7. Why did they go to Jerusalem? A. Because it was the chief city of the Jews, the residence of their most learned men, and they there expected to hear of him who was to be their king.

8. What effect had these events upon Herod? A. He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.—v. 3.

9. Why was he troubled? A. Because he feared lest the new king might deprive him of his kingdom.

10. Why was Jerusalem or the inhabitants of Jerusalem troubled? A. They were apprehensive of the consequences of any attempt at a change of government.-John

xi. 48.

11. What did he, in the first instance? A. He gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, to consult with them.-v. 4.

12. What question did he ask them? A. He demanded of them where Christ should be born.

13. What did they answer? A. In Bethlehem of Judea.

—v. 5.

14. How did they know it was in Bethlehem? A. Because it was foretold that should be his birth-place, by the prophet Micah, where he says, And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel. Micah v. 2.—v. 6.

15. Who were the scribes? A. Expounders of the law, men whose business it was to explain the Scriptures to the people.

16. What steps did Herod then take? A. He called the wise men privily, and inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.-v. 7.

17. Why did he call them privily? A. Because he feared, if it were known that he was acquainted with the child's birth, that his parents might conceal him until he grew to manhood.

18. What did he desire them to do? A. He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the

amongst the inhabitants of the eastern countries. Esther iii. 8. Tacitus, L. v. p. 621. Suet. in vita Vesp. c. 4. Vide Acts ii. 9. It has been supposed by many that the wise men learned this respecting the star from the prophecy of Balaam, Numb. xxiv. 17.

young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.—v. 8.

19. Did Herod really intend to come and worship the child? A. No, he wished to destroy him: but he told this to the wise men, to induce them to return to him, and communicate where the child was.

20. Besides the sin of intending to kill an innocent child, what other crime did Herod commit against God, in this matter? A. He knew the child's coming upon earth was decreed by God, and therefore it was setting himself against his Maker, thus to endeavour to frustrate his wise intentions.

21. How did the wise men discover the young child? A. The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was 1.

22. Were they glad when they saw the star? A. Yes, they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy.-v. 10.

23. When they had come into the house, and saw the young child, with Mary his mother, what did they do? A. They fell down, and worshipped him '.-v. 11.

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24. In what sort of house was our Lord born? A. In a stable, in a manger. Luke ii. 7.

25. What did they present to him? A. They opened their treasures, and presented unto him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh 3.

26. What are 66 frankincense and myrrh ?" A. They are kinds of gum used for perfume or incense, the most valuable commodities of those countries where they lived.

27. Did they obey Herod's directions, and bring him word when they had found the young child? A. No; they departed to their own country another way, and did not return to Jerusalem, where Herod was *.

1 Hence we may conclude that this star was not like a common star, but was a luminous meteor that moved in the heavens to guide the Magi.

2 Vide Matt. xii. 6. Ques. 111, 112.

These presents had a mystical meaning. They presented gold to him as acknowledging him to be a king; frankincense as a God; and myrrh as a man, or mortal: frankincense was used in the public worship or service of God; myrrh for embalming dead bodies. John xix. 39.

How worthy of admiration was the providence of the Almighty,

28. Why did they act thus ? A. Because they were warned of God in a dream, that they should not return to Herod.

29. What happened to Jesus when they were gone? A. He was carried into Egypt.—v. 13.

30. Why was he carried into Egypt? A. Because the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt.

31. How long was Joseph commanded to remain there? A. Until the angel brought him word to leave it.

32. Did the angel tell him the reason of his being commanded to flee into Egypt? A. Yes, he said, that Herod would seek the young child to destroy him.

33. Did Joseph obey the angel? A. Yes; when he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod.

-v. 14.

34. Why did he depart" by night?" A. Lest his flight should be perceived and prevented by Herod.

35. What prophecy was fulfilled by his flying into Egypt with our Lord, and afterwards being called upon to return? A. That of the prophet Hosea, where he says, "Out of Egypt have I called my son."

Hosea xi. 1.

36. What is there worthy of remark in the conduct of Joseph with respect to his flight? A. We must admire his faith and ready obedience to the commands of God, which prompted him to leave the society of his friends and his country, and to take refuge in a strange land'. The infant Messiah was thus preserved from the malice of his enemies.

37. What effect had the conduct of the wise men upon Herod, in not returning to him? A. When he saw he was mocked of the wise men, he was exceeding wroth, und sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under. -v. 16.

38. Why did Herod order the children of that age to be

which prevented Herod from accompanying the wise men himself, or sending soldiers with them in their search for our blessed Lord!

1 In this respect he imitated the conduct of the patriarch Abraham. Gen. xi. 31. Hebrews xi. 8.

slain? A. Because he knew, from what he had "diligently inquired of the wise men," and from the time of the first appearance of the star, that our Lord must have been within that age.

39. What prophecy was fulfilled by this slaying of the innocent children? A. That of Jeremiah which says, 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? Jer. xxxi. 15.

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40. What is meant by they are not? A. That is, are dead."

41. By what means was Joseph informed that Herod was dead? A. By the angel of the Lord, who appeared to him in a dream.-v. 19.

42. What did the angel say to him? A. Arise, 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. v. 20.

43. Did Joseph obey the angel? A. Yes; he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

44. Why was he commanded to return to the land of Israel with the young child? A. Lest our Lord should be esteemed a stranger in Israel, and that his parents might enjoy the public worship of God, their country, and their friends.

45. To what part of the land of Israel did he go? A. To Nazareth, a city of Galilee.

46. Why did he not return to Judea, his native province ? A. Because Archelaus, the son of Herod, reigned there, and he feared lest he also might have sought the child's life, as his father had done.

47. Why did he select Nazareth for his dwelling-place? A. Because he was warned of God in a dream to do so.

48. What prophecy was fulfilled by our Lord's dwelling at Nazareth, with his reputed parents? A. He shall be called a Nazarene.

GENERAL QUESTIONS.

49. In what part of the Bible is the found, He shall be called a Nazarene?

prophecy to be A. The actual

words are not to be found in the Scriptures as applying to our Lord; but as the town of Nazareth was held in very low estimation by the Jews, (vide John i. 46.) his dwelling there caused him to be looked upon with contempt by that nation, and such the Prophets in many places had foretold should be the case. John vii. 52. Psalm xxii. 6. Isaiah liii. 3, &c.

50. Was it ever prophesied that those gifts should be presented to our Lord? A. Yes. Psalm lxxii. 10. Isaiah xlix. 7. 23.

51. What is meant by Rachel's weeping? A. Rachel represents those women descended from Rachel, Jacob's wife, through Benjamin, her son. The tribe of Benjamin inhabited those parts. Rachel herself was buried at Bethlehem, which is not far from Rama. Gen. xxxv. 19.

52. What other remarkable person was born at Bethlehem? A. King David, (1 Sam. xvii. 12. John vii. 42.) from whom it was prophesied the Messiah should be descended, of whose kingdom there would be no end. 2 Sam. vii. 16. Psalm lxxxix. 4. Isaiah ix. 7. Ezek. xxxvii. 24, 25. Luke i. 33. Acts ii. 30, &c.

53. How was Joseph furnished with means for undertaking his journey into Egypt? A. By the presents of the wise men.

54. Were the wise men guided by the star to Jerusalem? A. No; it had disappeared before they arrived there.

55. What reason have we for supposing that this was the case? A. Because when they saw the star again, after they had left the king, they rejoiced with an exceeding great joy; and secondly, when they spoke to Herod, they alluded to the star, as if it were not then present.

56. What reason can be assigned for the temporary disappearance of the star? A. That the wise men might be forced to go to Jerusalem to make inquiries respecting the Messiah, and thus public attention would be more excited respecting his birth.

57. What festival in our church have we to commemorate the wise men being guided by the star to where our Lord was? A. The Epiphany, or manisfestation of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Gentiles.

58. Why did God manifest the birth of his Son to the