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' shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

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lying in a manger. And suddenly there was

' with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hoft

praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the

highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards * men.' (After recording this prediction, how could St. Luke give us as the speech of Jesus to his disciples-ch. xiii. v. 51.-' Suppose ye, that

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am come to give peace on earth? I tell you nay: but rather division.' And v. 49. ' I am come to fend fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled.') Luke goes on

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone

away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to

pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a

manger. And when they had seen it, they made ' known abroad the saying which was told them • concerning this child. And all they that heard ' it wondered at those things which were told him * by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these

things, and pondered them in her heart. And * the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising 'God for all the things that they had heard and 'seen, as it was told unto them.' Where slept Herod's intelligence amidst these publications? The journey into Egypt hath obtained the appel

lation of flight: but with poor Joseph's means, Chapter Verse and so incumbered, it could not be very speedy.

Neither Mark, Luke, or John, say any thing of this Egyptian excurfion. Matthew says-that Joseph' took the young child and his mother ii.

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by night, and departed into Egypt; and was

' there until the death of Herod : that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by 'the prophet, (Hofea) saying-Out of Egypt ' have I called my fon.' After giving an account of Herod's disappointment and cruelty, he proceeds-But when Herod was dead, behold

an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream ' to Joseph in Egypt, (poor Jofeph was never 'favoured with the company of an angel but in

his fleep) saying Arife and take the young ' child and his mother, and go into the land of 'Ifrael: for they are dead which fought the young child's life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the

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' land of Ifrael. But when he heard that Arche' laus did reign in Judea, in the room of his fa'ther Herod, he was afraid to go thither, not

withstanding being warned of God in a dream,

' he turned afide into the parts of Galilee: and

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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.' Unfortunately, this is not to be found in any of the

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the prophets, and if Matthew meant to fay-He shall be called a Nazarite, I think it cannot be proved that Jesus at any time sustained that character fully. Vide Numbers, ch. vi: 'Out of

Egypt have I called my fon,' must be strained very much indeed to bear the name of a prophecy relative to Jesus. However Matthew, it seems, thought otherwise. It seems too that Matthew only has fent him there for that purpose.

Neither Mark or John give us any history of Jesus previous to his baptifm. Luke's history instructs us that Jesus never was in Egypt, at least that he could not be there in the time affigned by Matthew : I will take up Luke's hiftory where I left it, ch. ii. v. 21. ' And when ' eight days were accomplished for the circumci

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fing of the child, his name was called Jesus, ' which was so named of the angel before he

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was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Mofes, were accomplished (forty days) they

brought him to Jerufalem to present him to the 'Lord.' It relates that in Jerufalem dwelt a devout man called Simeon, to whom it was revealed by the Holy Ghost, that he should not die before he had feen the Lord's Christ. When the child was brought into the temple to be circumcised, Simeon took him in his arms: here St. Luke gives us another poetical and prophetical composition in the name of Simeon. After which he tells us that Anna, a prophetess who refided in the temple, was present, and that she likewife' Spake of him (Jesus) to all them that 'looked for the redemption in Jerufalem. And ' when they had performed all things according

to the law of the Lord, they returned into 'Galilee to their own city Nazareth. And the ' child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled ' with wisdom and the grace of God was upon ' him. Now his parents went to Jerufalem every

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year at the feast of the passover. And when

' he was twelve years old, they went up to Jeru* salem after the custom of the feafts, &c. Here we find that eight days after his birth Jesus was circumcifed in the temple; that his mother presented herself there for her purification forty days after her delivery; and that this visit to the temple was repeated every year. If this was the cafe, what becomes of the flight into Egypt? If in eight days they could convey themselves from Bethlehem to Egypt, and from thence to Jerufalem; it must have been a flight indeed. What likewife becomes of the fear of Herod, if they resided at Nazareth, and visited Jerufalem annually? Luke tells us that at the age of twelve, Jesus sat publickly in the temple amidst the Doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions; and that they were astonished at his understanding and answers. Being questioned by his mo

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Chapter Versether for this stay of several days at Jerufalem unknown to her (which by the bye is something extraordinary) he replied-' Wist ye not that I

must be about my father's business.' He, however, returns with them to Nazareth, and was 'fubject unto them.' From this period Luke gives no account of him till he was baptized in Jordan and began his public ministry; and this, according to the best accounts we have, was about the age of thirty.

We will now proceed with Matthew's history, where, after a long chasm, he first mentions John 1 the Baptift. In those days came John the Bap

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tist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and

faying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of hea'ven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken ' of by the prophet Ifaias, saying-The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.' After defcribing his dress and food, he tells us, all Jerufalem, all Judea, and the region round Jordan, went to him, confeffed their fins, and were baptized by him in Jordan. To the Pharifees 7 and Sadducees who came there, he faid-'O generation of vipers! who hath warned you to ' flee from the wrath to come?" He advises them to works fuited to repentance; tells them, that being the fons of Abraham will not avail them; that at that time the ax was laid to the roots, and every barren tree should be cut down and caft into