of David, and directed to call the child of Mary, Jesus, after he should be born, for this reason, that He should save his people from their sins. Jesus' people are believers in Him of all nations.

His people, would have sins of the deepest dye. Nevertheless they would not be sinners above all other men.

Exactly the reverse of such a thing: for they alone would preserve the likeness of their divine original from utter defacement in the evil days, through which the world must pass to the day of final salvation of his people.

CHAPTER II.

1. Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east 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 worship him.

3. When Herod the king had heard. he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief

priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5. And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet.

This whole conspicuous incident, about a birth of so deep interest to these foreigners, supports the credibility of the other recorded particulars about the same birth.

As pious heathens leaned towards Jerusalem and her people as though in them were bound up the destinies of the human race; so may it be, that other persons think of a quarter of the globe, of a dearth of a light of truth still burning in these far spent days, where Christ should be born: where his restoration should begin, whence it should spread, whence he should triumphantly ride forth to the rescue, ere the tide of evil overwhelm.

The next five verses are omitted here.

9. When they had heard the king, they departed: and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

A reappearance, after disappearance, of the star here implied. The star's settling over a spot on earth so small as a house could not well have been true of one of the far off stars or planets; but could of a brilliant meteor.

10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him, and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts;* gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Perhaps a dwelling of humble pretentions, but yet no longer the stable of the inn. There was no fanatical adherence to repulsive lodgings. It was a house, and we cannot further tell in what description of tenement the Magi found the world's Creator and Redeemer.

There is not so much as a word to Mary. Their minds seem to have been absorbed in the business of paying divine honours to the child only, in whom Divinity resided.

In the remainder of this chapter, there occur three notices, of predictions of the ancient Scriptures having become fulfilled in Christ; whereby, together with other numerous references thereto, that occur in the Gospels Epistles and Revelation, we seem to be sent to

* dupa (see Lev. i. 2., ii. 1) is the Sept. term for sacrificial offerings, although not exclusively, as it is the term for Jacob's presents to Esau (Gen. xxxii. 13 and 18) but then also for gifts propitiatory of his suzerain.

the same Scriptures; to learn diligently still more about Christ and His kingdom.

CHAPTER III.

1. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa,

2. And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of

heaven is at hand.

3. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

It does not appear that John appeared, at all times or in all companies, singularly dressed, nor singular in his diet. He might have conformed to the customs of the desert population whilst he was among them, just as an arctic traveller conformed to snow huts, with repulsive dress and diet, out of a wish to show himself a friend to simple native Esquimaux.

John the Baptist's example here does not

bind Christian ministers nor their disciples; but nevertheless it may edify, by due meditation thereon.

5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judæa, and all the region round about Jordan,

6. And were baptized of him confessing their

sins.

What brought Jerusalem and all Judæa out around the unpretending Baptist, where he was, in the wilderness ? He did not advertise or placard about his intentions.

Perhaps he called meetings of natives and passengers through the country, and energetically set about delivering his message of reformation; and so the crowds increased to the proportions of a nation in search of its Prophet that should come. Are Christians in search of their Lord's second coming, and eager enough, on the theme of His appearing to give the church triumph over all?

John's baptism may be presumed to have had the force attached to it of legal purification; such as a person become unclean through contact of a corpse, &c., was required to obtain by washing (see Num. xix. 19).

7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto