The words of the prophet proceed, "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy." And so it might be said on this occasion, Refrain your voice from weeping, ye mothers of Bethlehem, and your eyes from tears; for your sorrow shall have a recompense: your children shall live again, in a land where they have no enemy. They are taken from a world of sin and trial, into the pre

sence of a merciful God. His goodness may be trusted, however dark the present dispensation may appear.

Shortly after the commission of that cruelty, by which he had intended to preserve his life and his power, Herod died. We may turn aside the hand of man; but we cannot turn aside the universal decree, Thou shalt surely die.

19. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

20. Saying, Arise, and 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.

21. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

22. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea, in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee :

23. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

renes.

Jesus, though born at Bethlehem, was generally considered as belonging to Nazareth; because his youth was passed in that place, as being the residence of Joseph. Hence his followers were termed NazaSo Paul is accused by the orator Tertullus as a "ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." Nazareth was a place held in general contempt, as we learn from the first question of Bartholomew to Philip: "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" 4 And the prophets had spoken concerning Christ, that he should be "despised and rejected of men." The Psalmist says of him, "For thy sake have I borne reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children."5 Therefore Joseph was directed in a dream to this ignoble place, that he for whom God hath designed a "name that shall be above every name," might, in his earthly condition, accomplish the prophecy, "He was despised and we esteemed him not:"6 he hath no form nor comeliness: and when we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him!

This leads to a natural reflection. "For thy sake have I borne reproach," says the Lord of glory. Certainly, for our sake he did undergo reproach, who, "being in the form of God, yet made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and being

3 Acts xxiv. 5. 4 John i. 46. 5 Ps. lxix. 7, 8.

• Is. liii. 2, 3. The reason may be seen in Whitby for adopting this interpretation, instead of referring the allusion to Judges xiii. 5, where it is said of Samson, he shall be a Nazarite (separated, hallowed, yoμevos) unto God from the womb.

found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."7 Should we then hesitate to endure reproach for him, if be put to such a trial? If our zeal to serve what we believe to be his cause should prove unpopular, or if our strict conformity to the spirit of his laws should lead to misrepresentation, shall we be disturbed, as if some strange thing had happened to us? Still less ought we to decline from the straight path of duty, through a vague apprehension of any such consequence, which probably may never arise.

The lesson to be learnt is, that both worldly honour and worldly reproach are as nothing in the sight of God; and that we should endeavour to think them nothing, but seek the "honour which cometh from God" only. It often happens that those who do seek that honour simply and consistently, are unexpectedly rewarded, in the end, by the good opinion of men. For "when a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." 8

Enable us, O Lord, through "honour and dishonour, through evil report and good report," to lead the life which is approved by thee, and "keep ourselves unspotted from the world."

LECTURE V.

PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST.

MATT. iii. 1-12.

1. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

2. And saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.1 4. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

The birth of John the Baptist, with all its attendant circumstances, is described more particularly by St. Luke. Seven hundred years before, Isaiah had foretold his coming, and its purpose, to prepare the way of the Lord. At the appointed season he went forth as one inspired of God, born out of the ordinary course of nature, in a prophet's garb, and with the habits of austerity,-that he might warn his

1 Is. xl. 3.

2 Such seems to have been the dress of prophets. Elijah is described (2 Kings i. 8) as a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And Zechariah (xiii. 4) speaks of false prophets, who wear a rough garment to deceive.

3 Luke i. 5-80.

thoughtless and worldly countrymen to "consider their ways," and "seek unto their God:" saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

5. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6. And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 4

7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance :

9. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 10. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: 5 he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 6

12. Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly

4 It had been customary in the Jewish church to baptize Gentiles, when they became proselytes to the Jewish law. John, however, was "sent" (see John i. 33) to baptize all his disciples: and thus to intimate that "all had sinned," and must apply to the fountain now " opened for sin and for all uncleanness." (Zech. xiii. 1.)

5

"In eastern countries, on occasions of visits of great men, the sandals or slippers are usually pulled off at the door, and either left there, or given to a servant to bear: therefore to bear the shoes of another, was to be his attendant, his inferior."

"With the Holy Ghost (Mark i. 8), whose operation shall be quick, powerful, and purifying as fire.