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DISCOURSE XV.

SAINT LUKE, ii. 46.

AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AFTER THREE DAYS THEY FOUND HIM IN THE TEMPLE, SITTING IN THE MIDST OF THE DOCTORS, BOTH HEARING THEM, AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS.

As this particular of the life of our blessed Lord is not, perhaps, always rightly understood, I shall make a few remarks upon it, and endeavour to set it in a clear light: after which, I purpose to make a few practical observations, on this passage of Holy Scripture.

It is well known, that the Jewish children were circumcised, as the children of Christian parents are baptized, in their infancy. By circumcision, they entered into covenant with God; as we do into a better covenant, by baptism. God permitted the children of the Israelites to be thus early received into covenant with him, when they could neither perform, nor

understand, any thing of this covenant; upon a presumption, that, as they grew up, their parents and friends would instruct them in its nature; would teach them the duties of the law; and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And can we reasonably imagine, that the Almighty is less gracious, to the children of Christian parents? Or, that he will withhold from infants, under the new law, the blessings of his covenant, to which he admitted them under the old? In the first age of the Gospel, when sometimes the husband was converted to Christianity without the wife, or the wife without the husband, Saint Paul tells us, that, if either of them were a believer, their children were holy; "for the unbelieving husband," saith he, "is sanctified by the wife; and the unbelieving wife, is sanctified by the husband: else, were your children unclean, but now are they holy."* Now, if the children were not unclean but holy, when only one of the parents was a Christian, we may assuredly gather, that the children are not less holy, when they have the happiness to be born of parents who are both Christians; as the church charitably supposes all those to be, who profess themselves Christians. But what is this holi* 1 Cor. vii. 14.

ness, which Saint Paul ascribes to the children of believing parents? When he says they are holy, he must mean, that their persons are so far holy, that they may be brought and offered to God; and may be received into his congregation, and into the flock of Christ, by baptism. And the argument which is drawn, from these words of Saint Paul, in favour of infant baptism, seems to be unanswerable.

When the Jewish children were of years to understand, what was meant by the covenant of God, into which they were entered by circumcision, they then came under the yoke of the law that is, they were then bound to observe and do, what God had commanded by Moses, as far as belonged to their age and condition. One of which commandments was, that every male should appear, three times a year, before the Lord, at his temple; which, from the time of Solomon, was fixed in Jerusalem. There were synagogues throughout Judea, where the people met together for the public worship of God, on ordinary Sabbath days. But, at the three great and solemn seasons of the Passover, the feast of Pentecost, and that of Tabernacles, they were to assemble together in Jerusalem, and there do homage to God, their King. This was a service more peculiarly incumbent on the males, for the

commandment reached no farther; yet devout women did also attend it, when health and opportunity were not wanting. Now religious parents, such as Joseph and the blessed virgin Mary were, began to bring their male children under the yoke of the law, in this point of appearing before the Lord in Jerusalem, when they were about twelve years old. And this is the reason, why Saint Luke, having told us, that "his parents went to Jerusalem every year, at the feast of the Passover," then adds, "And when he," the blessed Jesus, "was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast:" desirous, no doubt, having so far "performed all things according to the law of the Lord," respecting this wonderful child, to observe, also, the usage customary with devout Jewish parents, by presenting him, at that age, in the Lord's temple. But since it was needful, that they who were entered into the practice of God's ordinances, should understand for what reason they practised them, the doctors gave their attendance in an apartment belonging to the temple, both to examine, and instruct, the young persons that were brought to them. The doctors sat on seats that were higher raised; and the children on benches below them: to which manner of scholars sitting before their

masters, Saint Paul alludes, when he says, he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. The doctors sat round about, and the children in the middle space; and in this manner it was, that the blessed Jesus was found sitting in the midst of the doctors. Thus were the young hearers instructed, in the meaning and nature of the law of God; and, besides answering the questions proposed to them by their instructors, they had liberty to ask such questions, as tended to clear up their difficulties, and improve their minds in religious knowledge. Of this sort, were the inquiries made by the blessed Jesus, when he was found sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. For, though the Holy Spirit of God, which was afterwards given to him without measure, did, even then, so enlighten, as well as sanctify, his mind, as was never done to any child of man before; yet, he still acted and spoke, as became those tender years, to which a meek and humble modesty is an especial ornament. We are not, therefore, to suppose, as perhaps some may imagine, that, by his questions, he was endeavouring to puzzle the masters in Israel, and to show before company that he was wiser than the aged. Such a design was far from him, who, throughout his whole life, sought not his own glory, but the glory of