A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Part 1 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
NOW come we to Chriſt's Publick Life, which was the Principal Task of all the Evangeliſts, they treat of his Publick Miniſtry, and not of his Private Life and Imployment, whereof very little is Recorded till he was twelve years old, ſave what is above mentioned, nor after twelve till he came to be about thirty, Luke 3.23. ſave only, that he returned from Jeruſalem, and from his Diſputations with the Doctors unto Nazareth, and there was Subject to his Parents, and Increaſed in Wiſdom and Stature, and in favour with God and Man, Luke 2.51, 52.
The Remarks hereupon are Many. As, Firſt, What Chriſt did from his Infancy to twelve years old, and from thence to about Thirty, the Scripture is Silent, yet the Romaniſts have feigned ſo many Idle and falſe Relations of Him, as hath expoſed the Chriſtians to the Jeers of the Jewiſh, and Taunts of the Turkiſh Miſcreants: Where the Scripture hath no Tongue, we ſhould have no Ear, and where it hath no Mouth to ſpeak, we ſhould have no Tongue to ask. How Christ ſpent his Non-Age and Minority, is thought fit for ſecreſie.
Secondly, Some indeed have theſe ſentiments, that his bleſſed Mother Mary muſt undoubtedly be acquainted with ſome of his Domeſtick Miracles during his Private Life, which probably might be the grand ground of Her informing Him, that the Marriage Gueſts at Cana in Galilee (his place of Retirement from Archelaus, Matth. 2.22.) wanted Wine, which otherwiſe had been more properly made known to the foreign, of Master of the Feast, whoſe Office it was to ſupply all wants, &c. nor would ſhe otherwiſe have ſaid to the Servants (when She durſt ſay no more to Her Son, who had turn'd ſhort upon her for her Haſte, and Halting) What he ſaith to you do, John 2.3, 5. as expecting a Miracle from him; but were this true, then that muſt be falſe, ver. 8. That this was his first Miracle.
Thirdly, Thoſe many years Christ ſpent with his Parents at Nazareth (the Antients opinion is) He carried on his Father's Calling of a Carpenter, Hence was he called (while Joſeph lived) the Carpenter's Son, but Joſeph Dying before his Son's full Manifeſtation. He was no longer call'd the Carpenter's Son, but then (in downright Terms) the Carpenter, Mat. 13.55. with Mark 6.3. Juſtin Martyr (that lived near Chriſt's time) teſtifieth that our Saviour before he entred upon the Miniſtry made Ploughs, Yokes, &c. to which Baronius conſenteth, ſaying, that Christ alludeth to his own making of Yokes, when He ſaid [My Yoke is eaſie,] Mat. 11.30. Thus when Libanius was bid by Julian (that perſecuting Apoſtate) to ask a Chriſtian School-Maſter in a Sarcaſtick ſcorn what his Carpenter was a Doing, had this ſmart Repartee, that, Christ was making a coffin for that Curſed Apoſtate. 'Twas Noah's honeſt Imploy, who wrought in it an hundred and twenty Years, as a Type of Christ the Antitype, who might work till thirty years therein, (though he was the great Architect of the World) Christ came to bear the Curſe of Adam's Sin, and therefore might in the ſweat of his Brows, provide neceſſaries for Himſelf, for his Mother and Family; his Fellow Citizens call'd him a Carpenter, Mark 6.3.
Fourthly, The Poverty and Meanneſs of Chriſt's Extract, Education, and Occupation, became a Stumbling Block and Rock of Offence to the Carnal Jews, who look'd for a Meſſiah of an Higher Port, and to come in a more pompous poſture; beſide, his coming out of Nazareth (from whence they expected no good, John 1.46.) at his firſt appearing in his Publick Miniſtry. The true Meſſiah was clouded from their Eyes with thoſe obſcurities, the Prince of Darkneſs having blinded them by holding his Black hand before their Underſtandings, 2 Cor. 4.4. becauſe Christ, being born at Bethlehem ſo many years before this his firſt publick appearing out of Nazareth) was either not taken notice of, or now not remembred. Therefore the Jews could not own Him for their Meſſiah, who made his firſt publick appearance (to be Baptized of John Baptist, Mat. 3.13.) in coming out of Nazareth in Galilee, as out of an obſcure Hole, where he had ſpent nigh thirty years in Subjection and Slavery, or Laborious Drudgery, &c.
N.B. Note well. Whereas our Anſwer to this Jewiſh objection is this, All theſe things (which the Jews ſtumble at) became the Captain of our Salvation, Heb 2.10. In his ſtate of Humiliation thus to empty himſelf of all Majeſty and Glory, Phil. 2.7. and to be ſubject to his Parents, &c. Luke 2.52. For the World's Redeemer muſt come in the likeneſs of ſinful Fleſh, Rom. 8.3. and be like to Man in all things, Sin only excepted, Heb. 2.17. & 4.15. 1 Pet. 2.22. So that in reſpect of his Humane Nature (which he had Aſſumed) He is ſaid to grow in Wiſdom and Stature, (from Infancy to Childhood, Youth and Middle Age) for according to the meaſure of his Age, the Divine Nature did reveal to the humane more and more of the Divine Wiſdom Had he augmented his Body to Man's Stature when he was come out of the Womb (as he could have done) then would he have ſeemed ſome Phantaſm or Spectrum, rather than any true, real Body. And had he ſhewed all Wiſdom at the firſt, he would have been counted a Prodigy, ſaith Theodoret. N.B. Note well, Therefore did he mainfeſt his growth in both by little and little, and at the Age of twelve years (which is the uſual time when Reaſon comes to ſome ripeneſs) he gave out an eminent inſtance of his extraordinary Wiſdom. Yet that Beam of his Deity (which he there put ſorth in diſputing with the Doctors) he ſoon drew in again, and lay along time after obſcured; for although he was both God and Man, yet follows it not, that things proper to the Deity were given to his humanity (ſaith Calvin) but ſo far forth only as was available to our Salvation, otherwiſe the Son of God hid his Divine Power. N.B. Note well, Some Antients ſay, Christ withdrew himſelf from his Parents unobſerved by the ſame power, as he did through the midſt of his inraged Adverſaries, Luke 4.30. for his Parents having brought him up with ſo great careful love, could never be guilty of ſuch careleſs neglect as to loſe him in the City, this may be granted thus far, that it being the Jews manner of returning from the Feaſt, the Men to go by themſelves, and the Women by themſelves, but the Children with either of their Parents, now Joſeph ſuppoſing Jeſus had been with Mary among the Women, and Mary ſuppos'd he had been with the Men, &c. ſo happen'd he to be loſt. If he purpoſely withdrew, it was becauſe he would not ſeem to deſpiſe his Parents, who might have hindred his diſputing by commanding him away, and the ſame Divine Power, preſerv'd him in his going up three times in the year with his Parents to Jeruſalem who were afraid to go into Judea, Mat. ….22. for he had his Fathers work to do, and his hour was not then come, &c.
N.B. Note well. That Chriſt (the holy Son of God) ſhould be a man of ſorrows, and ſo acquaimed with griefs, Iſa 53.3. Who can but wonder, ſeeing Pilate's Wife calls him [the Juſt one] Pilate himſelf pronounc'd him Jaultleſs; Judas ſtiled him [his Innocent Maſter] and the Devils themſelves openly Declared him [the Holy one of God.] All this Teſtimony from his▪ Adverſaries could not be tainted with flattery, yet his Innocency and Sanctity was no ſecurity from ſorrows, as we have ſeen all along in his Private Life, at the beſt, undergoing hard Labour of Hewing Wood, &c. at Home, beſide the Dangers he was expoſed unto Abroad, &c. now he being about Thirty years old, and having but three years and an half to live in this lower World; Oh what a Poor Pilgrim's Life did he live, not having an houſe where to lay his head, Mat. 8.20. but went about as a Stranger and Traveller from place to place, yet doing good every where, Acts 10.38. every place (he came to in his Pilgrimage) was the better for him, and none worſe. N.B. Note well. No wonder then that we (Men and Women of Sin) ſhould be Men and Women of Sorrows, when our ſinleſs Saviour was ſo to ſanctifie us.
The Firſt Place this beſt of Pilgrims travell'd to in his Publick Life was Jordan, (to that very place where Iſrael paſſed over to poſſeſs Canaan, John 1.28. as Bethabara ſignifies) thither he went to be Baptized by John Baptiſt, Mat. 3.13. from Galilee thither, He came far to ſeek his Baptiſm, we muſt not grudge at any pains to partake of Chriſt's Ordinances, Zech. 8.21. As Chriſt by his Circumciſion was admitted a Member of the Church under the Law, ſo is he by his Baptiſm of the Church under the Goſpel, being withal Inſtalled thereby into his Miniſterial Function by Baptiſm and Unction of the Holy Ghoſt, as the legal Prieſts entred into theirs by Waſhing and Anointing. Chriſt came far to be Baptized, not for any need he had (as we) thereof, for he was a Lamb without blemiſh (of Natural Corruption) and without ſpot,(of actual Tranſgreſſion) 1 Pet. 1.19. But he was Baptized merely for our benefit, to ſanctifie Baptiſm to us and to dignifie his own Ordinances for us. Though our Saviour was no Sinner, yet became he ſin for us who knew no ſin, 2 Cor. 5.21. He left his Trade and his Mother at thirty years old, that he might do the Work of his Father, and fulfil and Righteouſneſs, He came to John (who had not ſeen him before, being parted by Herod's Perſecution, till this fulneſs of time) for his Inauguration and to be Proclaimed by him the Grand Prophet of the New Covenant. John Baptiſt (who was the Voice and made the Proclamation) was as the Day-Break before the Sun of Righteouſneſs aroſe (after a Life of Darkneſs and Silence for thirty years) and put forth his Light and Luſtre in our Horizon.
N.B. Note well. All the Three Perſons in the Trinity concurr'd in this ſolemn Baptiſm: The Second Perſon being in the Vail of the Fleſh, was the ſubject hereof, the Third Perſon deſcending in the form of a Dove lighting upon Chriſt (as Noah's Dove did upon the Ark, a ſhadow hereof) was a witneſs, &c. And the firſt Perſon concurr'd in State and Majeſty without form, as is ſaid to Iſrael [Ye ſaw no ſhape yet heard a voice, Deut. 4.12. &c.] Here was a Majeſtick Meeting about Man's Redemption, as before about Man's Creation, [Let us make Man] Gen. 1.26. Now it was that the Heavens opened, Mark 1.10. (when Christ came to be the Saviour of the World) which had never been opened to the ſight of Man before, and now the Baptiſt ſaw ſomething above the Stars, (as Stephen did afterwards, Acts 7.55. N.B. Note well. 'Tis a Just wonder that our Mortal Eyes can reach the Viſible Heavens, and not be wearied in the way which ſome affirm to be five hundred years Journey to the ſtarry Firmament, and Mathematicians tell us, that if a Stone ſhould fall from the eighth Sphere, and paſs every day an hundred Miles, it would be ſixty five years or more, before it could come to the Ground, and now the Baptist heard alſo a Voice from Heaven, calling Christ God's Darling, &c. yet was he not ſpared, Rom. 8.32. but was acquainted with Griefs, &c.
The Second Place of Christ's Pilgrimage after his Baptiſm was the Wilderneſs, whither the Dove led this Lamb to encounter the Roaring Lion the Devil. No ſooner had Christ received the Holy Spirit in the Water of Baptiſm, but preſently that Spirit of burning (ſo called Iſa. 4.4.) drove him into the Fire of Temptation, Mark 1.12. that is, ſuddenly carried him (who was moſt willing to go) as the Scape-Goat under the Law into the Wilderneſs, Lev. 16.21. Though the Spirit permitted him to be buffered there, yet He ſo ſupported Him under all his buffetings there, that his Valour obtain'd the Victory, The Good Spirit (that abode on him and in him) proved too hard for the Evil Spirit that came againſt him. This place of Temptation is ſuppos'd to be the Wilderneſs of Sinai. N.B. Note well. No Place more fit for Satan to Aſſault our Savi… ▪ than this, where the Law (which is the Strength of Sin) was Delivered. Though the Son of God was without Sin, yet took he upon him the Sins of the World. There did our Lord faſt Forty Days and Forty Nights, as Moſes and Elias had done in the ſame place before him, and all theſe three great Faſters met together upon Mount Tabor afterwards, Mat. 17.4, 5. Luke 9.30. &c. when the ſame Voice at his Baptiſm was Reiterated with this Addition [Hear Him] and confirmed more publickly with Thundring, John 12.28. In this Wilderneſs was Chriſt thoſe forty Days and Nights among Wild Beaſts, Mark 1.13. yet ſate He there in the midſt of thoſe fierce Brutes, as Adam had done among them in his State of Innocency; Theſe furious Creatures ſaw in Chriſt the perfect Image of God, and therefore reverenced him as their Lord, as they had done Adam before his Fall; and were we but amiable in Chriſt, we ſhould be in League with the Beaſts of the Field, Job 5.21, 22. Not a Dog of Egypt dare Bark at God's Iſrael in Covenant with him, Exod. 11.7. Yet Chriſt was not only among Wild Beaſts, but alſo among curſed Devils here. By whoſe Miniſtry the Prince of Devils Inviſibly Tempted Him, as he doth other men, all the forty Days and Nights (Luke 4.2.) ſtriving to inject ſinful Thoughts into him, but could not prevail, becauſe he could find nothing in him, John 14.30. The Tempter ſtruck Fire all that Time, but found nothing but wet Tinder for his Sparks to fall upon. Therefore at the forty days end, he takes new meaſures, and appears viſibly, not in any ugly ſhape (for Chriſt was not to be frighted with Phantaſms, &c.) but in an Angelical ſplendour, thinking to deceive him, in the ſhape of an Angel of Light, as He had done our Firſt Parents, who took him to be a good Angel. N.B. Note well. All theſe forty Days Chriſt ſpent in Solitude, Faſting, Watching and Prayer, as a Penance for our Surfeitings and other Sins, and for a preparative unto His following conflict. Chriſt was afterwards an Hungry, then Satan makes his firſt Aſſault, not in the time of his faſting, but when he was Hungry after Faſting, with which Argument he would have perſuaded Him, that He could not be the Son of God, yet pretending friendſhip He propoſed a way both to refreſh his Humanity, and to give a Proof of his Deity. Hoping that his Hunger (together with a deſire to convince the Devil) would prevail to make him get Bread before the time, at the Devil's bidding and in his way; but Chriſt Anſwers, God hath promiſed to provide for thoſe that are Imployed in his Service, and accordingly Chriſt had Bread brought him by Angels, which was far better than what the Devil would have help'd him to.
The Third Place, The Devil (by God's leave) Makes Chriſt go on Pilgrimage from the Wilderneſs to Jeruſalem. The Tempter (by Divine Permiſſion) hurries the Humane Body of Chriſt violently through the Air (whereof he is call'd the Prince) from Mount Sinai to the Holy Temple, and there placed him upon a Pinnacle, reputed ſix hundred foot high, enough to dazzle the Eyes of any mere mortal to look down from the Top to the Bottom. From hence the Devil bids Chriſt caſt himſelf down. This was a filly ſuggeſtion, and but a little of the craft of a ſubtle Serpent in it. For how improbable it was that ſo Prudent and Pious a perſon ſhould Tempt God to ſo unneceſſary a Protection when there were Stairs to go down. However this is the Devil's Way, and one of his Methods to N.B. Raiſe Men up to Pinnacles of Power, Pomp, and the greateſt of Grandeur, to make them Proud and Preſumptuous, ut, quo altius ſcandunt, eo ſublimiùs decidant, that the Higher their Climbing is, the Lower their Fall may be, this an Heathen Author could ſay. Height of place gives opportunity of Temptation. The longeſt Robe (though never ſo richly Embroidered, Enamel'd and Studded with Silver, Gold and the moſt precious Pearls) contracts the fouleſt Soils, nor are any in ſo great danger of falling as thoſe that walk upon the Tops of Pinnacles. Height it ſelf makes the Brain Swim, and cauſes a Vertigo, &c.
Oh how many Inſtances have we recorded hereof both in Sacred and Civil Hiſtory as Haman, Herod, Diocleſian, &c. N.B. Note well. This Teacheth alſo that the Devil himſelf hath not power to caſt us down from the Pinnacle either of Proſperity or o… Profeſſion, all he can do is to perſuade us to caſt our ſelves down. The great Cerberus or Ban dog of Hell God keeps in a Chain and Muzzled, This is our Mercy. This Dog may Bark at us, but (without Divine Permiſſion and Humane folly) He cannot Bite us. His Barkings are his Logick and Rhetorick whereby he perſuades us to come near Him, to untye his Chain, and looſe his Muzzle for Him, that He may Devour us by making us Deſtroy our ſelves, Hoſ. 13.9. what is this compliance with that curſed Cur's Counſel? but to Tempt the Tempter, and to meet him the better half way to fetch in our own Deſtruction. Can we reckon that Idolater a Wiſe Man, who in his Worſhipping Fire for his God, muſt needs (out of his Blind Zeal) beſtow ſome Buſſes of love upon his Idol, and thereby Burnt his own Lips? Nor can we reckon that Woman much wiſer that wiſh'd to Marry a Moroſe Husband, merely to exerciſe her Patience; when ſhe had her wiſh, ſhe found (by ſmarting experience) that even her Victory paid not the coſt of her Conflicts, much leſs of her Danger of being oft ſtrangled in Imbraces? They are Fools that dare contend with Fire, &c. Can we expect that the ſhining Sun will cure our ſore Eyes? Or can an heavy Burden Help and Heal a broken Back? Then Tempt not the Tempter. If we pray [Lord lead us not into Temptation] then may we not Lead our ſelves into it.
The Fourth Place was an exceeding High Mountain, whither the Devil carried Chriſt again on Pilgrimage. The Good Spirit did lead him to the two former, to wit, unto Jordan for his Baptiſm, and into the Wilderneſs for his Temptation: But it was the Evil Spirit that carried Chriſt, both to the Pinnacle of the Temple, and to this Exceeding High Mountain. What this Mountain was the Evangeliſts mention not, 'tis conjectur'd to be Mount Nebo, which was call'd Piſgah, Upon the Top of which the Lord ſhewed Moſes the Land of Canaan which was the Glory of all Lands, Ezek. 20.6. Accordingly the Devil (who delights to be God's Ape in Imitation) takes up the Meſſias unto the Top of the ſame Mountain, and gives Him there and thence the faireſt pro…pect (he could procure) of all the Kingdoms of the World and of the Glories of them, wherewith be Thought to have dazzl'd our Saviour's Eyes (thoſe Windows of the Soul) and to have fired his Affections, but he moſt miſerably miſtook himſelf. In this Third Temptation Beelzebub or Maſter-Fly returns again, (as Flyes beaten off will come on often, therefore are call'd Impudent Creatures) and Muſters up all his Forces, unites all his Stratagems and Strength in this laſt Aſſault, and Impudently offer'd the Maker of the World, a gawdy Map of it in Beauty and Bravery, … witching enough doubtleſs to a Worldly Mind. But hereupon the Lamb grows angry as a Lion, rebukes his Impudence, and removes him out of his preſence &c. ſome ſay that our Saviour paſſed through all theſe three ſharp Tentations in one Day… time. See more largely hereof in my Church Hiſtory from Page 304, to Page 320, 321.