Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels, Section 11

Exposition of the Dominical Epistles and Gospels · Section 11

p. 119The Gospel. LVKE 2.42.

The father and mother of Iesus went to Hierusalem after the custome of the feast day, &c.

THis Gospell is a zzIansen. Concord. cap. 12.direction how parents ought to carrie themselues toward their children, and how children also should demeane th…mselues toward their parents: the one, by the practise of Ioseph and Mary: the other, by the paterne of our Sauiour Christ.

Parents care touching their children concernes their

Soule.

Bodie.

Their soule: that they bee brought vp in aaEphes. 6.4.Eph 6:4instruction and information of the Lord; bbHemingius postil. Dom. 1. post Epiphan.that is, in godlinesse and ciuilitie: by the one they shall keepe a good conscience before God: by the other they shall obtaine a good report among men: the which two, conscience and credit, must chiefly be sought after in this life.

For the bodie: Parents ought to cc1. Tim. 5.8.1 Tim 5:8prouide competent sustenance and maintenance; guarding their persons, and regarding their estates: all which is performed here by Ioseph and Mary toward Christ.

First, for the soules institution; they did instruct him by precept and example: precept, bringing him to the Temple, that he might be taught; and that not only this once, but often, as often as law did require. So ddHist. Euang. lib. 1. vt Maldonat. in loc.Iuuencus expressely:

Ad Templum laetis puerum perducere festis,

Omnibus annorum vicibus de more solebant.

This should eeCulman. con. 1. Zepperus con. 2. in loc.teach al parents, how to teach their children; especially, that they send them vntounto the publike Catechising in the Church, and that according to ffCan. 59.Canon and custome: for the common Catechisme, which Authoritie commands, is fit and full, as containing all the p. 120vertues necessarie to saluation, and the meanes whereby those vertues are receiued and conserued.

The principal vertues of a Christian, are

Faith.

Hope.

Charitie.

The Creede is necessarie for faith; as teaching vsus what wee hauehave to beleeue. The Pater noster is necessarie for hope; teaching vsus what we are to desire. The ten Commandements are necessary for charitie, teaching vsus what we hauehave to do. The Sacraments are instruments of grace, by which those vertues are conueied vntounto vsus, and continued in vsus. As to build an house, it is requisite, first to place the foundation, then to raise the walles, and last of al to couer it with the roofe: so saith ggVti Bellarm. praefat. Tom. 1. controue…s.Augustine, to make in our soules the building of eternall saluation, we neede the foundation of faith, the walles of hope, the roofe of charitie. The tooles as it were wherewith all these bee wrought, are the sacred Word and blessed Sacraments; our Catechisme then in briefe, comprehending all these matters and all these meanes; and standing vponupon the same legges especially, with the hhCat. Caluin. vsed in the French and Scotish Churches.Geneuian and iiBellarm Cat. written in Italian▪ englished by R. Haddock.Romane Catechisme cannot be distasted either of Accusant or R…cusant out of deuotion and pietie, but out of saction and malice: well, or rather ill, each may say with the kkMartial. l…. 1. Epigram. 33.Poet:

Non amo te Sabidi, nec possum dicere quaere:

Hoc tantùm possum dicere, non amo te.

The father and mother] Ioseph was not the naturall father of Christ, but father

In

Opinion: Luk. 3.23. Iesus, as men supposed, was the so…ne of Ioseph.

llTheophylact. in loc.Care: being his nurcing father appointed of God: for nurces are called mothers, and patrons fathers.

Law: mmAugustin. de cons…nsu Euangelist. lib. 2. c. 1.being husband to Mary, and nigh of kin to Christ.

But Mary was the mother of Christ; not only in opinion p. 121and care, but in truth and in deed. Mater à mat… ria, the very matter of Christs bodie was of the Virgin Mary: Galat. 4.4. God sent his so…ne made of a woman: S…e Epist. Sunday after Christmas.

Secondly, these parents instruct their child by their owne example; for they doe not send, but bring him vp to Hierusalem, after the custome of the feast day. The which is the shortest cut of teaching: Longum iter per praecepta, breue per exempla: The parents nnHicro…. …pist. ad Lae…am. tom. 1. sol. 57.good life preuailes more with his childe, then a good lesson.

Their deuotion is seene, in

Going vp to Hierusalem, after the custome of the feast.

Tarying there, fulfilling the daies.

S. Paul exhorts vsus to pray at all oo1. Thess. 5.17.1 Thess 5:17times, and in all pp1. Tim. 2.8.1 Tim 2:8places: for the whole world is Gods vniuersal, and as it were Cathedrall Church; and eueryevery particular Christian is as it were his priuate Chapell, and Temple; Daniel praied in the Lions den…e, Ionas in the Whales bellie, Iob on the dunghill, and the theese on the crosse; yet the Lord heard their prayers, and granted their requests. It is lawful then in priuate to pray when and where we shall iudge most meete: but God for his publike worship hath in all ages assigned certaine times, and certaine places. The most speciall time is his Sabbath, and the most speciall place the Temple: so wee finde precept and practise. Precept, qqEsay 56.7.Isa 56:7My house shall be called the house of praier; the which is repeated by Christ in three Eua…gelists.

Practise: The Publican and the Pharisie went vp into the Temple to pray, Luk. 18. Anna prayed in the Temple, Luk. 2. Peter and Iohn went vp into the Temple at the houre of prayer, Act. 3. Christ himselfe daily teaching in the Temple, Luk. 19.

After Christ, by reason of the great persecution, the Christians assembl…d not in the fittest, but in the safest places: in processe of time they did erect Oratories; not p. 122in any sumptuous or stately manner, rrHooker. lib. 5. s…ct. 11.which neither was possible by reason of the Churches pouerty, nor plausible in regard of the worlds enuie: but at length when Almightie God stirred vp religio…s Kings and Queenes, as ssEsay 49.23.Isa 49:23nursing fathers and nursing mothers of the Church, that which the Christians before either could not, or durst not doe, was with all alacritie performed; in all places Temples were built; no cost spared, nothing too deare which that way should be spent: sacrilegious wretches are not now more desirous to pull downe, then those deuout professors were to set vp Churches.

Now one chiefe cause why God in all ages would be serued in publ…ke Temples, is, that his Church might be distinguished from the Conuenticles of Heretikes and Schismatikes, that all of vsus acknowledge one God, and one Christ, so all of vsus might hauehave ttEphes. 4.5.Eph 4:5one faith, and one baptisme, an vniformitie in doctrine, and a conformitie in outward ceremonies, for the better deliuering of this doctrine.

The parents of Christ did therefore well in uuMelanct postil. in loc.ioyning themselues vntounto the congregation, and obseruing the publike ceremonies of the Church. At that time the temple was made a denne of theeues; and yet Ioseph and Mary ioyne with the Church in the publike worship of God: xxC…lu…n. & Marl…ra…. in loc. Beauxamis harm. Tom. 1. fol. 76.whose example doth exceedingly crosse the practise of Brownists, and all other Recusants, who refuse to communicate with vsus in our Temples; because some things, as they pretend, are amisse. Ioseph and Mary took part with Gods Priests and people in that which was good, and as for the rest they did not meddle further then their place required. They went this long iourney to satisfie the law; as also by their good example to stirre vp other, to reuerence the publike ceremonies and ministrie.

By the Law, men only were bound to keep the general solemne feasts, as wee reade, Exod. 23. and Deut. 16.16. Three times in the yeere shall all the males app…are before p. 123the Lord thy God in the place where he shall chuse: so that Mary went not vp to Hierusalem as compelled by law, but only carried with pure deuotion to God, and vnfained louelove to her husband and childe.

Here then is a notable relique for women to behold; Mary free by the letter of the law, by th… custome of the countrey, dwelling at Nazareth, a great way from Hierusalem, did notwithstanding eueryevery yeere goe with her husband vntounto the feast of the Passeouer. In our time many women vnlike this good Ladie, will be content …uen on the Lords day, to toyle at home about their own businesse, and gad abroad to meddle with others businesse, rather then th…y will accompanie their good husband Ioseph, and their towardly sonne Iesus vntounto Gods house.

And when they had fulfilled the daies] That is, whole yyEx…d. 23.15.seuen daies, according to the custome. They came with the first, and went home with the last. Worldly men for their honour, will ride post to the Court, to be knighted with the first; for their profit at mill and market first; for their pleasure at the play first; at hunting first; first at any m…rrie meeting: but as for the Church, they thinke they come too soone, and stay too long: winter daies are too short for hunting, sommer daies too short for hawking; yet one houre of seuen daies is thought long that is spent in Gods holy worship: as zzAnt…n. Gueu… ra. …pist.one wittily; Long Samons, and short sermons please best: and yet if we looke not with the spectacles of the world, but with the eyes of faith discerning all things aright, we shall finde that there is no such honour, as to be Gods seruant, no such gaine as godlinesse, no such pleasure as a good conscience.

The congregation vnderunder the Law, was not dismissed without the Priests aaNum. 6.23.Num 6:23benediction and bbZepperus co…. 1. in loc.valediction; the which custome is reteined in the Christian Church, that no man depart out of the Temple, before the diuine prayers and sermon end: so the ccCanon. 24. & Concil. Agathen. cap. 47.4. Councel of Carthage decreed, excōmunicating all such as offend in this kind.

p. 124Thus you see Christ was instructed by good lessons and life: so that if Iesus had not been Iesus, to be saued, and not a Sauiour; hee might hauehave said of his mother M…r…, which ddCon…ss. lib. 5. cap. 9.Augustine writes of his mother Monica: M…ori soll…citudi…e me parturiebat spiritu, quàm carne pepererat; eeIdem. c…ess. l… 9. cap. 8.parturi…it carne, vt in hanc temp…ralem nascerer; corde vt in aeternam lucem r…nascerer.

Now for his bodie; when he was missing, Ioseph and Mary sought him instantly with all diligence till h…e was found: Behold thy father and I hauehave sought thee weeping. Where literally note Maries humble carriage toward her husband Ioseph, and the care of them both ouer Christ their childe. The dutifull respect of Mar… toward Ioseph is obserued ffEx Augustino Maldonat. in loc. & Iansen. concord. cap. 12.ex ordine verborum; in that she saith, thy father and I, not, I and thy father; as Cardinall Wolsees stile, Ego & rex meus, I and my king, is insupportable in the Polit…kes; so I and my husband insufferable in the Oeconomicks. It was ggEster 1.20.Assuerus his edict, and it is Gods law that all women both great and small shall giuegive their husbands honour, and that eueryevery man shall be…re rule in his owne house: for the man is the wiues hhE…hes. 5.23.head, and the wife is her husbands subiect: Subdita eris sub potestate viri: Thou shalt b… subiect to thine husband, and he shall rule ouer thee, G…n. 3.16. So that a woman murthering her husband, is accounted by the iiL. 1. D. ad leg…m P…mpeiam de paricidijs.Ciuill lawes a parricide, by the kkRa…al. coll…ct. stat. …. …r…ason.statutes of our land a traitor.

The next remarkable point is the ioynt care of them both ouer Iesus: Thy father and I hauehave sought thee weeping. As Paul said to ll1. Tim. 6.20.1 Tim 6:20Timothie so we to eueryevery father, ser…a deposi…um, keepe that which is committed to thee. HaueHave a tender eye ouer thy childe, which is a pledge of Gods goodnesse, and that happily which may moue thee more, flesh of thy flesh, and bone of thy bone; not only a liuely picture, but a liuing and walking image of thy selfe. Barren S…ra was so glad of a childe, that she called her onelyonly sonne, mmGen. 21.3.Gen 21:3Isack, that is, laughter. How wicked then is that parent, who neglecteth his owne flesh, his p. 125owne childe, which is a token from heauen, and ordinarilie the best monument of himselfe after death on earth?

As this example concernes the naturall father, so likewise the ciuill and ecclesiasticall: for, incuria praepo…iti, iniuria deposit… ; nnHieron. epist. ad Furiam. tom. 1. fol. 80.detrimentum pecoris, ignominia pastoris, &c. Pastor and Prince must s…ke the good of such as are vnderunder them, as Ioseph and Mary did Christ, with carefull hearts, &c. In a ooIacob. de Vorag. ser. 3. Dom. in…ra octa. Epiphan.mysticall sense these words insinuate, when, where, and how Christ is to be found of vsus.

1. When? On the third day.

2. Where? In the Temple.

3. How:

Socialiter; in vnitie; thy father and I.

Desid…rabiliter; with an earnest desire to finde.

Lachrym…biliter; with teares; hauehave sought thee sorrowing.

First, Christ is to be found on the third day: vers 46. It came to passe three daies after, that they found him in the Temple. The first day was the time before the law, in which, as ppLuke 10.24.Luke 10:24Christ told his Apostles, all the Patriarks and holy fathers desired to see the things which they saw, and could not see them; and to heare the things which they heard, and could not heare them.

The second day was the time vnderunder the law, when also the Priests and Prophets expected Christ, but they could not finde him: therefore the Prophet Esay crieth out in his 64. Chapter, Oh that thou wouldest bre…ke the heauens and come downe.

The third day is the present time; thi… acceptable time of grace; wherein Christ is to be found: qqIohn 4.23.John 4:23hora est n…nc; The houre is now. Therefore to day, while it is to day, se…ke the Lord euen while he may be found; call vponupon him while he is neer; for the next day, which is the fourth day, is the time after death, and rrPsal. 6.5.Ps 6:5then he cannot be found or sought.

p. 126Ioseph and Mary could not finde Christ among their kinsfolke, &c. ssIansen. vbi suprà.Non humana cognatione, nec cognitione comprehenditur: He that wil finde Christ, must forsake friends, ttPsal. 45.11.Ps 45:11forget his owne people, and his fathers house. They found him in Ierusalem, uuBeauxamis har. tom. 1. f…l. 77.that is, in the Church among the faithfull: not among barbarous Heathens, or blasphemous heretikes; his dwelling is at Sion, there you may finde him among the Doctors in the Temple: xxThom. in loc. ex Origen.not in the market, not in the tauerne, but in the Temple; yyMelanct. postil. in loc. & Church H…m. concerning the right vse of the Church. part. 1.for hee is to be found in his word, in his sacraments, among the Doctors and Preachers. If this lesson often taught, were once learned, it would make you to frequent Gods house more diligently, thirst after his word more greedily, respect Christs ambassadours more reuerently.

The third point to be considered is, how Christ is to be found: Socialiter, in vnitie, pater tuus & ego. God is louelove, and his followers are the children of peace, and his Ministers the messengers of peace, his doctrine the doctrine of peace: and therefore if we wil finde him, we must follow the truth zzEphes 4.15.Eph 4:15in louelove.

God said to the serpent; aaGen. 3.15Gen 3:15I will put enmitie between thee and the woman, and betweene thy seed and her seed. But if wee seeke Christ in contention, all the feud is among our selues, and not betweene Satan and vsus. bbNyssen. epist. ad Eustat. pe… Casaubonum public.Odium in nos ipsos conuertimus: all our fight is against our friends, and not against our foes.

Againe, we must seeke Christ earnestly: Quaerebamus te & nihil extrate; Iesus for Iesus: and lastly, we must seeke Christ, lachrymabilitèr, sorrowing.

Now Mary did feare for three causes, as Interpreters obserue:

1. ccTh…m. in l…c.Lest Christ should leaue her, and ascend to his father in heauen.

2. ddGloss.Lest he should fall into the hands of persecutors.

3. eeIacob de V… rag. vbi supra.Lest he should forsake the Iewes, and goe to some other nation.

p. 127So we must seek Christ with three sorts of teares: of

Deuotion; lest he withdraw his gracious countenance frō vsus.

Contrition; when he doth absent himselfe for a time.

Compassion, when any member of his is afflicted and persecuted.

And he went downe with them, and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them] As the former part of this Gospell is a paterne for parents, how they should instruct their children; so this latter is a glasse for children, how they should obey their parents; Omnis enim actio Christi, instructio Christiani: For eueryevery line of Christ is a copie for a Christian. In that therefore the Lord of all, submitted himselfe to the gouernment of his supposed father, and vnderling mother; as ffEpist. de vitando sus…ect. contubern. Tom. 1. fol. 224.Hierome notably; Venerabatur matrem, cuius ipse erat pater; colebat nutritium, quem nutriuerat, and that for the space of thirty yeeres, executing filial and oeconomicall duties in their house; what doth he but teach obedience to superiours? especially that children should honour father and mother, albeit they be neuer so meane; for this subiection is a ggNon infumitatis sed piet atis. Ambros. in Luc. lib. 2. cap. 2.vertue, not a weaknesse.

If parents inioine things vnlawfull, and contrary to scripture, then, as expositours vponupon this text commonly note, we must prefer our father in heauen, before our fathers on earth; and say with Christ, How happened it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must goe about Gods businesse? Otherwise we must not offend them so much as with hhVultu saepè laeditur pietas. Cicero. pro Sext. Ros. orat. 2.a very looke. See decalog. com. 5.

The dutifull child shall iiZepperus con. 2. in loc.prosper as Christ, in fauour with God and men: but gracelesse kkGen. 9.25.Gen 9:25Cham shall be cursed; rebellious ll2. Sam. 18.2 Sam 18Absolon, disobedient mm1. Sam. 4.1 Sam 4Phinehas and Hophni shall not liue out halfe their daies. It was nnDe…t. 21.21.Gods law, that the stubborne child should be stoned to death openly, that all might heare and feare. By the ooRas…al. col. stat. tit. treason.common lawes, he that murthers his parent, is reputed a petty traitor p. 128By the ppLege penult. D…ad legem Pompeiam de parricidijs.Ciuill lawes in old time, an offender in that kind, was sowed in a sacke, with a dog, a cocke, a viper, and an ape, and so cast into some deepe water, as vnworthy to reap the benefit of any element. For so qqVbi suprà.Tully doth excellently glosse that law. V… qui eum necásset, vnde ipse natus esset, careret ijs rebus omnibus, ex quibus omnia nata esse dicuntur. Etenim quid est tam commune, quàm spiritus viuis? terra mortuis? mare fluctuantibus? littus eictis? Ita viuun…, dum possunt, vt ducere animam de coelo non possint: ita moriuntur, vt eorum ossa terra non tangat: ita iactantur fluctibi…, vt nunquàm abluantur: ita postremò eijciuntur, vt ne ad saxa quidem mortui conquiescant.

It is rrErasmus annot. in Mat. 13.5…. & Z…pperus con. 1. in loc.Matt 13:5probable, that Christ submitting himselfe to Ioseph, vsed his occupation: but what it was, I cannot shew: you need not know. Saint Hilary thinks he was a Smith; Hugo, that he was a Mason: most Diuines, that he was a Carpenter. So ssIn dialog. cum Tryphon.Iustin Martyr, and other ancient Doctors hauehave gathered out of Matth. 13.55. Marke 6.3. See Six. Sinen. biblioth…c. lib. 6, annot. 62. Baron. …nnal. tom. 1. an. 12. Iansen. concord. cap. 54. Maldonat. & Rhemisan Matth. 13.55.

Now then in that Christ exercised a mechanical trade, we may ttZ…pper. vbi supra.learne that a poore man may serue God, and often doe much good in an honest occupation: the text saith; Iesus prospered in wisdome, and in fauour with God and men. He was a lambe, and therefore the bigger the better: but the wicked are uuMat. 25.33.Matt 25:33goates, and xxDiez con. 4. Dem. 1. post. …piphan.therefore the longer they liue, the worse they are.

Mary kept all these sayings together in her heart] It was well she laid them vp; better that she kept them; best of all that she kept them all. Let vsus also lay these things vp in our secret treasury, that being inwardly grafted in our hearts, they may bring forth in vsus the fruit of good liuing.

This Gospell is well fitted to the day: for after the celebration of Christs birth, circumcision, Epiphanie; what should follow but his first manifestation in the Temple, p. 129and then on the next dominical, his first miracle wrought in Cana of Galile.

The Gospell and Epistle concord: yyFerus, ser. 1. & 6. Dom. 1. post. Epiphan.for what Christ doth in the one, is a paterne of that Paul saith in the other. Paul doth require; first, that we should offer our selues a quicke sacrifice to God; and then, according to the measure of grace, that we should become seruiceable to men, euerie one among our selues one anothers members: euen so Christ here, did first dedicate himselfe to God, in celebrating the Passeouer, in hearing the Doctors, in disputing about religion, in neglecting his acquaintance, to doe the businesse of his Father in heauen: and then hee went with his parents, and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them.

Or (as zzPostil. cum glossis & fi…uris Ep…st. Dom. infra octa. Epiph…n.other obserue) the Gospell and Epistle both insinuate, that two things are requisite to saluation, humilitas mentis, munditia carnis.

For the first, Pauls precept is, that no man stand high in his own conceit, but so iudge of himselfe, that he be gentle and sober, as a member helping other. And Christs paterne is; he became subiect to Ioseph and Mary, though he was Lord of all.

For the second, Pauls precept is; Offer your bodies a quicke sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. And Christs paterne is; hee did the businesse of God in the Temple, neglecting the pleasures of the flesh among his friends and acquaintance. Sweet Iesus indow vsus plentifully with thy grace, that we may thus preach and practise; that following thee, who art the way, wee may come to thee which art the life. Amen.