learned concerning this star, which is said to have appeared in the east: some think it was the Spirit of God, others an angel, some a comet, others a luminous appearance, &c. A modern writer thinks it was the glory that surrounded the angels, who had appeared before the shepherds of Bethlehem on the night of our blessed Lord's nativity.

But, notwithstanding these uncertain conjectures, the star answered the end designed, and directed the Magi to the spot where resided the Lord of life and glory. Some men, too wise to admit of the evidences of revelation, have sceptically inquired, how these eastern Magi could arrive at any knowledge that the Jews expected the Messiah? and that, therefore, on the appearance of this new star in the firmament, how they should apprehend it pointed out the birth of the great Redeemer of Israel? The learned assertors of the Christian cause, in answer to these queries, observe, that an opinion of the approach of the Messiah's kingdom had long prevailed all over the East; nay, this is declared in profane history, by Suetonius, Tacitus, and others.

The reason of this prevailing opinion is very obvious. The Jews conceived mighty expectations of the Messiah, from the many prophecies concerning him recorded in their own language; and

the Arabians, from the prophecies to the same import made to Abraham; it being certain that those people retained traditional knowledge of this promise, from the words of Balaam, who was an Arabian prophet, "There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall arise out of Israel," &c., which every impartial reader must acknowledge refers to the appearance of the Messiah only, but not to any other incident whatever.

The other eastern nations derived their expectations of the Messiah from their commercial connexions with the Jews and Arabians, but more especially from the Jews, who being scattered over the whole country of the east, spread their religion wherever they went; which occasioned several Roman historians to take notice of the prevalence of that opinion.

Nay, the expectation of the Messiah being born in Judea, was strongly impressed on the minds of the followers of Zoroaster, who reformed the religion of the Persians, being a servant to the prophet Daniel, and particularly favoured with revelations concerning the appearance of the Messiah.

From these considerations, it evidently appears that this opinion prevailed throughout the East, and that the Magi might, with great reason, on the appearance of the star, repair to Jerusalem, in quest of the promised Saviour of Israel.

But to leave this subject, as not immediately appertaining to our purpose.-The whole city of Jerusalem, alarmed at the unexpected arrival of the Eastern Magi; an event which much perplexed the tyrant Herod, whose ambitious mind maintained the utmost aversion to the very thought of a rival or competitor, and consequently could not brook a report that favoured the news of the birth of the King of the Jews.

Disguising, however, his sentiments, he received the Magi with seeming respect, attended to the design of their errand with affected complacency, and, to gratify their curiosity, summoned a general council, and demanded of them where Christ should be born? The council kept him not long in suspense; for, well remembering that the prophets had particularly foretold the place of his birth, they replied to the demand of their monarch, "In Bethlehem of Judea ;" and, to confirm their answer, cited prophetic authority; "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, Matt. ii. 6. The tyrant king, in consequence of the reply from the supreme council of the nation, directed the Magi to Bethlehem, as the place, according to ancient prophecy, designed for the honour of Christ's nativity, earnestly entreating

them, at the same time, immediately on their finding out the child, to send him word, that he might repair thither, and pay his adoration to him also.

But this was mere pretence, and vile hypocrisy for, so far was Herod from entertaining any religious regard for the infant Jesus, that he vowed in his heart to destroy him as soon as he should be found, looking on him as designed for a temporal prince, who would expel him or his descendants from the throne of Judea, instead of a prince whose kingdom was wholly spiritual, and whose throne was not to be established upon earth, but in the heavenly Jerusalem.

Although we have many stronger proofs of the divinity of our Saviour's mission than his miraculous preservation from the designs of the ambitious Herod, yet this was very remarkable. The tyrant, in this case, acted with the utmost subtlety: he declined accompanying the wise men in person; nor did he even send attendants with them, who, under the guise of honouring them, might have secretly informed him of the abode of the Messiah. In short, he acted with such apparent indifference, as if he had no peculiar reason for despatching them on the occasion.

However, the Magi, having obtained the intel

ligence they sought at Jerusalem, set forward under the guidance of the same star that conducted them from their own country, but had left them on their arrival in Judea; which was the cause of their directing their course to the capital, in order to seek that information, which, by the desertion of the star, became requisite, Thus it appears the design of the Almighty, in directing the Eastern Magi to the capital of Judea, was, that the whole of the nation might be made acquainted with the cause of their journey.

Accordingly, they had no sooner proceeded from Jerusalem, on their way to Bethlehem, than their kind conductor again appeared, went before them to the very city, and fixed on the habitation of the heavenly infant. Guided by this celestial conductor, they entered the house, and, prostrating themselves at the sacred feet of their spiritual King, presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having thus accomplished the design of the expedition, they proposed, according to promise, returning to Jerusalem; but being diverted from that intention by a dream, in which they were warned by God of Herod's design, they pursued another course towards their own country, and by those means defeated his malicious purpose.