CHAPTER XVI.

THE NEW TESTAMENT.-THE EARLY PART OF THE GOSPEL HISTORY.

I COME now to the most important occurrence in the whole history of the world, namely, the coming of our Saviour. To this great event all the records of the Old Testament more or less pointed; for the history recorded in Scripture is a history of the church of God, and not of the world in general, nor even of any particular nation, except so far as it was a representative of God's church upon earth. Hence, as our Lord's coming was the great topic upon which revelation had the most interesting news to tell, this coming formed really the all-important epoch of the world's history. Prophecies and types also, and services and festivals of the Jews, all spoke, in more or less distinct language, of the coming of one who was to be a

Saviour and a King, and yet who should offer himself a sacrifice, and be despised and rejected of men.

I will endeavour then to give you a brief but connected history of our Lord's coming and life, drawing of course from all the four gospels, and making more especial mention of those incidents which best showed forth his fulfilment of the great ends for which he

came.

The Jews as a nation were somewhat prepared for our Lord's birth. Indeed, we know from profane historians and poets that there was at that time a general impression, even among the heathen world, that there was to arise some great benefactor of the human race, who would bring something like a renewal of the golden age which their poets spoke of. And the very period when our Lord was born was one remarkable for its freedom from wars and commotions; for the Roman empire was actually at peace, a circumstance which had not been known for seven hundred years. Hence men were disposed to have their attention drawn to some new event in the history of religion. And it was no doubt a very great

advantage that the beautiful language of Greece was then so very generally known throughout the civilized world. In fact, it was the second tongue of all educated men, next in familiarity to their mother tongue. One incidental proof of the state of calm prevailing in the world, is furnished by the fact that Cæsar Augustus had issued a decree that all the world, that is, the Roman empire, should be taxed. This taxing was in reality a census; and each individual and family was to be registered at the town from whence the family sprung. This arrangement was instrumental, as you may remember, in bringing about the fulfilment of the prophecy that our Lord should be born in Bethlehem.

However, previous to our Saviour's birth, a prophet, or special messenger, was sent by God to make his way ready, by calling the Jews to a solemn repentance. This prophet, I need hardly tell you, was John the Baptist. He is termed the forerunner of the Saviour, and our Lord said that he was the man who was to fulfil in spirit, though not in the strict letter, the prophecy that Elias or Elijah should come. You may find the prophecy in Malachi, iv. 5.

before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." Now John the Baptist said that he was not Elias, but at the same time he represented Elias, as our Lord himself told his disciples after the transfiguration, of which I shall soon tell you. John the Baptist resembled Elias in the following particulars. He was raised up at a time when religion was in a low state in the land; he lived an austere life in the wilderness; he reproved Herod as Elias reproved Ahab, and he fell a victim to the hatred of a woman in the position of queen, as Elias would have fallen at the hand of Jezebel, had God permitted her to wreak her vengeance upon him.

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The parents of John were a priest and his wife, named Zacharias and Elisabeth; and it is said of them that "they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." They had no children, and had now ceased to expect any. So that when it was told Zacharias by the angel Gabriel that he should have a son, he disbelieved it, and he was very painfully convinced of the authority of Gabriel by being struck dumb, during the time that elapsed from

that hour till some days after the child was born. The angel told him that this son should be called John; and when that name was given to the child contrary to the wishes of the friends, Zacharias' tongue was loosed, and he uttered the song beginning, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel," recorded in Luke, i. 68, etc., and which forms a part of our morning Church Service. It was told to the parents that John should be brought up under a vow of abstinence from strong drink; and it was no doubt in consequence of this rigorous abstemiousness that our Lord alluded to John as follows: "John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil.”

The Baptist was born six months before our Lord, and probably began his ministry about a similar time before our Saviour began; and the main topic of his teaching was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He also warned the people that a time of reckoning at God's hands was near, and that they must not expect to be dealt with as privileged children of Abraham, but be judged according to their doings. And when he said, "Think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our