rver of the Mosaic law, in conformity to its direction,
annually repaired to Jerusalem to celebrate the passover. Archelaus
being banished by Augustus, and Judaea made a Roman province, he had now
nothing more to fear at Jerusalem. Our Saviour being advanced to the
twelfth year of his age, accompanied his parents thither; who having
performed the usual ceremonies of the feast, were now returning with
many of their neighbors and acquaintance towards Galilee, and never
doubting but that Jesus had joined himself with some of the company,
they travelled on for a whole day's journey without further inquiry
after him, before they discovered that he was not with them. But when
night came on, and they could hear no tidings of him among their kindred
and acquaintance, they, in the deepest affliction, returned with the
utmost speed to Jerusalem: where, after an anxious search of three days,
they found him in the temple, sitting among the learned doctors of the
law, hearing them discourse, and asking them such questions as raised
the admiration of all that heard him, and made them astonished at the
ripeness of his understanding: nor were his parents less surprised on
this occasion. And when his mother told him with what grief and
earnestness they had sought him, and to express her sorrow for that,
though short, privation of his presence, said to him: "Son, why hast
thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I sought thee in great
affliction of mind;" she received for answer, that being the Messias and
Son of God, sent by his Father into the world in order to redeem it, he
must be about his Father's business, the same for which he had been sent
into the world; and therefore that it was most likely for them to find
him in his Father's house: intimating that his appearing in public on
this occasion was to advance his Father's honor, and to prepare the
princes of the Jews to receive him for their Messias; pointing out to
them from the prophets the time of his coming. But though in thus
staying in the temple, unknown to his parents, he did something without
their leave, in obedience to his heavenly Father, yet in all other
things he was obedient to them, returning with them to Nazareth, and
there living in all dutiful subjection to them.

Aelred, our countryman, abbot of Rieval, in his sermon on losing the
child Jesus in the temple, observes that this his conduct to his parents
is a true representation of that which he shows us, wh