CHAPTER VI: Christ called a Nazarite though not born in that city
Yea, and to view how all things meet yet more fully, as Samson was from his conception proclaimed a Nazarite, and the eminent type of Christ in this of his, so as in allusion thereunto, the word which Jeremiah there useth of Christ's conception hath an eye unto
Samson, his type herein. It is not simply that a woman shall conceive a man, but Gebar, a strong man, that strong man of whom the strongest man that ever the world had, Samson, was but a shadow, a man filled with strength to overcome all our enemies, and to lift hell gates off their hinges, and to carry them up the mountains, as Samson did. Thus much for the second thing.
CHAPTER VI
How God wisely ordered it that the Jews should call Christ a Nazarite, though he was not really born in that city.
The next thing to be noticed is, that God having in these types foretold he should be a Nazarite; and also in his wise disposement forelaid it, that an inhabitant of Nazareth, and a Nazarite devoted to be more eminently holy and a saviour, should by one and the same word be signified in vulgar use; yet further stand and admire that wonderful providence of his, whereby he brought it about that the Jews themselves should upon occasion of this city come unawares to give him this name, so to fulfil the prophecies which themselves read and understood not.
Let it be, 1, considered, that our Christ was not to take up the outward legal and ceremonial profession of a Nazarite among the Jews, which his forerunner John Baptist and Samson did. No; as he professed not himself to be legally a priest, that is, after the order of Aaron, so nor to be a Nazarite, having a vow upon him according to the tenor of their law, but came secretly and unknown to fulfil the substance and reality of both. Now how should this name then come vulgarly to be given him? No other way but by his having had his
known and constant abode from his infancy in that city Nazareth.
Then, 2. Consider how contingent a thing that was to fall on't.* The seat of the seed and progeny of David by inheritance, and according to their genealogy, was Bethlehem by Jerusalem, far removed from Nazareth in Galilee. But Herod then reigning, who was jealous of all that might pretend to be heirs of that crown he then wore, these the true heirs,
Joseph and Mary, were forced to skulk and retire themselves to these remoter parts of Galilee, as the seat of their dwelling; and hence it fell out that this his conception fell out to be in Nazareth. Well but,
3. That his conception (so secret a matter) was at Nazareth, the Jews ordinarily would not have known or considered; nor was it (as it is not) the manner of men to give the name of one's country to the place he was conceived. Yea, God ordered that so as, had not Matthew related it, the Jews nor we would never have heeded it; for as soon as she had conceived, the angel having told her, to the end to confirm her faith, that her cousin Elisabeth, who had been so long barren, had also conceived a son: Luke 1:36, 'And, behold, thy cousin
Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren;' it is said at ver. 39, 40,
'That Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill-country with haste, into a city of Juda; and entered into the house of zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.' And this they did to rejoice and congratulate each the other. But this performed, Mary returned to Nazareth, as intending to lie in there, but was just against the time of her delivery hurried to Bethlehem, by reason of a decree that came forth from Augustus the emperor, 'that all the world should be taxed,' Luke 2:1.
And the law of that nation was, as ver. 3, 'All went to be taxed, every one into his own city.' Hence therefore it came to pass, as ver. 4, 5,
'That Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem
(because he was of the house and lineage of David), to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.' And this providence was to fulfil the prophecy of the place of his birth at Bethlehem;
which yet not being their constant place of abode, and his coming thither but transient, it still cast a blind amongst the Jews, that though he was so born at Bethlehem, they accounted him as a constant inhabitant of the other place Nazareth. For we read, ver. 39, that 'when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.'
Well but, 4, there is yet a far greater contingency falls out, utterly to prevent his being called a Nazarite from this city, though hitherto the city of his parents' abode. For unless they had abode there, and he with them the greater part of his life, the Jews had never come to have given him this name. Herod being disappointed by the wise men to bring him word of the town where he was born, meant to make the most exact inquiry after this child, that the power and sagacity of so subtle a king could make, to find him out to destroy him. And, lo, no sooner was Joseph returned to his city Nazareth,
Mat. 2:13, but 'an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.' Which indeed further strengthens the point in hand, and shews him to have been that true Nazarite, of whom
Joseph was the type, in this respect, that when young he was driven into Egypt, as Christ also was. And then again in his return, to fulfil another prophecy spoken of by Hosea, 'Out of Egypt have I called my
Son,' Mat. 2:15. But when in Egypt Joseph's heart was weaned from Nazareth, which was a place of his abode but out of necessity and fear of Herod. And the angel having told him that 'they were dead which sought the child's life,' he came, as is evident by ver. 22, with a purpose to go into Judea; but hearing that Archelaus, and not his brother Herodias, had obtained the rule thereof, and knowing him to be bloody as his father, it is said, ver. 22, 'But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither.' And then also being over and above this fourth time 'warned' (as it follows) 'by God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee,' clean beyond his intention and inclination. And upon this occasion, and this alone, it was that, as it follows, 'He came
and dwelt in a city called Nazareth,' and so from that time made his constant abode there; that by this means this 'might be fulfilled' (we have all this while been treating of) 'which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarite.'
For, lastly, upon this occasion, this city being now his continued seat of his education and life till he was thirty years old, the Jews who inquired, and were curious and diligent enough, and did know from whence he came, they out of scorn and malice did give him this title,
Jesus, 'Jesus the Nazarite,' or 'of Nazareth.' And this they gave him in contempt, as being in their account a base and unworthy place, so barren, as it was a proverb among them, 'Can any good come out of Nazareth?' And the devil, he stirred them up to it, himself (say some) first giving him that title, Mark 1:24; howsoever he with the first seconds it; and he did it on purpose to divert the thoughts of the Jews from inquiring after his birth at Bethlehem, they all cried it up to have been at Nazareth. Then it was generally given out thus by the people, Mark 10:47, Luke 18:37; and as his fame grew, this name spread also. And that it was out of scorn appears also by this, that as Tertullian saith, unto his time they called the Christians Nazarites, as also Galileans. But lo, what Satan and the Jews designed out of the greatest malice, God made use of the malice of man to attribute to him one of the greatest characters of his being the Messiah, which was to be a Nazarite, and holy unto God by a vow from his conception, which had been wrought also in that city. Thus also he ordered Caiaphas, out of malice, to say, 'One man must die for the people,' to hold forth a just acknowledgment, that Christ by his death should be the saviour of that people, and of all the elect of God in the world. He ordered Pilate to say, and not recall it, that he was 'King of the Jews,' which he did in scorn; but God thereby proclaimed him his king to all the world in these three general languages, Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.
Some object against this interpretation given, that it is nowhere written he should be called a Nazarite; nay, nor were Joseph and Samson so called.
The answer is, that these two phrases in Scripture are all one, 'to be,' and 'to be called.' So when it is said, 'He shall be called the Son of the Most High;' that is, 'He shall be the Son of the Most High.' 'He shall be called the Lord our righteousness.' And so it was true both of Samson and Joseph, that they were Nazarites, and are expressly said to be separated; and it is more true of Christ, that he was such.
Again it is objected, that Matthew says 'by the prophets;' whereas Moses, that wrote Joseph's story and the law, is distinguished from the prophets; nor was he that wrote the story of Sampson, in Judges, a prophet: and therefore this allusion cannot be to these.
The answer is easy.
1. That although in stricter sense only they are termed prophets that wrote those books of prophecy, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the small prophets, hence you read of Moses, the law, and the prophets, as distinguished; yet again, in other scriptures, the title of prophet is given to all the sacred writers of the Old Testament. 2 Pet. 1:19, the whole is termed 'a word of prophecy.' And ver. 20, 21, it is styled
'prophecy of the scripture,' as inspired by the Holy Ghost; so as all scripture, inspired immediately by the Holy Ghost, is termed prophecy: so Heb. 1:1 'God spake in old time by the prophets,' and then cites the books of Samuel and Chronicles; ver. 5, 'I will be to him a Father,' &c.; Acts 3:24. Samuel, who wrote a story, is termed a prophet; and all the writers of Scripture from his time are termed prophets; and, ver. 21, all are called holy prophets, which have been since the world began.
2. And as to this particular, the thing in hand, it is evident that both Jacob and Moses, whilst they spake this of Joseph the type of Christ, were then a-prophesying as truly as any of the prophets. Jacob professeth so to do in the beginning of his speech, Gen. 49:1, 'That I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.' And as evident it is that Moses, in that his repetition of Joseph's being separated from his brethren, Deut. 33:16, did then also by the spirit of prophecy