prophet, to precede the great and notable | popular opinion, by the wisdom of God and day of the Lord, to work a remarkable change in the temper and character of mankind, to prevent the earth from being "smitten with

a curse."

the folly of man! Weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, Herod fawning on Augustus, or on one of his favourites, dissolved in luxury, stained with blood, inflamed with resentment, is little and contemptible; while the aged priest, reconciled to the will of God, who had written him childless, pursuing the calm tenor of his way, fulfilling the unostentatious duties of his place and station,

A period of darkness and disorder succeeded. The land which had been for ages so renowned in history seems as if blotted out of the globe; the people, which had been hung up as a sign before the eyes of so many successive generations, seems to be extin-"righteous before God, walking in all the guished and lost; the predictions and promises which conferred upon them such high importance, and duration so extended, seem to have been defeated and rendered of no effect. The throne of David, whose permanency was so often, and so solemnly declared, has sunk into the earth and disappeared. The representative of the royal line of Judah is sunk into a humble carpenter: and all hope of revival is at an end. But the Lord hath spoken and shall he not do it, he hath promised and shall he not bring it to pass? Yes, but not at the season, nor in the way which human wisdom would have prescribed, nor by means which human wisdom would have employed. Behold light once more, and suddenly, shines out of darkness: the land of Israel rises once more into importance; Jerusalem rears her head among the nations, the star of Jacob arises, "a rod springs out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots;" and the glory of the latter temple eclipses that of the former.

The evangelist informs us that at this eventful period Herod was king of Judea. Princes are often among the inferior actors in the great drama of Providence. Their will shakes the nations of the earth, but the hearts and arms of kings themselves are in the hands of the Lord, to be by him turned which way soever he will. This man has by some been dignified with the addition of "the great:" an appellation more frequently bestowed as a reward to splendid vice, than as a tribute to modest merit. Herod the great! and yet a paltry substitute of a Roman emperor, an habitual slave to the vilest of human passions, envy, lust, jealousy, cruelty, revenge. The inspired penman gives him no names, either good or bad, but simply tells his story as far as it is connected with that of Him by whom "kings reign and princes decree judgment." The reign of Herod to us serves merely as a prologue to introduce the more important name and history of an ancient, obscure priest called Zacharias, and our attention is instantly called away from the splendour, noise, and intrigue of a busy, vainglorious, debauched court, to contemplate the humble concerns of a private family, and the noiseless performance of a religious service.

How different are the ideas affixed to the terms great and little by sober reason and

commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blameless," commands affection, esteem, and respect. This venerable pair, Zacharias and Elisabeth, were both of the tribe of Levi, on which the office of priesthood was entailed. Both nature and religion taught them to consider the gift of children as a blessing; but the hope of that blessing they seem now calmly to have resigned, and they are quietly sinking into the decline of life, if not with the consolation of leaving their name and office to their children, possessing nevertheless that of mutual affection, of a devout spirit, and a conscience void of offence. The midnight of nature is the dawning of the day of grace; and he who in wisdom and justice brings to nought the wisdom of the worldly prudent, “raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children."

The Prince of Peace is ready to make his public entrance on the grand theatre, and it is time for his harbinger to prepare the way, and for the herald to announce his approach. And where shall we look for him? Turn your eyes to Judea, to Jerusalem, to the temple. See, the lot is prepared, to determine whose turn it should be to burn incense before the Lord in the holy place. Providence presides over it, and Zacharias is taken. Behold him, with joy accepting the sacred task of paying a grateful tribute of praise to God, and of assisting the prayers of the people without, with the commanded perfume of the altar of incense. Behold him entering within the veil, under the mixed emotions of godly fear, and exalted delight, to worship that God who once resided there in sensible glory, but from which the glory had long departed. All is solitude and silence; the unextinguished light that burnt continually before Jehovah lends its flame to set on fire the incense, when lo, the lustre of material fire is lost in the brighter glory of the great Archangel, and the solemn silence is broken by the melodious accents of a celestial voice. Gabriel, who five hundred and forty years before announced to the prophet Daniel the commencement of the determined weeks which should precede the Messiah's day, now announces to Zachariah their consum

mation. He opens the sealed book of prophecy, and to his astonishment informs him that the promised coming of Elias, with which the ancient canon closed, was near at hand; that this great prophet should appear in the person of a son of his own, whom God by a special dispensation of his Providence was raising up to fulfil the Scriptures, to turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, "to go before the Saviour in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." How is the pride of kings levelled to the dust before an appearance like this! How many princes and potentates have arisen, and fallen, and sunk into oblivion since Gabriel last visited the earth! How have the kingdoms of this world been shaken during the course of five centuries! How often has the seat of empire changed, and the globe changed its inhabitants! but the heavenly messenger enjoys unfading lustre and undiminished strength. The purpose of the Eternal has been proceeding all the while, and the convulsions and contention of the nations have been working the righteousness of God, and preparing the way for the kingdom of peace and love.

his prayers are well known to him; he has all along been the sympathizing, though unseen, unknown witness of his anxieties and distresses, and he esteems it an honour and a happiness to be employed as the messenger of glad tidings to a pious, suffering human being. Zacharias had long ago ceased from expecting, had ceased from praying for the building up of his own house, but he waited for the consolation of Israel, he continued instant in prayer for the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David which was fallen down, and lo, God at length bestows, as he did upon Solomon, not only the blessing which he asked, but that also which he asked not: namely, a son to support the honour of his own name, and the promise of the Son that should be born, the Child that should be given, in whom all the families of the earth should be blessed. The injunctions of the law respecting Nazarites are repeated and applied to the present case, and the future greatness and importance of this miraculous child, in the scale of Providence, are foretold; and Zacharias has the satisfaction of hearing that he was to be the father of him who should be the accomplishment of ancient prophecies, "The voice crying in the wilderness," the finger to point out to mankind "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

Terror gives way by degrees to feelings of a different kind, and, with the glory of the heavenly vision before his eyes, with the faith of father Abraham, in similar circumstances, as an encouragement to his own, and with the manifold instances which the history of his own country afforded of similar interposition, he converses with flesh and blood, he staggers at the promise through unbelief, and for a moment forgets that with God all things are possible. The angel vouchsafes to explain himself to the unbeliever; his incredulity shall not frustrate the purpose of heaven, nor even divert into a different channel the mercy which he doubted; but his frailty shall not go wholly unpunished, he shall be wounded in those

The appearance of an angel, however, though sent on an errand of mercy, though delivering a message of grace from on high, is an object of terror to frail mortality. "When Zacharias saw him he was troubled, and fear fell upon him; and if the upright and blameless man tremble at the presence of an angel, "where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear," when "the Lord himself shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, taking vengeance on all them that know not God and obey not the gospel!" The triumph of goodness is the glory of a really superior being. The angel that "stands in the presence of God," exults not in the confusion of a frail mortal, but said to him "fear not, Zacharias." The insolence of superiority, and the delight of outshining, of dazzling, of distressing an inferior, are the character-faculties which he had so ill employed as istics of a little soul, of some angels falsely so called; those who are truly such condescendingly sink to the level of those who are beneath them, or affectionately raise the humble up to their own. In the presence of God all distinctions vanish; Gabriel and Zacharias are fellow-creatures, fellow-servants, fellow-dependants; the inferior being makes himself known by his timidity, the superior by his benevolence and love: this marks the difference, the affecting difference which purity and guilt have made.

The flaming minister addresses the attendant on the earthly sanctuary, with all the familiarity and ease of ancient friendship; the desires of his heart, the subject of

the avenues to his mind, the tongue which dared to express the language of doubt and suspicion must undergo a temporary silence, the ear which would not admit the communications of an archangel, shall be shut for a season against the delights of social intercourse, and the sign which he unwisely demanded shall bear upon it a mark of displeasure. Striking mixture of goodness and severity, of goodness unbounded, and severity restrained! Striking view of the supreme power possessed and exercised by the great Lord of Nature, over all our powers and possessions. He who bestowed the gift of speech on man can withdraw it in a moment; or confound it so as to be no longer a medium

of communication between mankind; He 1. Angels, we perceive, take a lively, an can confer it on the dumb ass to reprove affectionate, and a compassionate interest in "the madness of the prophet;" or instanta- the affairs of men. "Are they not all minisneously communicate it, in all its different tering spirits, sent forth to minister for them forms, to the ignorant and illiterate, for the who shall be heirs of salvation?" The "litinstruction and salvation of the various na- tle ones" of Christ's family, the little in age tions of the earth. Let a gift so precious and stature, the little in condition, must not never be vilely profaned as an organ of be despised, "for I say unto you," are his falsehood, pride, lust, or profanity. emphatic words, "that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven:" and "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.' What condescension on the part of beings so highly exalted! What a protection provided for the feeble! What encouragement proposed to the penitent! "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." Pleasing, awful thought! The host of heaven guards my path and my bed, watches over my lying down and rising up; but their eyes are continually upon me, I am "compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses," they bear testimony to what 1 am, whither I go, how I am employed. Is the eye of a child a guard to virtue? What holy circumspection and watchfulness, then, what earnestness and perseverance in well doing, what abhorrence of that which is evil, ought the inspection of an angel, ought the

The words of the angel all meet their accomplishment in their season. The pretended oracles of paganism were constrained to veil their prophetic enunciations in terms of mystery and obscurity; they spake with timidity and caution; they clothed their responses and mandates in general and ambiguous expressions, which superstition might interpret what way soever it would; and which any event might be wrested to justify and support; but the lively oracles of God are minute, distinct, intelligible, and pointed; he who runs may read them; they clothe predictions with such an exactness of circumstance: they appeal to events so near at hand, so obvious to investigation, that it is impossible to mistake one thing for another, to confound one with another. Zacharias' dumbness, the season of his being attacked with it, the unexpected, miraculous pregnancy of Elisabeth, the birth of the child according to the time of life, the sudden res-all-seeing eye of God to produce? "He shall toration of the Father's hearing and speech, at the very moment predicted, were all matters of public notoriety; every one singular in itself, the whole taken in connexion so singular, as to mark the interest which eternal Providence took in an event, at first sight, of no great general importance, but in its effects and consequences involving the fate of nations, the everlasting destination of worlds.

What! all this state and magnificence; the trumpet of prophecy resounding, the prince of angels descending, to proclaim the advent of merely a man with raiment of camels' hair, with a leathern girdle about his loins! The Ruler of the universe, be assured, is not so lavish of extraordinary displays of his power and wisdom. If the true God appear, it is on an occasion worthy of a God. And if this be the preparation made for the appearance of the servant, what state shall precede the entrance of the Sovereign? Gabriel, I foresee, has another message to bring, a multitude of the heavenly host is on the wing, to announce a greater than John Baptist, even him of whom John Baptist himself says, "There standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoes' latchet I am not worthy to unloose." This solemn preparation for the manifestation of God in the flesh, if God permit, will be the subject of the next Lecture. I now conclude with the following reflections:

give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways;" "keep," therefore, "thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

2. From a preparation thus solemn and magnificent what are we not to expect? Four thousand years have been employed in making it; a procession of patriarchs, of prophets, of sages, of priests, of potentates, has passed on before in uninterrupted succession; angels have descended from heaven: surely He who thus cometh is the Son of God. "When he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, He saith, "And let all the angels of God worship Him:" And "unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom :" for "Thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands." "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doth wondrous things: And blessed be his glorious name for ever and ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory, Amen, and amen."

3. Though predicted events are strictly conformable to the word of prophecy, they nevertheless, in many cases, contradict, disappoint, and far exceed human expectation. The prophets themselves had not always a

established dogma. Study the ways of Providence; but dare not to interpret them according as passion or prejudice may dictate. "Thy way," O God, "is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture, and Providence of Providence; and "if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." Practical conformity to the divine will is preferable to the highest attainments in knowledge, and it is the most direct road to farther discovery.

distinct and complete perception of the object which they were commissioned to hold up to the eyes of the world. Those "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The agents employed in the accomplishment of promise and prediction, little understood the part which they acted. They thought of nothing less; they intended nothing less. They were unconscious instruments in the hand of God to execute a purpose, which had they known they would have striven to defeat. "The heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, 5. Superior beings are now an object of and the rulers take counsel together, against terror, and it is conscious guilt in man which the Lord, and against his anointed-He clothes them with that terror. They are our that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: The friends, they take delight in ministering to Lord shall have them in derision." Were our necessities, they cherish the gracious af"Herodand Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, fections of elder to younger brethren, yet and the people of Israel, gathered together" the apparition is formidable even to a Žato promote the cause of Christianity? No, charias. But "there is no fear in love; for they meant to destroy it. But" of a truth," perfect love casteth out fear: because fear Lord, they were constrained "to do whatso- hath torment. He that feareth is not made ever thy hand and thy counsel determined perfect in love." To that glorious perfection before to be done." Happy are they who, the Christian is encouraged to aspire. We with Gabriel and the other flaming minis- shrink from the idea of a visit from a departters who stand before God, are the conscious, ed friend arising out of the grave, but we the voluntary, the joyful agents under, and look with hope and desire to the day when together with God, in promoting the great we shall be added "to the general assembly work of Salvation. and church of the first-born, which are writ4. Let not man, then, presume to make ten in heaven-and to the spirits of just men his own understanding the measure of re- made perfect." The vision of one angel, in vealed truth, or of divine conduct. "Who our present state of depression, strikes the hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or, Who mind with awe; but we hope to come "to being his counsellor hath taught him?" It an innumerable company of angels;" nay ill becomes a creature conscious to himself "to God the judge of all," for we come of so much weakness, of so much ignorance, through "Jesus the Mediator of the new of such liableness to error, to erect himself covenant, and the blood of sprinkling, that into an infallible judge. "Search the Scrip- speaketh better things than that of Abel.” tures," but with reverence, with humility, Now we see through a glass, darkly; but with a desire to be instructed, not censori- then face to face: now I know in part; ously, self-sufficiently, not to wrest Scriptures but then shall I know even as also I am in favour of a preconceived opinion, or long-known."

HISTORY OF JESUS CHRIST.

LECTURE CXII.

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man, whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured. the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive i. thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.-LUKE i. 26-33.

EVERY thing in nature, we have observed, mystery inexplicable. Every flower of the ■ revelation and discovery, and yet all is field, every pebble in the brook, every leaf