This was a most complete and demonstrable confirmation of all that the angel had foretold her, and to the knowledge of which Elizabeth could no way come but by divine inspiration: which so transported the blessed Virgin, that in a heavenly ecstacy she glorified God, by recollecting his mercies, and the promises he had made to his people Israel, and which by making her the blessed instrument, he was now about to fulfil.

Having tarried about three months with her cousin, she returned home; soon after which Elizabeth, according to the time foretold, was delivered of a son, whom, on the eighth day, at his circumcision, to the amazement of their friends and kindred, the father named John,* though none of their family had borne that name before. Hereupon good old Zacharias, seeing the finger of God so manifestly appear according to the predictions relating to his family, burst into a holy rapture; the same power that at first had miraculously bound his tongue, did now as wonderfully loosen it, to give praise to the Almighty God who had wrought such prodigies among them.

And now the time was at hand, when the great joy that the birth of the baptist had occasioned, should be augmented by the more miraculous birth of the Saviour of the world, which was to be the perfect completion of what the angel Gabriel had promised to both their mothers. The Holy Virgin therefore having returned from Hebron to Nazareth, Joseph prepares to consummate his marriage with his espoused wife; when, to his great amazement, she was observed to be advanced in a state of pregnancy. Though the seeming disappointment deeply affected him, yet being of a gentlet disposition, he was unwilling

John. In the Hebrew language this name signifies The grace of God; and it was fitly given the fore-runner of the Messiah, who came to establish the kingdom of righteousness.

+ Gentle or merciful, &c. This in our translation is rendered just, Mat. i. 19; but words which signify Just and Justice in the Hebrew, frequently signify also Merciful and Mercy. The design therefore of the author who employs them, determines their signification. It cannot then be said, that St Matthew designed to represent Joseph as a man who observed the most exact rules of justice, since,

to expose the honour of the family, which he conceived she had stained, or her to inevitable death, according to the sentence of the law: and therefore the better to conceal the disgrace of the family, as he thought, he resolves to divorce her privately. But while he laboured under these anxious deliberations, an angel of God appeared to him in a dream, and with this comfortable message dispels his uneasy cares Fear not, Joseph, thou son of David, to take Mary thy wife; for she is innocent, and that which she has conceived is of the Holy Ghost, by the virtue and power of the Most High: and she shall bring forth a son, whose name by the heavenly decree is to be called Jesus, who shal free mankind from the slavery of sin and death. Joseph awaking, acknowledges the heavenly vision; and in obedience to the divine command, takes the sacred Virgin home, with whom to outward appearance he lived in conjugal love, though he knew her not till she was delivered of her first-born son*; which soon after came to pass in as wonderful a manner as had been predicted. †

according to the law, instead of putting the blessed Virgin away, he should have made her a public example, and had her stoned to death, Deut. xxii. 23. The word therefore should have been rendered Humane or Merciful, as St. Chrysostom has remarked.

First-born Son. The word First-born is ambiguous: for, 1st, Sometimes it signifies one that is first-born, without respect to any following children as when Christ is called the first-born of Mary, in Mat, i. 25. 2dly, Sometimes it signifies the eldest of two or more brethren, as when the Scripture calls' Eliab the first-born of Jesse, 1 Sam. xyii. 13. Sdly. This word is taken figuratively to signify those we dearly love, because parents frequently love their first-born best; as in the example of Isaac with respect to Esa and of Joseph to Manasseh: and God himself calls the Israelites the first-born, which, to avoid ambiguity, might have been translated, “That God gave to the Israelites marks of the most tender affection." 4thly, The first-born signifies that which is most remarkable either for greatness and excellency, or meanness and want; as when God calls the Ephraimites his first-born, and when Moses prophecies of the tribe of Joseph, that his glory should be like the firstlings of his bullocks; that is, equal in strength to the strongest of those animals. So God promises to David, or Solomon, to make him the first-born of the kings of the earth; whereas, in respect to their birth, both were younger brothers of their family. On the contrary, when the Scripture speaks of extreme misery or want, it expresses them by the first-born of the dead, and the first-born of the poor; that is to say, persons exposed to the most cruel death, and to the deepest poverty.

In the time of Augustus Cæsar a decree* was issued to take an account of the estates of all the countries and people subject to the Roman empire; and Cyrenius being governor of Syria, (in which province Palestine was included) he was to enrolf that part of the empire. In consequence of which, every one repairs to his own city to have his name registered, and his goods rated, that the emperor might know the wealth of every country, city, and family. In this critical juncture it was that Mary, the espoused wife of Joseph, though very near her time, was

Therefore when this expression is used in the New Testament, it ought to be reduced to its proper signification. Thus, if instead of calling our Saviour the first-born Son of Mary, they had called him her Son, St. Jerome had not to answer Helvidius, who from this phrase took occasion to maintain that the Virgin had other children besides our Saviour, and Helvidius had had no followers. If instead of calling our Saviour the first-born of many brethren, Rom. viii. 29, the firstborn of all the creatures, Col. i. 15, and the first-born of God, Heb. i. 6, they had translated, That he is the most august or most glorious of many brethren, the most excellent or the most favoured of all creatures, the most dearly beloved Son of God: Arius and his followers had never imagined that Christ was the first of all the creatures. If when he is called in the original the first begotten of the dead> Rev. i. 15, they had rendered, That he is the Sovereign or most illustrious of the dead, there would be no need of such long commentaries upon this expression, as the most learned divines do acknowledge.

+ Predicted. The adversaries of Christianity may cavil as they please, and invent many objections to the scheme of the incarnation, and decry the whole as absurd and impossible; but surely, admitting the omnipotence of God, who originally "formed man of the dust of the ground," we must also admit that it was easy for him, by this method, or any other which he might choose, to prepare a spotless body for the residence of his own Son, "Is any thing too hard for Jehovah" "Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh," 1 Tim. iii. 16

This most stupendous subject is to be studied, not in the spirit of cold indif ference, or of daring speculation, but with humble and devout affections, till the fire of divine love burn within us, and constrain us to sing aloud with the holy mother-"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in GoD MY SAVIOUR," Luke i. 46.

* Decree. Luke ii. 1.

Enrol. This was not an exacting of tribute or taxation, but a setting down or enrolling every person according to his family and estate according to which the vulgar Latin expresses agapesa by Profiteri, Luke i. 3, they went to tell what they were worth, which was in order to be taxed.

obliged to accompany her husband Joseph to Bethlehem to be enrolled; where, by the singular appointment of God, she brought forth her first-born in a stable, the vilest part of the inn, and most remote from help at such a time: which undoubtedly did very much enhance the miracle, her delivery being as wonderful as her conception. *

Though the birth of our Saviour, in all outward appearance, was in the most mean and abject manner, and seemingly unbecoming the majesty of heaven; yet there were several extraordinary circumstances which attended it, and plainly intimated that he was the Son of God. He was no sooner born, but a messenger from heaven proclaimed his birth to the world, and in the field of Bethlehem astonished and rejoiced the shepherds† with the happy news of the nativity of Christ the Lord, born in the city of David, directing them to the place where he was laid; and immediately after the celestial choir welcome him into the world with this harmonious chorus, Glory "to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good-will to"wards men. ""

The shepherds filled with joy and wonder at this strange and glorious sight, hasten to Bethlehem to prove the truth of these things; where they no sooner arrive but they see the Virgin-Mother, and Joseph the supposed father, attending the god-like babe in the manger, whom in humble reverence they adore, and in awful silence admire the goodness of God: and, when they had gratified their delighted eyes with these miraculous transactions, joyfully

*Conception. It was always the opinion of the church, (saith bishop Taylor) that as there was no sin in the conception, so neither had the Virgin any pains in the production: for to her alone the punishment of Eve did not extend, That in sorrow she should bring forth. And therefore where nothing of sin was an ingredient, there misery could not enter.

Shepherds. The angel's moral in the circumstance of his address to the poor shepherds of Bethlehem is, That none are fit to come to Christ but those who are poor in spirit, despisers of the world, and simple in their hearts, without secular design or craft; and therefore the angel did not apply to Herod, nor to the Scribes and Pharisees, whose ambition had ends contrary to the simplicity and poverty of the birth of Jesus.

Christ. Luke ii. 11, and 14. See the note above on the word nothing, page 218.

disperse the astonishing news among their neighbours, which alike affected all that heard them.

Seven days being expired after the birth of our Saviour, he is circumcised on the eighth day, as the law appointed, and named JESUS, which name was foretold his mother before he was conceived; and therefore it was not to be considered as a name given him by human opinion or intention, or the will of his parents, but by divine authority, he being long before decreed to be the SAVIOUR, which this his name implies.

Though the people in the place of his birth seemed to take little notice of him, and hitherto none but poor shepherds by a revelation from heaven had paid any acknowledgment to him; yet to denote his high birth, and to witness his divinity, a star* appeared in the East, which moved the curiosity of three wise ment to travel to Jerusalem to worship him. This alarmed Herod,‡ and imme

Star. This word signifies an extraordinary star appearing in the heaven, observed by the Magi to differ from the ordinary stars, and some way interpreted to them to be the index or finger to point out this miraculous birth.

+ Wise Men. The Greek word Maya, signifies not only those we commonly tall magicians, that is, sorcerers, but also philosophers, learned men, students of the liberal sciences, especially of astronomy. These were then famous among the Persians, and were both their kings and priests, as well as among other nations. The time of their coming is not distinctly known. St. Matthew ii. 13, says, That after the wise men's departure the angel appeared to Joseph, and dispatched him into Egypt, which could not be before Mary's purification; for then St. Luke says, ii. 22, they went up to Jerusalem, which cannot be supposed after their going into Egypt, nor between the departure of the Magi and their going thither, for that had been to throw themselves into Herod's hands at Jerusalem, which they were commanded to avoid by going into Egypt. From Jerusalem therefore they returned to Bethlehem, and dwelt there till the coming and departure of the Magi: and therefore the tradition, which makes the Epiphany the twelfth day from the nativity, may mean it of that time twelve-month; according to which it is, that, upon exact enquiring the time of the star's appearing, Herod, Mat. ii. 16, appoints the killing of all the children from two years old and under; which probably he would not have done, if they had informed him that the star appeared but a few days before.

Herod having by fraud usurped the kingdom of Judea, endeavours to maintain his ill-gotten title by the murder of the lawful heirs. The first of whom, as