of a king, without thinking of a rival; and DISC. therefore he immediately projected a plan XII. for the destruction of the new born prince.

For this end, he fummoned a council of the chief priests and elders, and demanded of them, where Chrift fhould be born? Their lips were intended to preserve knowlege; and they did fo. They answered, In Bethlehem of Judea; and cited their authority from the prophet Micah. They gave true information, and directed others aright, though they went not themselves. Herod enquired concerning Chrift, as many do concerning his religion, in order not to revere and obey, but to oppofe and destroy.

The Magi, having now obtained the defired information, proceeded to Bethlehem; and, left their ardour fhould be damped by any doubt, lo, the ftar which they faw in the east, and which, therefore, had difappeared for a time, again "went before "them, till it came and stood over where "the young child was." The fight of their

VOL. I.

A 2

XII.

DISC. their original and faithful monitor cheered their fpirits, difpelling every anxious and uneafy thought. "When they faw the ftar,

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they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

When their guide had conducted them to their journey's end, we read not that they were at all offended, or disconcerted, at the humble and lowly ftate in which they found the heaven-proclaimed king. The queen of Sheba came from far to hear the wisdom, and see the glory of Solomon. She accordingly heard his wifdom, and faw his glory; both beyond even her highraised expectation. Thefe men came from far, to behold the King of the Jews. But in his appearance there was neither beauty, nor glory, that they fhould defire, or admire him. They faw, they heard nothing, but figns of poverty and weakness. Great, furely, was their faith; and greater, one is tempted to think, must have been their knowlege of the divine difpenfations, than we are aware of. Where the ftar refted, there was the person whom they had been directed

XII.

directed to feek. They therefore entered, DISC. and adored; and the Gentiles acknowleged him, whom the Jews difowned and rejected. They offered to him the richest productions of the country from whence they came; fuch things as were moft precious, and of higheft ufe and fignification in ornamenting and exalting the fervices of the temple and altar. All they (fays Ifaiah) "from Sheba fhall come; they fhall bring

gold and incenfe, and," by fo doing,

they fhall fhew forth the praises of the "Lord "," while they thus devote themfelves and their fubftance to his fervice. And fince the eastern Magi, as hath been before obferved, are upon this occafion to be confidered by us as the delegates and deputies of the heathen world, the history of their journey and their oblations speaks the fame language with that employed by St. John in the Revelation, concerning the Chriftian church. "And the nations of "them that are faved fhall walk in the

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light of it; and the gates of it fhall not

XII.

DISC." be shut at all; and the kings of the "earth do bring their glory and honour " into it."

Some reflections on the subject naturally offer themselves, in the way of application.

And first, Let us evermore, on this re

turning festival, give thanks unto our Lord God, for the revelation of that great myftery of mercy, the restoration of the Gentiles to the church, from which they had been, for fo many ages, excluded; rather should we say, they had excluded themfelves. The unhappy prodigal voluntarily left his father's houfe, the door of which was ftill open, whenever he fhould be difposed to return, and re-enter. But the time was long, ere he came to himself, and thought of being again received into the family of the faithful. No fooner was that the cafe, than the Father, as if he had all along been looking out, in hope and expectation of his child, faw him while he

9 Rev. xxi. 24.

was

XII.

was yet a great way off, ran to meet him, DISC. embraced him with a parent's tenderness, brought him into his house, made a feast for him, and commanded that no voice fhould be heard but that of joy and gladnefs, because he that had been loft was now found; he that had been dead was alive again!" O fing unto the Lord a

new song; fing unto the Lord, all the "earth. Sing unto the Lord, blefs his

name: shew forth his falvation from day "to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. "For the Lord is great, and greatly to be

praised; he is to be feared above all

gods. For all the gods of the nations "are idols: but the Lord made the hea❝vens. Honour and majefty are before "him ftrength and beauty are in his fanctuary!"

Secondly, it may be remarked, that the perfons who came as at this time to Bethlehem, were the learned of their country,

• Pf. xcvi. I, &c.

men