'fhall find the babe wrapped in fwaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And fuddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hoft praifing God, and faying, Glory to God in the higheft, and on earth peace, good-will towards men.' (After recording this prediction, how could St. Luke give us as the fpeech of Jefus to his disciples-ch. xiii. v. 51.- Suppose ye, that am come to give peace on earth? I tell you " nay but rather divifion.' And v. 49. I am come to fend fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled.') Luke goes onAnd it came to pafs, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds faid one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and fee this thing which is come to pafs, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with hafte, and found 'Mary, and Jofeph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the faying which was told them ⚫ concerning this child. And all they that heard ⚫ it wondered at those things which were told him by the fhepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the fhepherds returned, glorifying and praifing 'God for all the things that they had heard and feen, as it was told unto them.' Where flept Herod's intelligence amidst thefe publications? The journey into Egypt hath obtained the appel lation of flight but with poor Jofeph's means, Chapter Verfe and fo incumbered, it could not be very speedy. Neither Mark, Luke, or John, fay any thing of to Joseph in Egypt, (poor Jofeph was never 'favoured with the company of an angel but in his fleep) faying 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 arofe, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the 'land of Ifrael. But when he heard that Arche laus 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 afide into the parts of Galilee and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that ' it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets-He fhall be called a Nazarene.' Unfortunately, this is not to be found in any of B 4 the the prophets, and if Matthew meant to fay-He fhall be called a Nazarite, I think it cannot be proved that Jefus at any time sustained that character fully. Vide Numbers, ch. vi: 'Out of Egypt have I called my fon,' must be ftrained very much indeed to bear the name of a prophecy relative to Jefus. However Matthew, it feems, thought otherwife. It seems too that Matthew only has fent him there for that purpose. Neither Mark or John give us any history of Jefus previous to his baptifm. Luke's history inftructs us that Jefus 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 fing of the child, his name was called Jefus, which was fo named of the angel before he 6 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 Ghoft, that he fhould not die before he had feen the Lord's Chrift. When the child was brought into the temple to be circumcifed, Simeon took him in his arms: here St. Luke gives us another poetical and prophe tical tical compofition in the name of Simeon. After which he tells us that Anna, a prophetess who refided in the temple, was prefent, 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 ftrong in fpirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerufalem every year at the feaft of the paffover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerufalem after the custom of the feafts,' &c. Here we find that eight days after his birth Jefus was circumcifed in the temple; that his mother prefented herself there for her purification forty days after her delivery; and that this vifit 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 refided at Nazareth, and vifited Jerufalem annually? Luke tells us that at the age of twelve, Jefus fat publickly in the temple amidst the Doctors, hearing them, and asking them queftions; and that they were astonished at his understanding and answers. Being queftioned by his mo ther Chapter Verfether for this ftay of feveral days at Jerufalem unknown to her (which by the bye is fomething extraordinary) he replied Wift ye not that I must be about my father's bufinefs.' He, however, returns with them to Nazareth, and was ki. 3 6 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 chafm, he first mentions John the Baptift. In thofe days came John the Bap 6 tift, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and faying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was fpoken of by the prophet Ifaias, faying-The voice of one crying in the wildernefs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths ftraight.' After defcribing his drefs 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-'Q 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 fhould be cut down and caft |