God and Saviour, left it rise up in judgement against them, fhould they neglect fo pofitive a duty. Our bleffed Saviour, with his human nature, took all its infirmities, fin only excepted: therefore in that nature (as we are told in the 52d verse) he increased in wisdom as he did in ftature, and in favor with God and man. The facred history is filent for the next eighteen years of our beloved Lord's life, and commences again at his baptism. I shall beg leave to conclude my obfervations on this chapter with a few lines from 'Hervey's Starry Heavens,' as being more to the purpose of expreffing the wonderful goodness of our God, than any thing I could fay upon this divine subject. "How amazing, how charming, is that "divine benignity which is pleafed to be"ftow its facred regards to fo foolish and "worthlefs a creature, yet difdaining not "from the height of infinite exaltation to "extend its kind providential care to our "moft minute concerns! This is amazing! "but " but that the everlasting Sovereign should "give himself to be made flesh, and be 66 come our Saviour, fhall I call it a mi"racle of condescending goodness? rather "what are all miracles-what are all " fteries to this!" my CHAPTER CHAPTER THE FOURTH. THAT I may omit omit no event which has any relation to the miraculous birth of our bleffed Saviour, I must now call your attention to a circumftance of a very peculiar nature, and well worth our obfervation; which we fhall find recorded in the second chapter of St. Matthew. ST. MATTHEW, CHAP. II. "1. Now when Jefus was born in Beth lehem of Judea in the days of Herod "the king, behold there came wife men "from the east to Jerufalem, faying, where " is he that is born king of the Jews, for "we have seen his ftar in the Eaft, and are come to worship him." 66 The The wife men here described were perfons whose lives had been devoted to study, and who made it their employment to enquire, and diligently to fearch into, the hidden things of nature, particularly into the motions and dispositions of the heavenly bodies; a study of all others the most likely to raise our notions of that great Being, who not only created, but constantly keeps in order that wonderful fyftem. The veneration and profound respect in which these wise men were held, appear from the important matters entrufted to their management: they were the counsellors, the judges, the priests, the rulers; in a word, the oracles of the eaftern countries. Their going to Jerufalem with full affurance that the Jewish priefts could inform them of the place of the Meffiah's birth, might probably be owing to a tradition spread by the Jews, at the time of their feveral captivities, of his expected advent; and thus (as in almost every inflance the Almighty made their punish ment for idolatry the means of promoting his own wife purpose) was held out the expectation of a faviour to the furrounding nations. Befides, we may naturally fuppofe that the famous prophecy of Balaam, when fent for by Balak to curfe the Ifraelites, was kept with great care amongst the Gentiles, in expectation of its accomplishment. "I fhall fee him, but not now: I fhall "behold him, but not nigh: there shall "come a star out of Jacob, and a fceptre fhall rife out of Ifrael, and fhall fmite "the corners of Moab, and destroy all the "children of Sheth. And Edom fhall "be a poffeffion; Seir alfo fhall be a pof 66 feffion for his enemies, and Ifrael fhall do valiantly. Out of Jacob fhall come "he that fhall have dominion, and fhall 66 destroy him that remaineth in the city." -(Numb. xxiv. 17. 18. 19.) When, therefore, the star appeared, the pofterity of Jacob were the only people to whom the wife men could apply for the information they wanted. The last |