Fifthly Where remission of sins is Where doth he remit them Answ Remission of sins is no where but in the Church of God Ipsa namque propriè Spiritum sanctum pignus accepit sine quo non remittuntur ulla peccata ita ut quibus dimitâ—untur consequantur vitam aeternam For the Church properly hath received the holy Ghost a pledge without whom no sins are remitted to the end that they to whom they are remitted may obtain everlasting life Isa 33.24 Aug. Enchir. cap. 65. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity It is a benefit so proper to the Church that as Master Calvin saith we cannot enjoy it upon any other termes then that we remain in the communion thereof Whether any sin be irremissible Sixthly Whether there be any sin which is irremissible Answ The sin against the holy Ghost is irremissible for the words of Christ are plain He that shal blaspheam against the holy Ghost hath never forgivenesse S. Mar. 3.29 Blasphemy against the holy Ghost but is in danger of eternall damnation Which blasphemy against the holy Ghost is both against knowledge and against conscience by abnegation of the knowne truth by universall apostacy from Christ and from Christian religion by rebellion arising from the hatred of Gods truth together with a tyrannicall sophisticall and hypocriticall impugnation of it Seventhly Whether any sinner may despair to be forgiven Answ No sinner is to despair of pardon and remission of sins Whether a sinner may despair be they never so great never so many for if he shall truly repent God will freely forgive Nemo post centum peccata nec post mille crimina de misericordia divina desperet saith Saint Augustine Let no man despair of the mercy of God neither after an hundred sins nor after a thousand crimes De temp ser 58. Repentance may be profitable unto every man at what time soever he shall do it and be he never so bad never so old saith the same Father Wash ye make you clean Isa 1.16 put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evill Learn to do well seek judgment 17 18. relieve the oppressed judge the fatherlesse plead for the widow Come now and let us reason together though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool saith the prophet Isaiah Eightly Whether the force and effect of remission be more to be discerned c. Whether the force and effect of remission of sins be not more to be discerned in the world to come then in this present world Answ The force and effect of the grace of God in the free remission of sins is more to be discerned in the world to come then in this present world for in this world remission of sins doth not plainly and fully produce its effect neither is the fruit of it fully to be reaped till the day of judgment 1st Because that they whose sins are now remitted are yet notwithstanding oftentimes vexed and much afflicted in the world like as on the other side all sins are not punished in this life 2ly Because the Scripture ascribeth remission of sins to the day of judgment a day of refreshing namely to those who have obtained remission of sins when the troubles and calamities of this present life shall be at an end Repent ye therefore Act. 3.19 and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Ninthly Why God wil forgive sins Why will he forgive sins Answ God will forgive sins for his owne sake that he may be glorified in the pardon and remission of sins And God will remit sins for his elect and chosen sake that they may be glorified together with him in the pardon and remission of their sins As the Apostle Saint Paul saith Rom. 9.23 That he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Thus the blessed Evangelists having observed both what Christ did and what Christ said Concerning the explication Saint Luke setteth down the explication which sheweth the cause or reason as well of the administration as also of the participation of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in remembrance of me It is to banish ingratitude from his Church for ever We are apt to forget the benefits which we have received at the hands of others and to bury our benefactours themselves in oblivion Who would have thought that Laban would so soon have forgotten the benefits which he received at the hands of Jacob who had served him so faithfully It was that which Jacob complained of to his wives Gen. 31.5 I see your fathers countenance that it is not towards me as before Who would have thought that Pharaohs chiefe butler would so suddainly have forgotten Joseph and the interpretation of his dream But it was his ingratitude that he did not remember Joseph Gen. 40.23 but forgat him Who would have thought that the kings of Egypt would ever have forgotten Joseph and the benefits which they received at his hands Exod. 1.8 Yet the Scripture saith that there arose a new king over Egypt which knew not Joseph Which remembered not Joseph nor all the benefits which he had done unto Pharaoh and to all the land of Egypt Who would have thought that the people of Israel would ever have forgotten their deliverance out of the land of Egypt Psal 78.42 and yet see what the Scripture saith They remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy 43. How he had wrought his signes in Egypt and his wonders in the field of Zoan It was a deliverance that must never be forgotten and lest they should forget it he would have it to be remembered every year by the celebration of a solemn sacrament And it shall come to passe when your children shall say unto you Exod. 12.26 What mean you by this service That ye shall say It is the sacrifice of the Lords passeover who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses Our blessed Lord would not be forgotten the deliverance which he would work for his Church would be a far greater deliverance then that of the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt That was a deliverance out of a temporall bondage this is a deliverance out of an eternall bondage That was a deliverance of the body this is a deliverance of body and soul That was a deliverance from Egypt and from the heavy burthens of it this is a deliverance from hell it selfe and from the eternall torments of it By that deliverance they were brought into the land of Canaan by this deliverance we are brought into the kingdome
should overthrow the Devill and all his power purchasing for him salvation and everlasting life Finally the finall cause The finall cause of their faith for the first and principall end of it was the glory of God the Author of their faith and the Redeemer of their soules But the next or secundary end was their own salvation which they even as we did work out with fear and trembling And in this manner was the Covenant barely administred under the form of that blessed promise from Adam to Abraham as hath been said before But God reneweth his Covenant with Abraham The Covenant renewed with Abraham c. Rom. 4.16 Gal. 3.9 and with his Seed generally with all the Faithfull for Abraham is set forth to be the Father of us all that is of all us that believe Abraham was blessed by Faith in Christ And all they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham for they are the spirituall Seed Specially with the People and Nation of the Jews the carnall Seed He draweth his Covenant into Articles indenteth it Gen. 17.11 12 13 14 and setteth his Signe or Seal unto it the Signe or Seal of Circumcision Ye shall circumcise saith God the flesh of your foreskin and it shall be a token of the Covenant between me and you He setteth downe what he will do on his part and what he expecteth that his People should do on their part and he sealeth it with his Seal Circumcision And of all this you may read at large Gen. 17. Circumcision Concerning Circumcision was a sacred action wherein the fore-skin of the flesh of the Male kinde was cut off according to Gods Ordinance for the obsignation of his divine Covenant with men Who it was that was deputed to that Office the Scripture makes no mention probable it is the most antient or honourable of that House or Family of which the party to be Circumcised was descended especially before the Law given for God commanded Abraham to do it and Abraham at Gods commandement Gen. 17.23 Exod. 4.25 circumcised Ishmael his Son and his whole House Zipporah the Wife of Moses although we have but that one precedent did circumcise her Son When the People of Israel were arrived in the Land of Canaan then did Joshua Josh 5.3 circumcise them It is likely that under the Law that Office was to be performed by the Priests as being by their Function sacred to God and therefore the fittest persons to perform so divine a Ceremony The Day appointed for Circumcision was the eighth day for so did God ordain He that is eight daies old Gen. 17.12 shall be circumcised among you And it is plain that our Saviour Christ himself as being under the Law and Saint John the Baptist were circumcised the eighth day according to the Law But if a man had not been circumcised upon the eighth day according as God had appointed he might then be circumcised at any other time for it is never too late for a man to submit himself to the holy Ordinances of God And therefore the Children of Israel who travelled in the Wildernesse by the space of forty years were notwithstanding their age circumcised in the Land of Canaan Likely it is that they did not circumcise with Knives but with sharp Stones for Zipporah the Wife of Moses circumcised her Son with a sharp Stone Then Zipporah took a sharp stone Exod. 4.25 a sharp knife of stone and cut off the foreskin of her Son saith the story And God commanded Joshua saying Make thee sharp knives Josh 5.2 or knives of flints and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time Circumcision was not without the shedding of some blood and much pain For when Moses's Wife had cut off the fore-skin of her Son she cast it at his feet saying Exod. 4.26 Surely a bloody husband art thou to me She said a bloody Husband thou art because of the Circumcision And when the Shechemites were Circumcised it is said that the third day when they were sore sore of the wound of Circumcision Simeon and Levi took each man his sword Gen. 34.25 and came upon the City boldly and slew all the Males They were sore sore of the wound of Circumcision sore the third day after and so sore that they were not able to make resistance no not for their lives Circumcision was a great and venerable Sacrament it was the Sacrament of initiation or reception into the Covenant The mystery of Circumcision and the mystery of it was great For first whereas Circumcision was ordained to be made in that part or member of the body of Man which God would to be for the propagation of Seed it did fitly intimate man's uncleannesse by Nature and the propagation of Originall sin Every father stands in the place of Adam and conveigheth unto his Child besides the nature of Man the very guilt and corruption of Nature Eph. 2.13 We are by nature the children of wrath That naturall uncleannesse of ours must be taken away or we cannot be saved This is a second birth as Christ said to Nichodemus Marvell not that Isaid to thee Ye must be born again S. Joh. 3.7 2ly It did fitly give them to understand that that Seed in whom they believed Christ the Messiah should come of the circumcised seed of Abraham according to the flesh as God had promised Gen. 22.18 Lact. Instit lib. 4. cap. 17. saying In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed 3ly The making bare of that part or member did as Lactantius observeth signifie in the mystery the true circumcision which is of the heart that the breast must be laid bare and that the spiritual Seed must be circumcised in heart to have their conversation with an open and simple heart I say nothing of that similitude which some have observed betwixt the heart and the prolifick member Rom. 2.28 He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly 29. and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God 4ly That piece of skin which was cut off did signifie the uncleannesse of Nature in a state of sin And like as they cast the prepuce or piece of skin upon the ground at the feet of him that was circumcised Exod. 4.25 as may be conjectured by what Zipporah did when she circumcised her Son So that all uncleannesse of heart and action must be circumcised and cut off it must be cast away as the prepuce throwne upon the ground never to be reassumed 5ly The circumcision-knife was a type of Christ for that knife was of stone and did intimate Christ the Rock the foundation Stone the Stone of Sion elect and pretious the corner stone who by his Spirit doth
arise And he arose peradventure immediately and he took the young childe and his mother by night peradventure the same night not regarding to dispose of any thing which he had in Bethlehem but being amply provided enabled for such an expedition by those rich presents which the magi had presented he departed into Egypt It was the same night say some upon what grounds I know not that Herod caused the infants to be slain Most likely for it is Gods time to frustrate the mischievous imaginations of tyrants and other wicked persons when they have even almost reduced them into act and to reach forth a saving hand unto his servants at the pits brinck The place of his habitation and abode The place of his habitation or abode in the land of Egypt is said to be Hermopolis a city of Thebais which is a country in Egypt bounding upon Ethiopia distant from Bethlehem about two hundred ninety and six miles The report was that then when he was brought unto the gate of that city a certain great tree called Persis which stood there worshipped him by bending it selfe to the ground the fruites leaves and bark of which tree had vertue curative if applyed to the sick Sozom. Ec. hist lib. 5. cap. 20. His journey thither was not without great difficulty and danger for his way was through Arabia the stony a land for the most part barren and unfruitfull full of sands rocks and mountains destitute of water in many places frequented with thieves and wilde beasts Such a journey must Joseph an old man fourescore years old undertake in his old age together with the blessed virgin and the childe Jesus in the depth of winter in danger of thieves subject to be smoothered by the sands over high hills craggy rocks and desert mountains in perill every houre to be rent and torn in sunder by wilde beasts Thus did it stand with the meeknesse and clemency of Christ to give way unto Herods cruelty and not rather to destroy him which was in his power to do but by the providence of his divinity to preserve the humane nature and that among the idolaters of Egypt that it might afterwards be offered up upon the crosse a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation S. Mat. 2.13 and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And therefore when they were departed behold the Angell of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou there untill I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young childe to destroy him 14 When he arose he took the young childe and his mother by night and departed into Egypt 15. and was there untill the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying Out of Egypt have I called my son There was no cause as Hilarius Arelatensis hath well observed why Herod should be jealous of his kingdome The infants sla n by Herod For Christ saith he came not to invade another mans glory but to bestow his owne freely not to take by violence an earthly kingdome but to confer an heavenly kingdome he came not by strong hand to acquire dignities but to suffer injuries not to prepare his head to a diademe embellished with Pearls but to a crowne of thornes not in pomp to sway the Scepter but in derision to be crucified upon the cross But this was more then Herod knew therefore when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men he was exceeding wroth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is excandescentia an affection as Philosophers do say mixed and compounded of sorrow and desire of revenge they do say that when a man is angry at the first his heart doth shrink together at the apprehension of some present evill and labouring to beat it away it doth dilate it self Now this motion stirreth up heat for the blood hath recourse from the heart into the exterior parts which heat being accompanied with a bilious or chollerick humour fumeth up into the braine whereby it comes to pass that in their excandescencie men have little wit or judgement and some are furious and mad beasts rather in condition then men In which excandescency Baalam smote his Ass with a staffe Num. 22.29 and wished that he had had a sword in his hand to kill him Xerxes threatned both Sea and Land Ajax drew his sword to fight with a flock of sheep And in such an excandescency Herod sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men For when he perceived and had certain intelligence that the magi were indeed gone and that he was deluded by them in that they kept not promise with him nor returned to Jerusalem according to their words to give him a full relation and account of what they had seen heard and done concerning the new born king and because he knew not which way the magi were gone nor had hopes to recall them his heart shranck together at the apprehension of the present evill he made no delay nor stood to unty the knot he sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem it self and in all the Castles Villages and Hamlets of the circumjacent region from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men Concerning the number of the children slain and how they slew them there is no mention made by the Evangelist some say fourteen thousand Liturg. Aethiop Calend. Graecor But how many soever it is most likely that under some specious pretence or other to prevent the diligence of the mothers in hiding them they first gathered them altogether and then slew them at once Which horrid and most cruell murther being related with detestation in all places was in the end known at Rome and reported to the Emperour Augustus himself who hearing thereof and that among those children Herods own sonne a little child under the age of two years noursed it should seem in or nigh to Bethlehem was one of them that were killed he replyed saying It is better to be Herods hogge then his sonne Macrob lib. Saturnal 2. Cap. 4. reporteth the story which because he had it not from the Scripture and was himself an heathen it may easily be granted that either it came to his ear by tradition or else that he took it upon the authority of some Roman Author whose works are long since lost There be three sorts of Martyrs in the Church Three sorts of Martyrs in the Church Some are Martyrs both in Will and Act so was the blessed martyr St. Stephen a martyr in Will for he was willing to lay down his life and a martyr
in Act for he was stoned Some are Martyrs in Will but not in Act so was the blessed Apostle and Evangelist St. John a Martyr in Will for being eighty and six years old he was cast into a vessell of boyling oyl and was willing to have laid down his life Deu. 3.27 but by the providence of God was preserved as the three children in the midst of the fiery fornace and came forth without hurt Some are Martyrs in Act but not in Will and such were these Innocents who dyed for Christ and his cause though they had not the will to do it because by reason of their tender age they knew not what they did Iesus Christ was the great Martyâ— 1 Tim. 6.13 the Lord and Prince of the Martyrs who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession The martyr St. Stephen was the first Martyr of the new Testament who after Christ was a Martyr both in Will and Act. St. Iohn the first Martyr likewise of the new Testament who was a martyr in Will but not in Act. These Innocents the first Martyrs of the new Testament who were Martyrs in act but not in will Upon which considerations it is probable that the Church thereby approving this distinction would that the festivall dayes for the commemoration of their severall martyrdoms should in order next follow the blessed day of Christs nativity for whom they were martyred So by the death and martyrdom of these Innocents was fulfilled the prophecie of Ieremiah Jer. 31.15 Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men S. Mat. 2.16 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Ieremy the Prophet saying In Rama was there a voice heard lamentation 17 and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children 18. and would not be comforted because they are not Thus was the Covenant administred by him in the two first years of his age The Recapitulation for the abolishing of the old Testament By being born of a pure Virgin by being born at Bethlehem Ephrata By taking in the first fruits of the Iewes the shepheards the same day By being circumcised upon the eighth day By being presented in the temple upon the fortieth day By receiving in the first fruits of the Gentiles the magi upon the twelfth day of the second yeare of his age By his flight into Egypt for the preservation of the humane nature and to fulfill the scriptures By taking in the first fruits of his martyrs in the persons of the Innocents It became him in his infancy not to abhor the virgins wombe to accept the manger the doxology of Angels the visitation of the shepheards the seal of the Covenant the presentation of the law the testimony of Simeon the gratulation of Anna the presents of the Magi the providence of his Father the premonition of his Angell the security of his flight and the blood of his Martyrs And thus our sacred History doth put an end to the second year of his age How long it was that Herod lived after that Christ was gone into Egypt Christ his return out of Egypt and the young children most inhumanely slaughtered forasmuch as there is nothing noted in the Scripture by the Evangelist and other Authors whereof some will have it to be four years some two years some but three months some less cannot be accorded it is hard to determine Venerable Bede with others who â—t iâ— likely either follow therein the old tradition of the Church or perchance had read it in some of the writings of the ancient Fathers now lost refer his return out of Egypt to the seventh day of the month of January which is also generally assented to wâ—â—ch generall opinion seeing it ought not to be denyed unless any one were able to bring good reason or authority to the contrary makes me to think that our blessed Lord made his abode in Egypt by the space of two whole years till he was fully four years old and made his return from thence in the beginning of the fifth year of his age And this I think to be most consentaneous to truth For Herod dyed somewhat before Easter but the slaughter of the Infants was divulged far and neer and was come to Rome and to the ears of Augustus as was said before therefore not before Easter next and immediately following Probably before the second Easter when his funeralls being first most sumptuously solemnized Archelaus went to Rome for confirmation of his Kingdom as is observed by Josephus was there at the feast of Pentecost and was not suddenly dispatched for there he found his brother Antipas a competitor for the Kingdom and had there also to answer to the accusation of Antipater the son of Salome who was Herods sister Which when he had cleared before the councill yet Caesar himself took time to deliberate as touching the affairs and how to settle Herods kingdome Mean while came fifty ambassadors out of Judea sent by the Iewes to make complaint unto Caesar against Archelaus and his brother and humbly to petition that they might no more be governed by Kings but by his Presidents in Syria To which Ambassadours comming from the whole nation adjoyned themselves eight thousand Iewes which dwelt at Rome and these obtained audience of Caesar in the Temple of Apollo who that day determined nothing Not long after he made Archelaus Archelaus made king or Ethnarch of Judea and Samaria not King of his Fathers whole kingdom but Ethnarch or king of Judea and Samaria and Herod Antipas he made Tetrarch of Galilee and his brother Philip Tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis so dividing Herods Kingdom into four parts for a tetrarchie is the fourth part of a Kingdom and he that obtaineth the fourth part of a Kingdom is called a Tetrarch The fourth Tetrarchie was that of Abilene whereof Lysanias another brother as some say but not truly the son of Herod others but with as little truth his nephew the son of Ptolomaeus and Alexandra the said Herods sister was we know not whether by Augustus or Tiberius made Tetrarch neither have we to say whose son he was These things being thus ordered at Rome Archelaus betaketh himself to his journey towards the beginning of winter and arriveth in Iudea Now after that Herod was dead and before that Ioseph had otherwise heard of it the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream told him of the death of Herod commanded him to return into his country which Joseph readily performed and upon the seventh day of Ianuary returned But when he heard what was done at Rome and that Archelaus had obtained the Ethnarchie of Iudea he went not to Bethlehem for fear least
would do nothing in his childhood which should be accounted a miracle and yet then because he would lose no time to do the businesse of his Father would he begin to evidence his divine wisedome It was to avoid the importunity of his parents who in all likelyhood would have urged or commanded his departure at least-wise have disswaded him from disputing vvith the Doctours as one that was but a childe in years nor had ever frequented the Schooles and withall to give them to understand that he had another Father vvhose vvill he ought to prefer vvhich prevailed vvith him not to acquaint them vvith his stay and to conceal his resolution The Galileans returning by companies his parents vvho knew nothing of his subduction and abobe in Hierusalem went on their journey the first day together with their neighbours friends and kindred but missing him at night they carefully enquired after him and when they could not finde him and saw that he was not in the company that came forth together with them they returned to Hierusalem and with heavy hearts as fearing what had befallen him sought him three daies together going and enquiring from place to place in all places where they thought probably that he might be What he did during those three daies of his absence from his parents where he vvas in what place and with vvhom he abode how and by what means he got food to sustain himself it is curious to enquire and rash to define After three daies which may also be understood upon the third day Mat. 27.63 Mar. 8.31 they found him in the Temple in that place of the temple where the Scribes and Doctours of the law did teach and expound the law and the prophets Sitting in the midst of the Doctours not in the Doctours high seats I suppose but in place convenient and appointed for the younger sort to sit both to hear the Doctours and to ask them questions there was he together with others of the younger sort both hearing them and asking them questions What he heard from them we cannot say doubtlesse the questions which he asked of them were touching the Messiah who was expected Of what tribe he should come Whose son he should be what redemption he should procure to Israel by what means and such like That so he might in some sort manifest himselfe to be that Messiah of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write which properly was the businesse of his Father Whereupon as well his parents as also all others that heard him even the Doctours themselves were astonished 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they admired above measure and were ravished in minde as men besides themselves Never heard they such acute questions never such exact answers The disputation being ended first as is piously to be supposed for it is altogether unlikely that she would by any importune or unseasonable question interrupt him while he was asking and answering the Doctours his mother desirous to know upon what motives he had so absented himself demanded of him privatly why he had dealt so with them admonishing him of the care and sorrow which they had by reason of his absence They were both of them carefull to finde him and did both of them sorrow for the present losse of him but more especially the blessed virgin whom it more neerly touched whose motherly love and affection was more tender and compassionate The answer which he makes is no reprehension but a divine instruction As if he should have said I acknowledge you my mother according to my humanity of you it was that I took flesh in your wombe was I conceived by the holy Ghost I do likewise acknowledge you to be my reputed father a father according to the law and that upon both respects as man I owe unto you both honour and obedience But as it is true that as made of the substance of you my dear mother I am the naturall and consubstantiall son of man Even so being begotten of God and of his substance I am the naturall and consubstantiall son of God By him am I sent to do his will this temple is his house How then is it that ye sought me did you not perswade your selves that I would not otherwise absent my selfe from you but to be about the businesse of my holy and heavenly Father This was the meaning of his answer which at that time they understood not Thus they departed out of the temple and from Hierusalem and went down to Nazareth Christ sbuject to his parents and how where he dwelt with them and was subject to them working without doubt at his fathers trade partly to avoid idlenesse in himselfe and to condemn it in others as the mother of all mischiefe for nihil agendo homines male agere discunt in doing nothing men learn to do ill partly to get his owne living vvith the labour of his hands and to relieve his parents in their mean condition It was that which his country men had observed and at which they stumbled Is not this the carpenter say they S. Mar. 6.3 the son of Mary the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon and are not his sisters here with us And they were offended at him That he disposed himselfe to prayers fastings and divine meditations that must not be denyed yet that he vvrought carpenters work and made plowes and yokes for oxen seeing that Justine Martyr saith it more then once Dialog cum Tryph. Jud. who no doubt had it from good hands and that such a condition might well stand vvith divine dispensation and with the forme of a servant it may easily be granted All these words which she had heard in the temple and which elsewhere were spoken of him and by him the blessed virgin his mother kept in her heart as the richest and greatest treasure And Jesus himselfe who is the fountain of all wisdome S. Joh. 1.16 and of all grace of whose fulness have all we received and grace for grace as Saint John saith Who had not his wisdome by measure or degrees but above measure altogether and from the very moment of his conception who was the wisdome of the Father and to whom no wisdome could be added by increase of age or stature yet as he increased in age and grew up to the full stature and proportion of a man so did he more and more dispence his wisdome whereby he was well knowne and observed to be in favour with God and was highly esteemed of men Being in the full perfection of the human nature in whose body there was no spot or blemish Psal 45.3 fairer then the children of men vvhose lips vvere full of grace because that God by the hypostaticall union had beyond all the sons of Adam blessed him for ever Concerning whose stature feature and proportion let the Reader if he please see Niceph. Callist Ec. Hist lib. 1. cap. 40. And the child grew and waxed strong
in spirit filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him S. Luc. 2.40 41. Now his parents went to Hierusalem every yeare at the feast of the Passeover And when he was twelve yeares old they went up to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast And when they had fulfilled the dayes 42 as they returned the childe Jesus tarried behind in Hierusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it 43 But they supposing him to have been in the company went a dayes journey and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance And when they found him not 44 they turned back againe to Hierusalem seeking him And it came to pass that after three days they found him in the Temple 45 sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them questions And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers 46 47 And when they saw him they were amazed and his mother said unto him Sonne why hast thou thus dealt with us Behold thy Father and I 48 have sought thee sorrowing And he said unto them How is it that ye sought me wist ye not that I must be about my Fathers business And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them And he went downe with them 49 50 51 52 and came to Nazareth and was subject unto them But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man Thus abode he at Nazareth with his parents for the space of eighteen yeares almost which was from the time of their return from Hierusalem after that he had disputed with the Doctors he being then compleatly twelve years old and going on in the thirteenth year to the thirtieth yeare of his age current For during all that time no further mention is made of him then hath been made before Then began that acceptable yeare of the Lord The acceptable year of the Lord begun prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah to be proclaimed and preached unto all the world by Christ the Fathers eternall word The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tydings unto the meeke Isa 61.1 2. he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable yeare of the Lord. Which prophecie is repeated by the Evangelist in these words The spirit of the Lord is upon me S. Luc. 4.18 19. because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel to the poore he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised To preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. This year was annus placabilis Domino a year placable to the Lord a year in which the Lord was easily pleased with all those things which were performed by Christ for the redemption of all mankind This year was Annus Domini acceptus the accepted year of the Lord a year in which the Lord was pleased to accept the merits of his son a full and sufficient price satisfaction and redemption for the sins of the whole world There were other types of this year which the law had but this year was specially figured by the great Jubile of the fiftieth yeare That year was proclaimed by blowing up of trumpets of rammes hornes this year was proclaimed by the Ram himselfe figured by that Ram which Abraham offered up in stead of Isaac his son and by all those Rams which were offered up in sacrifices according to the Law That year brought with it a temporall rest unto the land of Canaan This year brought with it a spirituall rest unto the whole world That year proclaimed liberty and in that year all servants went forth perpetually free from corporall bondage and every one that had sold his possession did in that year return unto it again Levit. 25. This year proclaimed liberty and in this year all that were servants to sin and Sathan had a perpetuall liberty obtained and an eternal redemption so that now there is no let but that all the sons of Adam who shall by a lively faith and true repentance accept the liberty of this year may return again to that holy and heavenly inheritance which Adam lost by reason of sinne That year took away the distinction of master and servant This year took away all distinctions not in respect of that relation which is between man and man in the world but in respect of that relation which is betwixt Christ and his Church For like as the Redeemer would buy them all with the same price and would shed no more nor no other blood for the Jew then for the Gentile for the bond then for the free for the male then for the female Even so the freedom of this year brought to pass that they should be all saved by the same grace justified by the same faith have the same word the same sacraments the same worship an equall interest in Christ according to that of St. Paul Gal. 3.28 There is neither Jew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And in another place Col. 3.11 There is neither Greeke nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all Weeks in the scriptures are not alwaies weeks of dayes nor years are not alwaies years of months Though that acceptable yeare is properly said to begin then yet must we not think to terminate it in twelve months It is saith that ancient Father Irenaeus the time in which they are called of him that do believe in him that is all the time from his comming to the consummation in which he doth acquire as fruits those that are saved lib. 2. cap. 38. It is indeed and according to St. Paul the whole time of Grace Behold now is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 behold now is the day of salvation in the largest sense But strictly and properly to his Ascention into heaven in which year he compleated all those things which God accepted at his hands to be done for the redemption of mankind by his Baptisme by his preaching by his miracles by his passion death buriall descent into hell as also by his resurrection and ascension We have therefore now to see how he did administer the covenant during that year It was the fifteenth year of the raign of Tiberius Caesar Pontius Pilate being then governour of Judea and Herod being Tetrarch of Galilee c. as is noted by the Evangelist S. Luc. 3.1 which was the thirâ—ieth year of his age current Then began the Gospel of Christ to be published for then John the son of Zacharias