Simeon in his glad arms the child he takes With tears of joy, and thus his silence breaks: Lord let thy servant now in peace depart Whose aged eyes have seen what joys his heart.

CHRIST PRESENTED.

For the universal globe prepar'd,
To be alike by all the faithful shar'd;
A light to gentiles, who in darkness dwell,
The glory and the pride of thy lov'd Israel.

"SIMEON took him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation; which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles; and the glory of thy people Israel.' (Luke ii. 28, &c.)

Simeon dwelt in Jerusalem, and was eminent for his piety and communion with God. He waited for the consolation of Israel; that is, for the coming of the Messiah, in whom alone the nation of Israel would find consolation. He was long in coming, and those who believed he would come, continued wait

ing and hoping for it. The Holy Ghost was upon Simeon, not only as a Spirit of holiness, but as a Spirit of prophecy. He was searching what manner of time the Spirit of Christ in the Old Testament prophets did signify, and whether it were not now at hand; and he received this oracle, that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah, the Lord's Anointed. Those, and those only, can look death in the face without terror, who have had a sight of Jesus Christ by faith.

When Christ was presented, Simeon came, by direction of the Spirit, into the temple. The same Spirit that had provided for the support of his hope, now provided for his joy. Simeon " took him up in his arms." He was promised that he should see Christ, but more is done-he has him in his arms! Hereupon, he blessed God, and said, "Lord,

now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace."

Simeon had a pleasant prospect concerning himself, and rose above the love of life, and fear of death. He blessed God that he saw that salvation in his arms, which many prophets and kings desired to see, and could not. Here is a confession of his faith, that this Child in his arms was the Saviour, the salvation itself, the salvation of God's appointing. It is a farewell to this world. Now mine eyes have been blessed with this sight, let them see no more in this world.' How poor does this world appear to one that hath Christ in his heart, and salvation in his view! It is a welcome to death; "Now let thy servant depart." Death is the soul's departure out of the body, from the world of sense to the world of spirits. We must not depart till God gives us our discharge, for

we are his servants, and must not quit his service till his own appointed time.

O how comfortable is the death of a good man! He departs as God's servant from the place of his toil, to that of his eternal rest. He departs in peace; peace with God, peace with his own conscience, in peace with death. What is the ground of this comfort? "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

This shows a believing expectation of a happy state after death, through this salvation he now had a sight of; which not only takes away the terror of death, but makes it a real gain to all true believers. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; Yea, saith the Spirit; that they may rest from their labours." (Revelation xiv. 13.)