born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him. 3. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel. 7. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young Child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word Meaning the spiritual King, i.e. the Messiah. R.V. "Where is the King of the Jews that is born?" His star. A miraculous star, as its movements show: "Lo, the star... went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was" (ver. 9). Saw in the east-i.e. we being in the east saw His star in the west. 3. Herod the king was troubled. Herod, conceiving a temporal king to be meant, feared lest he should be dethroned. All Jerusalem with him. The city thinking that Herod's alarm would rouse his anger. 4. All the chief priests and scribes-i.e. the great council, known as the Sanhedrin. The Scribes were the copyists and interpreters of the Old Testament, and were mostly Pharisees. Where Christ should be bornR.V. "the Christ." He was, Written by the prophet-R.V. through the prophet," viz. Micah, v. 2. 6. Thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda. Called fully "Bethlehem-Ephrata" (Micah v. 2), and "Ephrath, which is Bethlehem " (Gen. xxxv. 19). Art not the least. Micah v. 2, though thou be little," but magnified by the glory of being the birthplace of the Christ. Among the princes of Judai.e. the chief cities (Micah v. 2) "among the thousands of Judah." The Jews expected the Messiah to be born at Bethlehem-"Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh... out of the town of Bethlehem?" (John vii. 42.) A Governor, that shall rule. A.V. margin "feed." R.V. "which shall be Shepherd." My people Israel. So "the Israel of God" (Gal. vi. 16). again, that I may come and worship Him also. 9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be 66 Opened their treasures-i.e. their bags or boxes, containing the gifts. 7. Diligently — R.V. care- manifestation of Christ to the fully,” ¿.e. to minute particulars. Gentiles, commemorated on 6th 8. That I may come and wor- January. This Epiphany in this ship Him. Herod was of the Gospel only. "wicked doers, which speak friendly to their neighbours, but imagine mischief in their hearts" (Ps. xxviii. 3). So the Pharisees, that they might entangle Him in His talk, "sent out unto Him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth" (xxii. 15, 16). 9. Which we saw in the east -i.e. when we were in the east. Went before them, and came and stood over where the young Child was. As if fulfilling Ps. xliii. 3, "O send out Thy light and Thy truth, that they may lead me and bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling." II. They saw the young Child. Here is the first Epiphany, or Gold. A recognition of the Child's royalty, as if fulfilling Ps. xxi. 3, "Thou settest a crown of pure gold on His head." The Queen of Sheba brought "very much gold," when she came (from Arabia) to see Solomon (1 Kings x. 2). Myrrh. Unconsciously pointing to His burial. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes" to the sepulchre (John xix. 39). 13. Flee into Egypt. Christ's own example of the conduct afterwards enjoined on His disciples: "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another' (x. 23). The life thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him. 14. When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15. and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called My Son. 16. Then Herod, when he 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 which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18. 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. 15. That it might be fulfilled -i.e. completely fulfilled, having been already partly fulfilled in the deliverance of the children of Israel out of Egypt in the time of Pharaoh." Spoken of the Lord by the prophet-R. V. "by the Lord through the prophet." Out of Egypt have I called My Son. The people of Israel were considered as a son of God, "Israel is My son" (Exod. iv. 22), and so were a type of Christ. 16. Mocked-i.e. outwitted, as it seemed to him, by their not returning to him. Slew all the children-R. V. "all the male children." Dec. 28, "The Innocents' Day." In all the coasts-R. V. "borders," i.e. in all the neighbourhood. 17. Then was fulfilled-i.e. again, and now fully and finally fulfilled. Spoken by Jeremy the prophet. Jer. xxxi. 15. 18. In Rama. A town five miles north of Jerusalem. Rachel weeping for her children. Rachel was buried "in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem" (Gen. XXXV. 19). Jeremy's words first and partly fulfilled in a massacre of Jews by Babylonians at Rama (to which Ps. cxxxvii. 8 alludes: "O daughter of Babylon,. happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us"), at which, as it were, Rachel (viewed as the mother of the Jewish nation) wakes in her grave and weeps. So now again, 600 years later, at this massacre by Herod at again, that I may come and worship Him also. 9. When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13. And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be 66 Opened their treasures-i.e. their bags or boxes, containing the gifts. 7. Diligently— R.V. care- manifestation of Christ to the fully," i.e. to minute particulars. Gentiles, commemorated on 6th 8. That I may come and wor- January. This Epiphany in this ship Him. Herod was of the Gospel only. "wicked doers, which speak friendly to their neighbours, but imagine mischief in their hearts" (Ps. xxviii. 3). So the Pharisees, that they might entangle Him in His talk, "sent out unto Him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth" (xxii. 15, 16). 9. Which we saw in the east -i.e. when we were in the east. Went before them, and came and stood over where the young Child was. As if fulfilling Ps. xliii. 3, "O send out Thy light and Thy truth, that they may lead me and bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling." II. They saw the young Child. Here is the first Epiphany, or Gold. A recognition of the Child's royalty, as if fulfilling Ps. xxi. 3, "Thou settest a crown of pure gold on His head." The Queen of Sheba brought "very much gold," when she came (from Arabia) to see Solomon (1 Kings x. 2). Myrrh. Unconsciously pointing to His burial. Nicodemus brought "a mixture of myrrh and aloes" to the sepulchre (John xix. 39). 13. Flee into Egypt. Christ's own example of the conduct afterwards enjoined on His disciples: "But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another" (x. 23). The life Thou didst manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles. But we bless Thee, that, to us, Thou hast vouchsafed a more sure word of prophecy. Give us grace to take heed thereto as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, till the day dawn and the day-star arise in our hearts. Grant, O Lord, that in all our goings we may strive to follow the leadings of Thy providence. Let us heed neither the favour nor the frown of men when warned of God as to the way in which He would have us to go. Lord, make for us at all times a plain path: that we, through grace, being brought to know Thee now by faith, may, after this life, have the fruition of Thy glorious Godhead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. IN CHAPTER III. Amen. Mission of S. John the Baptist; his preaching, and habits. The Baptist's inferiority to Christ. John's Baptism, not a baptism with the Holy Ghost. Baptism of Christ; and manifestation of the Triune God. N those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa, 2. and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (John xix. 19). S. Paul was contemptuously described as a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts xxiv. 5). CHAP. III. I. In those daysi.e. whilst Christ was yet at Nazareth, where chapter ii. 23 left Him; but specifically, "in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar," as we learn from Luke iii. 1. John the Baptist-i.e. the baptizer (thus distinguished from S. John the Evangelist), to baptize being one of his chief functions. The circumstances belonging to John the Baptist's birth and circumcision given Luke i. 5-25, 57-63, 80. | 3. For this is he that |