THE SECOND SERMON ON THE EPIPHANY. SERMON S. MATTHEW ii. 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. "Joy," and "great joy," and "exceeding great joy!" What is the matter? Truly, no great matter, one would think— only a star appearing. Who is it then that are so much rejoiced at it? May we not call their wisdom into question Matt. ii. 1.—their joy into dispute? For the men, they were "wise men," I can tell you-wise men from the East, great wise men; and for their rejoicing, it is the wisest action they ever did, because it was the best sight they ever saw, the luckiest aspect they ever beheld in heaven; the happiest star, that thus led them out of the region of darkness into the land of light, that thus conducted them to Christ's abode and presence: the greatest reason in the world to be glad at. Ye hear much talk of a late star or comet, and much ado about it, but no "great joy," as I can hear. It comes, they tell us, upon a sad errand, is sent to us with heavy tidings: no such but is, that I believe; though I have no confidence of their wisdom, that pretend to tell us its intent and business. But those "they" in the text, I know were truly wise, because the letter tells us so; especially guided and directed into the knowledge and meaning of the star they are so glad at. And the star comes with the best news XIX. that ever came; is but a ray of the Star of Jacob; the SERMON morning star to usher in the Sun of Righteousness, or our usher to him. Other stars do commonly but befool their students, delude their observers, and make them sad: this makes us wise, and glad, and glad to salvation too. The other too often tend from Christ, cause men to forget him, take away the faith and trust that is due to him, to put it to a wandering planet, its aspect and position: this brings us to him-brings us to Jesus and his holy habitation. And because it does so, we will look upon it and be glad, follow it and be "exceeding" glad. For to us still the "star" shines, and we may see it in the Spirit, in the spiritual sense and meaning; and, indeed, that is the best, the only seeing. The eye of sense could not in these Magi, that saw it then in being, cannot in us, that see it now only in the notion, work the joy the text expresses. There was an inward light that made the outward then so comfortable; the mere light of a star, though never so glorious, could never else have done it, cannot now, if it should appear again. It was some internal light and revelation then concerning it made them so glad, will make us as glad as they, if we so look upon it as well as they. And they and we are but the same, of the same stock and kin, Gentiles both, both equally concerned in the "star” and in the joy; they only the first-fruits, we the lump; they saw it in the heavens, we see it in the word; a thing as clear and firm, every ira of it, as the heavens, and we as much reason as they had to be glad. So both the sum and division of the text will be comprehended in these two particulars: the ground of their joy and ours, and the extent of it. The ground and occasion of their joy and ours, what they did then, what we are still to rejoice in. "When they saw the star they rejoiced;" when we see it, we must do so too. The extent and measure of this rejoicing, both theirs and ours; joy in the positive; great it was, if compared with other joy, above other joy, in the comparative; and exceeding great joy, the greatest joy in the superlative, as high as may be: "They rejoiced with exceeding great joy." The "star," any star or light that leads unto Christ,-is SERMON Acts xiv. 27. 16.] a just occasion and ground of joy; and when such an one we have, when such an one we see, we cannot be too glad, we cannot exceed, though it be exceeding. This the sum, these the particulars of the text. I begin with the ground of our joy and theirs, that we may rejoice the more, that our joy may be the greater when we see how great the ground is that their joy was not for nothing; nor will ours be, if it be for nothing but what theirs was. Yet before we enter upon either, it is requisite we consider the persons, look upon them before we look upon the "star;" that we may see how this "they" may become "we;" how we are interested either to look or rejoice with them. The first verse tells us who they were: wise men from the East." Four points we may have thence, and all so many grounds of joy. 1. Gentiles they were: and that to them a door is [Matt. iv. opened" unto life,-that "to them that sat in darkness and the shadow of death, light is here sprung up," is a good ground of joy to such the light is comfortable. And to us also upon the same account; for " we were Gentiles," nay, Eph. v. 8. and "darkness" too. Good reason to rejoice, that now we are not, that we are come into the light. 10. 2. If Gentiles, then sinners, too. I know not then who can be out; for if Heaven, notwithstanding our sin and wickedness, vouchsafe so to look upon us, nor they nor we, nobody sure, but must needs be glad. 3. Great men they were; foretold in the Psalm under the Ps. lxxii. notion of "the kings of Arabia and Saba bringing gifts." This is more cause of joy than you would think at first. 1 Cor. i. 26. S. Paul's "Not many noble, not many mighty are called," were enough to startle and amaze the rich and great men of [Matt. xix. the world; and, "How hard is it for a rich man to enter 23.] into the kingdom of heaven!"- our Saviour's words-might very well trouble us, spoil all our mirth, all our joys, but for this, that the Magi, great princes, and rich and honourable, have an interest in Christ's star, for all that, as well as any. 4. They were learned too. Magi, "wise men," is the name the story gives them. And the Apostle's "not many wise, not many learned," again might well amaze us, and make us more than sad, but for this "they,"—that such as they are not yet such but that they may come one day to see stars under them, and in the mean time have their part and portion in the "star" that leads to Christ. A sound cause of joy,-that however the new lights count of princes and great and learned men, as enemies to Him whose this "star" was, yet this "star" shines to them too, them before any; was lighted up for them above all the rest. Shepherds, and women, and ignorant people are not to be taught or led by stars; they understand not their voice and language; that is for the wise and learned, to guide them. Mean and ordinary capacities must have other ways, other guides and lanterns to lead them to Christ. Thus, from the persons we have four grounds of the great joy we hear, that neither heathen ignorance, nor heathen learning, nor honour, nor greatness-neither great temptations nor great sinfulness, no condition or quality, how sad or cumbersome-but this "star" rises for, and is ready to attend into the presence of Christ; all may have a portion in the "star" and in the "joy." And good reason we have to rejoice for ourselves and our relations, that no persons or condition is debarred it. Proceed we yet deeper into the grounds of this joy. Three there are that they we speak of saw :-(1.) Saw somewhat to speak of; (2.) Saw the star; (3.) Saw it at that time, when they were even at a loss, had but a while before quite lost the sight; that is, "when they saw "it, the time when they saw it in. (1.) The first point is, that see they did; and a point worth noting, that notwithstanding their great distance from Judæa-the only nation that then sat in light, that had the knowledge of his laws-these yet came seeing; that God hath some particular persons all the world over, to whom he hath given eyes to see him. No nation, indeed, no whole people but the Jews, were seeing; yet Job in Uz, and Jethro in Midian, and Rahab in Jericho, and Ruth in Moab, and Ittai in Gath, and the Queen in Sheba, and the widow in Sarepta, and Naaman in Syria,- some in every nation, that could see the light of heaven and rejoice in it. Corporal sight, then, of the eye is one of the greatest SERMON XIX. XIX. SERMON temporal comforts our life is capable of; we lose the chiefest of joy and pleasure of a mortal life, when we are deprived of that. It is worth rejoicing, then, worthy rejoicing in the Lord too, that that we have; that we can see, that we are not blind. But there is a spiritual and immaterial eye, and seeing with it-the eye of faith, and our believing by it-that is far beyond the bodily sight and seeing; it is that by which Heb. x. 38. "we live;" it is that only by which we truly see heaven, or behold stars; that is a great ground of joy. Especially if we add hope to it, the other eye of the Spirit, that pierceth within the veil, that sees all the joys and pleasures of beatitude with affection and delight; that does, as it were, bring heaven home into not our eyes only but our bosoms. The hope of heaven, and heaven's happiness, how glad and jocund will it make the heart! more than when the corn and wine and oil increase; a better sight by it, than all the riches and pleasures of the earth, all the profit and assistance of it, all the beauties and glory of it, can afford us. This sight of hope, and that of faith, were they the "wise men" had. It was thus they saw the star;" believed it was the star of the Messias, the only guide to their new-born Saviour, their convoy to him; and that such an one there was, they should come to by and by; this they saw by the eye of faith. Thereupon they proceed to hope, to see their hopes also in him; hope ere long to be admitted to the sight and service of him; hope this star will now bring even them to its Master, and give them a place hereafter with him among the stars, that they may one day shine in glory like them. Thus you see videntes will easily enough be brought home to us. We, even at this day, thus see the "star" by the two eyes of faith and hope; believe what here they saw, that such a thing there was a star lighted up on purpose to lead the Gentiles to Christ; hope what here they felt within them, some spiritual ray and guidance to him; both believe and hope that as an outward visible star there was to them, so an inward and invisible star still there will be to us, by the light of which we may all come to the knowledge of |