Ver. 5. And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judea, &c. They knew from the prophet Micah that Christ must be born there. Before his coming the point was clear to them beyond contradiction; but, when they found he did not answer their expectations by appearing among them as a temporal prince, this circumstance was no longer regarded. See what worldly hearts can do to wrest the truth from us, and darken the plainest passages of Scripture! Ver. 8. That I may come and worship him also.-Herod stands upon record for his craft and policy to get and preserve his kingdom, and we have a flagrant instance of it in this chapter. Thy heart abhors his cruelty; but dost thou worship the child Jesus in truth and sincerity ? Vér. 9. And lo, the star which they saw in the East, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. God, who brought them out of their country by the guidance of this star, would not leave his work unfinished, but lighted it up again exactly over the place where it was intended to bring them. Depend upon it, he will do as much for thy soul, and, if thou art in the way to Jesus, thou shalt be directed where to find him. .66 Ver. 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. They knew, and felt in their hearts, what the angel said to the shepherds, that the birth of this child should be glad tidings of great joy to all people." When we know what Christ is to us, that he delivers from death, sets our feet in the way of peace, reconciles us to God, and makes us fit for God, we shall know where to look for our joy, and keep a steady eye upon the light which guides us to him. - Ver. 11. They fell down and worshipped him. Happy, happy time, when we can fall down in humble adoration of him for his love to us, and with earnest desire to experience his power in us! And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.—I suppose the usual presents to princes; or, certainly, what were esteemed the choicest gifts and greatest tokens of respect. What farther mystery there may be in the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, I know not. They seem to point to Isaiah, lx. 6. One thing is plain, those who are of ability should open their treasures to him; and all should honour him with what he most values, the offering of their affections. Ver. 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod. God foresaw that the consequence of their not returning to Herod would be the massacre of a great number of infants. Let us bow down before him in a most profound sense of our ignorance, and of his sovereign power, as Lord of life and death. He is wise and good in all his providences; and the child Jesus must be preserved, at any rate, to do the work for which he came into the world. If he had died then, we should all have been lost. Ver. 15. Out of Egypt have 1 called my Son. Hosea, ii. 1. It seems as if this was spoken upon another occasion, and of a thing past, viz. of God's calling or bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt. And so we should have thought, if St. Matthew had not told us that it was a prophecy, and what Son was chiefly intended in it. Ver. 16. Sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under.— Knowing Christ to be under that age, and resolving that he should not escape. His craft forsook him; he should have gone, or sent, at first with the wise men to Bethlehem; now he was too late for his purpose. If we are God's children, we may be sure that he is always watching over us for good. Ver. 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, &c.—It is generally supposed that this prophecy had not the murder of the children at Bethlehem in view; and therefore all that St. Matthew means by quoting it is, that it was remarkably applicable to this event, though originally intended of some other. I do not know this. St. Matthew seems to speak otherwise. Many of the prophecies are of large extent; and certainly the Spirit speaking by him is a better interpreter of them than we can pretend to be. Ver. 22. Being warned of God a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. Observe how Joseph was directed, from time to time, what to do for the preservation of his precious charge. Cleave to God in all your straits, and he will direct you, though not in a dream: you may trust him in the dark. It is making an excellent use of Scripture to remark the workings of Providence in it, to know it is the same God that ruleth in the earth, and that all events are always in his hands, though we are not now told in what manner he conducts them to his own ends. Ver. 23. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" said Nathaniel, John, i. 46. Christ, by being educated and living there, was subject to this reproach; and thus the prophecies, which speak of him as a despised man, were fulfilled. O Jesus, thou wast persecuted from thy birth, and exposed to every kind of disgrace for our sakes: let us be contented and willing to be despised for thine; that 1 following thee to glory, through meekness, patient suffering, and contempt of the world, we may be exalted with thee, and for thy sake. LECTURE. My friends, endeavour to improve by what you have heard to-day; resolve to be the better for all you read and hear; consider it carefully; and beg of God, without which all your reading and hearing will be in vain, to give you the right understanding of it, and grace to apply it to your hearts. For example, When Jesus was born, &c. Stop, do not read on till you have asked yourself a necessary question - Why was Jesus, the eternal Son of God, born into the world? Why did he stoop to take our flesh, and become a man like ourselves, sin excepted? It was to be " Immanuel, God with us, to save his people from their sins," as you can answer from the foregoing chapter. Then it is clear as the sun at noon-day, that we are all sinners, and must all of necessity be saved from our sins; and that none but he can be Immanuel, God with us, to save us. Now, can you come close to your souls with another question or two? Why do I read? What am I told this for, but that I may go to him for salvation from my own sin? What can it signify to me that his name is Jesus, or that all the world is saved by him, if I am not? Lay your hand upon your heart, and say farther, Do I really believe in him, and take him for my Saviour? Do not think and say you do, entertain not any such foolish, presumptuous hope, when it is evident that much the greatest part of you do not, and cannot but know, in your own consciences, that you never came to him for that purpose, with any true knowledge and conviction of your undone state, and want of his salvation. Will you say, in your own defence, that I judge hardly, and charge you falsely? You would not think so if you were in earnest with God for your souls; if ever you had been at searching work with yourselves, you would be glad to be searched more and more, and condemn me if I did not deal plainly and faithfully with you. Let us come to the point: "Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king,” that he might be your Saviour, and be born in your hearts; he was the King of the Jews, that he might be your. King: you read of the wise men from the East being guided to him by a star, that, with the light of Scripture in your hands, you might be guided to him; rejoice: exceedingly, as they did, to find him; fall down and worship him; and present him with what he values above all other gifts, the free-will offering of your hearts. Think of these things one by one; consider all this, and then say, What have you done? Have you been seeking after him, as your treasure and the pearl of great price,as your Jesus, your All? Have you taken him unfeignedly for your Lord and King to reign over you? Do you receive the book of Scripture as a light from heaven to guide you to him, and resolve not to stop short of him? Has he the worship of your hearts and souls, and is it the joy of your lives to think of what he has done for you? Then you read the Scripture diligently, to know, as exactly as you can, what he would have you to do; you pray in secret for the blessings of Jesus; you conscientiously keep the Lord's sabbaths; the sacrament is a feast to you indeed, and you never defraud your souls of that food; then the form of your lives is godly and serious; you think it your great business upon earth to be fashioning yourselves according to the |