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saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." (Matthew ii. 16, 17, 18.)

Imagination can hardly conceive, still less can the pen describe, the horrors of such a scene; but the history of Herod, his cruel deeds, and still more cruel purposes, show that there was nothing too vile for this wretched man to perpetrate.

In a few months after Herod had murdered the innocents, his wickedness and

atrocious cruelties were visited by a most painful and loathsome disease, which terminated in his wretched and miserable death.

After the end of this cruel tyrant, "behold. an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel." (ver. 19, 20, 21.)

God had graciously sent Joseph into Egypt for shelter, and there he remained till the same Almighty was pleased to order him thence. Could we but look upon this world as our Egypt, the place of our bondage, and to heaven as our only Canaan, our home, and our eternal rest, we should

readily arise, and depart thither when we are called for, as Joseph did out of Egypt. Joseph had further instructions from God where to fix his abode in the land of Israel. These directions Joseph received in a dream, probably as before, by the ministration of an angel. Truly we may say, what a succession of enemies there has been, and we fear is still, raised up against our LORD and SAVIOUR and his church! For this reason, Joseph was not to take the young child into Judea; but they turned aside into the parts of Galilee, and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth. There they continued, and from thence our Saviour was called Jesus of Nazareth, which was to the Jews a stumbling-block; "that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." (Matthew ii. 23.)

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Through Judah's fertile wild the Baptist came, And the Messiah's kingdom did proclaim; He comes, he comes, prepare aloud he cry'd, Fill every vale. low'r every mountain's pride.

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