ed in the duties of their proper calling, and watching by night for the security of their flocks. Who would not gladly have shared in their poverty and fatigue, to have heard with them these good tidings of great joy?

Let us observe with what delight these courtiers of heaven undertook the happy embassy to these lowly mortals. Let us with pleasure attend to the anthem of these benevolent spirits. Far from envying the favour that was done us, they ascribe glory to God for it, and take their part in the joy they give. Let this love of the whole heavenly host to us awaken our love to them, and our longing for that blessed world where we and they shall surround our dearest Redeemer, not in such a form of abasement as that in which he here appeared, but clothed in that celestial lustre with which God hath rewarded the humiliations of the manger and the cross.

In the mean time, let our more intimate concern in this great salvation engage us more cordially to join with these blessed angels in their hallelujahs; ascribing glory to God in the highest for this peace on earth, this good-will towards men, the great fountain of our present tranquillity and future hope! Above all, if Divine Grace hath conquered all the foolish prejudices of our hearts against Christ, and taught us with humble faith to apply. to him, let us, with the shepherds, bless God for the things which have been shewn us, and make it our care to spread abroad the savour of his name, that others may join with us in paying their homage and their praises to him!

SECTION XI.

The purification of Mary: Christ presented in the temple: the testsmony given him by Simeon and Anna. LUKE ii. 22--39.

22

A

ND when the forty days for her purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, the parents of Jesus brought 23 him to Jerusalem to present him before the Lord; according as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every first-born male shall 24 be called holy to the Lord; and to offer a sacrifice, according to what is enjoined in the law of the Lord; a pair of turtle-doves, or two young pigeons.

25

And behold there was at Jerusalem a man whose name was Simeon, and he was a righteous and religious person, waiting for 26 the consolation of Israel;* and the holy Spirit was upon him: and it was revealed unto him that he should not die before he had seen 27 the anointed of the Lord. And he came under the impulse of the Spirit into the temple, when his parents brought the child Jesus that they might do for him according to the custom of the law. 28 And he took him into his arms and praised God, and said, "Now; 29 O Lord, thou dismissest thy servant in peace, according to thy 30 word; for mine eyes have beheld thy salvation, which thou hast

* A phrase frequently used for a description of the Messiah. Isa. xlix. 13. Jer. xxxi. 13. Zech. i. 17.

31 prepared before the face of all people; a light for the illumination 32 of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel."

33

And Joseph and his mother were astonished at those things 34 which were spoken by him. And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, "Behold this [child] is appointed for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a mark of contra35 diction. Yea a dart shall pierce through thine own soul, that the reasonings of many hearts may be disclosed."

36

And there was also one Anna a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very far advanced in years, having lived only seven years with a husband from her virginity: 37 and she had been a widow about eighty-four years; who departed not from the temple; serving [God] with fasting, and prayers, 38 night as well as day. And she coming at that very time, made her acknowledgments to the Lord Jesus, and afterwards spake concerning him to all her acquaintance in Jerusalem that were waiting for the promised redemption.

39

And when they (the parents of Jesus) had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city Nazareth, where he passed the days of his childhood and youth.

REFLECTIONS.

Who can behold the pious Simeon thus welcoming death, whilst he embraced his Saviour, without wishing to pass over the intermediate moments of life to meet so peaceful a dissolution? May we, like him, approve ourselves the faithful servants of God; and then we may hope that, when our dismission comes, we shall share in his serenity and joy!We may comfortably expect it, if our eyes are now opened to behold with wonder and delight the great salvation he has prepared for his people; and if our hearts, with our lips, are frequently praising him for this light which he hath given to lighten the Gentiles, as well as to be the glory of his people Israel.

As such may Christ be universally owned and adored, both by Jews and Gentiles! In the mean time, while he is set up as a mark of contradiction and contempt, let us not be ashamed of him or of his words; but rather let those indignities which are offered to him be as a sword to pierce through our own souls. Let us remember that the gospel, with all the difficulties which attend it, is the great touchstone by which God will try the characters of all to whom it comes. May our ready acceptance of it, and our zealous adherence to that sacred cause, approve the humble sincerity with which we inquire into its evidence; that Christ may not be to us a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, but rather the means of raising us to God and happiness, even to that redemption for which they that wait shall never be ashamed!

Our circumstances in life are various. There are comparatively few who have such leisure for extraordinary devotion as was the privi

* The word_lov seems here to be used for a mark or butt, to shoot or dart at; which finely intimates the deliberate malice and hellish artifice with which the character and person of Christ were assaulted, while he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself. Heb. xii. 3.

lege of the pious Anna. Where it is found, let it be valued and improved! But how great and how many soever our engagements and entanglements in life may be, let the care of our souls be still our chief concern. Let us be serving God, in one sense or another, night and day; with prayers, pouring out our souls before him morning and evening; and at proper seasons adding fasting to prayer, and public solemnities to private retirements!

To conclude; let the example of these aged saints impress and animate those whose hoary heads, like theirs, are a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness. Let those venerable lips, so soon to be silent in the grave, be now employed in shewing forth the praises of their Redeemer. Surely days should speak, and the multitude of years should teach, such wisdom. Such fruit may they produce in old age: and may they have the pleasure to see all these pious attempts most thankfully received by the rising generation, and most gratefully improved by them; that they may quit the world with the greater tranquillity, in the view of leaving those behind them to whom Christ shall be as precious as he hath been to them, and who will be waiting for God's salvation, while they are gone to enjoy it! Amen.

SECTION XII.

The Sages come from the East to inquire after Christ, and being directed by a star to Bethlehem, pay him their homage. MATT.ții. 1—12.

1

OW after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days

Now afted the sima, behold [certain] Sages, wise and learn

ed men called Magi, came from the East country† to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East, and are come to prostrate ourselves before him‡.

3

And king Herod, when he heard [of this] was troubled, and all 4 Jerusalem with him. And when he had assembled all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where 6 it was that the Messiah was to be born. And they said unto him, At Bethlehem in Judea; for so it is written by the prophet (Mi6 cah v. 2.) "And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda art by no

* Probably they were Gentile philosophers who, by a divine influence had been led to improve their knowledge of nature as the means of leading them to that of the one living and true God; and it is reasonable to suppose that he had favoured them with some extraordinary revelations of himself, as he did Melchizedec, Abimelech, Job, and others who did not belong to the Abrahamic family.

I think, with Grotius, they came from Arabia, which is often called the East (Gen. xxv. 6. Job i. 3, &c.) and was famous for gold, frankin cense, and myrrh.

A ceremony of great antiquity, still used to Eastern princes.

7

means the least among the cities of the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come forth a Ruler who shall feed my people Israel*." Then Herod, having secretly called the Sages, got exact infor8 mation from them about what time the star appeared; and sending them to Bethlehem he said, Go and make a very exact inquiry concerning this child, and when you have found him, inform me, 9 that I also may come and pay my homage to him. And having heard the king they departed; and behold the star or meteor† which they had seen in the East, moved on before them, till it 10 came and stood over [the place] where the infant was.

And when they saw the star they rejoiced with joy [which was] exceedingly 11 great. And when they were come into the house, they found the young child with Mary his mother, and falling down they paid him homage, and opened their treasures, and presented him with 12 gold and frankincense and myrrh‡. And being divinely admonished in a dream that they should not go back to Herod, they returned into their own country another way.

REFLECTIONS.

Let us observe, with pleasure, this further honour which God did to his only begotten Son, in ordering a new star to appear as the signal of his birth, and in calling these illustrious persons from afar to pay their early adorations to him. No doubt they thought such a discovery, as brought them to the feet of their infant Saviour, an ample recompense for all the fatigue and expense of such a journey. They were exceedingly transported when they saw the star. So let us rejoice in every thing which may be a mean of leading our souls to Christ, and of disposing us to cast ourselves down before him with humility and self-resignation!

Let us look upon this circumstance of the sacred story as a beautiful emblem of that more glorious state of the Christian church, when the Gentiles shall come to its light, and sages and kings to the brightness of its rising; when the abundance of the sea shall be converted to it, and the wealth of the Gentiles shall be consecrated to its honour. The multitude of camels shall cover it, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah ; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. Isa. lx. 3, 5, 6.

How wonderful was the honour conferred upon so obscure a town as Bethlehem, when it was made thus illustrious among the thousands of Judah! Happy they who consecrate not only their gold and their

* The apostles did not always think it necessary exactly to transcribe the passages they cited from the Old Testament, but gave the general sense. If the above passage be read as an interrogation, Art thou small? it will solve the great difference which there seems to be between the prophet and the evangelist.

I say meteor, because no star could point out a particular house, or even

a town.

It was customary to offer such presents to illustrious persons, and this was a most seasonable, providential assistance to furnish Joseph and Mary for their long and expensive journey into Egypt.

other possessions, but also their souls and their bodies, to that great Ruler, whose office it is to feed and govern the Israel of God; under whose conduct and care they shall receive blessings infinitely more valuable than all the treasures of the East or the West!-But oh, the fatal power of carnal influence on the heart! This engaged Herod to receive the news of a Redeemer's birth with horror; and, with execrable cruelty and vile hypocrisy, to contrive his murder under the specious form of doing him homage. Vain and self-confounding artifice! Let us rejoice in the thought, that there is no understanding, or wisdom, or counsel, against the Lord; no scheme so artfully disguised that he cannot penetrate it, or so politicly formed that he cannot with infinite ease confound it.

To what perplexity and grief might these Sages have been brought had they been made even the innocent instruments of an assault on this Holy Child! But God delivered them from such an alarm, and happily guided their return; so that, through his care and favour, they carried home, in the tidings of the new-born Messiah, far richer treasures than they had left behind. Thus shall they, who in all their ways acknowledge God, by one method or another, find that he will graciously direct their paths.

SECTION XIII.

The flight into Egypt, the slaughter of the infunts, and the settlement of the holy family at Nazareth. MATT. ii. 13-23.

13

A

ND when they (viz. the wise men) were departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Rise up and take the infant and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and continue there till I shall give thee notice to return ; for Herod is about to search after the young child to destroy him. 14 And rising immediately he took the infant and his mother by night 15 and withdrew into Egypt. And they continued there till the death of Herod, that what was spoken of the Lord by the prophet on another occasion (Hos. xi. 1.) might be fulfilled anew, "Out of Egypt have I called my Son."

16

Then Herod, seeing that he was deluded* by the Sages, was exceedingly enraged, and sent forth a band of murderers, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the confines of it, from their entrance upon the second year and under, according to the time of which he had got exact information from 17 the sages. Then that was fulfilledt which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet (xxxi. 15.) saying, “In Ramah there was a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and abundant mourning, as

*Literally, played with.

†This can be only an allusion, for these lamented persons were not slain (see v. 17.) a sure argument that a passage, whether prophetical or not, may in the language of the New Testament be said to be fulfilled, when an event happens to which it may be accommodated.