river Jordan, which, on many accounts, seemed proper to favour the designs of his preachings; for there had been so many wonderful things transacted near this sacred stream, that it naturally prepared the minds of the people to expect something extraordinary. Near the banks of this river it was that the prophet Elijah, who was the type of John the Baptist, was taken in a fiery chariot up to heaven: and what could be more natural, than to see the great person, who was the Elias spoken of by Malachi, discover the spirit and power of that great ancient prophet, near the stream which formerly was divided by the stroke of his mantle.

A circumstance which greatly surprised the Baptist, was the great numbers of Pharisees and Sadducees who attended his ministry, and came to his baptism. The Pharisees, he knew, pretended to the highest degree of sanctity and holiness of life; and the Sadducees believed there would be no future state of rewards and punishments. It was therefore surprising, that either of these parties should seek after remission of sins, for the former pretended to have no sins that required pardon, and the other nothing to expect after death, as the consequence of them. Nor can we suppose that John, when he began his ministry, expected to see the whole nation so much affected with his threatenings as was really the case; for he knew that the common people had a great dependance on God's covenant with Abraham, and expected to find favour with the supreme Governor and Judge of the universe on that account: to check their daring presumption and discourage every hope of divine favour, while they lived ungodly and immoral lives, he addressed them in this alarming language, "O generation of vipers! who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth fruits therefore worthy of repentance, and 'begin not to say