SECTION VI. ELIZABETH BEARS A SON, WHO IS NAMED JOHN; AND ZACHARIAS cumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as Gen. xxi 4. PROPHESIES. Luke i. 57-80. W Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son, according to the prediction of the Angel. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her, in giving her a child after so long a period of barrenness : and they congratulated and rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came, ■ And Abraham cir- as the Law required, to circumcise,a and, as was customary at the same time, to name the child. And they called (were God commanded him. about to call) him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother, having understood beforehand from her husband what was the command given by the Angel, answered (addressed them) and said, It must not be so, but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, But there is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father to ascertain how he would have him called. And he asked by signs for a writing-table," and wrote, saying (wrote these words), His name is John. And they marvelled all, for they knew not that it had been already so determined by the Angel. And the period, during which Zacharias was to continue dumb, having now expired with the naming of the child, immediately his mouth was opened, and his tongue became loosed, and he spake plain; and, as the first and most fitting employment of his restored faculty, he praised God, acknowledging his sin and the justice of his punishment. And fear (religious awe) came on all that dwelt round about them; and all these sayings and remarkable events were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them treated them not as matters of ordinary intelligence, but laid them up in their hearts, saying one to another, What manner of child shall this be (what sort of man will this child become), whose birth has been so extraordinary? And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath once (1) A writing-table.] This is supposed to denote the small square writing-board whitened over, or smeared with wax, on which the Ancients, not having the use of paper, were accustomed to write. Such a contrivance is said to be even now used in the East. The instrument employed for writing was an iron pen or style, by which characters were marked on the soft material covering the table. b The Lord visited the children of Israel, and tion. Exod. iv. 31. e And the Lord God said unto the serpent, The bruise thy head. Gen. Seed of the woman shall iii. 14, 15. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will "again mercifully visited and redeemed His people, b and "hath at length raised up for us an Horn of Salvation (2) looked upon their afflic "(a mighty royal Saviour) in the house of His servant "David, as He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, "which have been since the world began; namely, "That we should be saved, as from our temporal, so from our spiritual enemies, Sin, and Death, and Satan, and "from the hand of all that hate us. And this will He “now fulfil, in order to perform the mercy promised to our "fathers, and to remember His holy covenant,-confirmed "by the oath which He sware to our father Abraham,e"that unto us, the heirs of the Promise, He would grant, "that we, being delivered without fear out of the hand of "our enemies, might serve Him, walking in holiness and "righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper: in His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. Jer. xxiii. 5, 6. the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them enemy. Ps. evi. 10. d He saved them from from the hand of the • I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will 42. f I will establish My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after “And thou, my highly-favoured child, shalt be called "the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the "face of the Lord Jesus, to prepare His ways, as it has remember. Lev. xxvi. "been foretold of thee by the Prophets: to give unto His "people knowledge of Salvation,—no longer attainable by "the righteousness of the Law, but-by the remission of their "sins through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the "Day Spring, the dawning which precedes the "Rising Sun " of Righteousness” (Mal. iv. 2),—hath already visited us, to "give light from on high to them that, as prisoners in a "dungeon, sit in spiritual darkness and in the shadow of "death"-to guide our feet, as those of benighted travellers "waiting for the dawn, into the way of safety and peace." thee. Gen. xvii. 7. The voice of him that crieth in the wilder. ness, Prepare ye the way the Lord. İsa. xl. 3. of Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. Mal. iii. 1. h The people that walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; they that shadow of death, upon them hath the Light dwell in the land of the And the child John grew, and the hand of the Lord was with him: and he waxed strong in spirit, increasing daily in wisdom as in stature; and was there in the deserts (the hill country), devoutly meditating and preparing for his work, till the day of his shewing himself unto and the Lord blessed him. Israel and entering upon his public ministry. (2) An Horn of Salvation.] The strength of beasts is in their horns, and hence the sacred writers, when they would speak of great strength, make use of this metaphor (see Ps. lxxv. 10; Jer. xlviii. 25).-Next it imports honour and triumph, as when the horn is "exalted" (Ps. lxxv. shined. Isa. ix. 2. 4; lxxxix. 24).-From the union of these, it comes to signify, as it does here, Regal Power (Zech. i. 18, 19; Dan. vii. 24; Rev. xiii. 1). -The Horn of Salvation in the house of David especially denotes the Kingdom of Christ (Ps. xviii. 2; cxxxii. 17). SECTION VII. AN ANGEL INFORMS JOSEPH OF THE MIRACULOUS AND IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF HIS VIRGIN BRIDE. spies, which should feign Matt. i. 18-25. OW the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise (in the NOW manner following) :-When as (Namely) His mother Mary was espoused (contracted in marriage) to Joseph, and before they came (cohabited) together, she was found with child by the miraculous power of the Holy Ghost over And they sent forth shadowing her. Then Joseph her husband (") being a just1 themselves just men and man (a strict observer of the Law, as well as a man of merthey asked Him, Is it law- ciful disposition), and not willing to make her a public to Cæsar? Luke xx. example by exposing her sin, was minded (was inclined) to He is just to forgive put her away privily b in the manner prescribed by the us our sins. 1 John i. 9. Law, that is, by giving her a bill of divorcement, without assigning any cause, in the presence of two witnesses. ful for us to give tribute 20-22. b When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour hath found some unclean ness in her; then let him write her a bill of divorce ment, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. Deut. xxiv. 1. But while he thought within himself on these things, in his eyes, because he for he would not proceed hastily, behold the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,—in the manner of the Divine communications to God's prophets and people of old, saying, Joseph, thou son (descendant) of David, fear not, from any doubts of her purity, to take unto thee Mary thy wife, but receive her at once from her parents into thine house; for that which is conceived in her is begotten by the miraculous energy of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall SAVEd His people from both the punishment and the dominion of their sins. (*) When He cometh into the world. He saith, A body hast THOU prepared Me. Heb. x. 5. There is none other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled (" must be saved. Acts iv. 12. which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet (so that that was made good which was spoken by the Holy Spirit through the prophet Isaiah, ch. vii. v. 14,) seven hundred and forty years before, saying, BEHOLD A VIRGIN (the Virgin, (1) Her husband.] So was the bridegroom called during the space of time which usually intervened between the espousals and the nuptials (see Section IV. Note 2). Such, however, was the strict nature of this engagement, that unfaithfulness to each other was considered as adultery, and, upon proof of guilt, the punishment was lapidation (Deut. xxii. 23, &c.) (2) He shall save His people from their sins.] A short but a very weighty phrase. By our Lord's people is clearly meant all the faithful, whether Jews or Gentiles (Isa. liii. 11; John vi. 37). The name of "Saviour" having been hitherto appropriated by the Jews to such as delivered them from their enemies, is here applied by the Angel in a spiritual sense to correct, at the very commencement of the New Kingdom, the idea of a temporal Messiah. So at Acts v 31. The words in the text should always remind us of our salvation, not only from the consequences of sin, but from its slavery: the influence of the Spirit of Christ is to lead on believers to personal holiness; and sanctification, as well as justification, must be considered as implied in the Gospel-Covenant. (3) That it might be fulfilled.] It must not be supposed that predicted events accomplished in the Gospel were decreed by God. What the Prophets had predicted was indeed certain to come to pass; but such events did not happen because they were foretold; they were for the wisest reasons foretold, because it was foreseen that they would happen. AN ANGEL APPEARS TO JOSEPH. "whose Seed should bruise the Serpent's head") SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME (His name shall be called, i. e., He shall be) EMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US. Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, for he doubted not that the message was from God; and he forthwith took home unto him Mary his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son. (3) 15 SECTION VIII. JOSEPH AND MARY GO TO BETHLEHEM IN JUDEA, WHERE THE HOLY CHILD IS BORN. A Luke ii. 1-7. When Paul had appealed to be reserved un to the hearing of Augus tus, I commanded him to be kept that I might send him to Cæsar. Acts xxv. 21. ND it came to pass in those days,-soon after the birth of John,-that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustusa (1) that all the world() should be taxed (the Roman emperor issued an edict that the whole population of the empire should be enrolled for the purpose of assessment). And this taxing (the assessment itself) was first made when Cyrenius, eleven years after, was governor ing. Acts v. 37. (*) Emmanuel.] It is no objection that Christ was not called by this name, if He was actually "God with us." The Hebrew verb rendered "shall be called" commonly signifies "shall be." With respect to the famous prophecy here referred to (Isa. vii. 10—16), the sign which it speaks of does not necessarily relate to a child born in the time of Ahaz, for the promise of a sign was not made to him who distinctly refused to ask a sign, but to the house of David at that time endangered. The Evangelist cites no more of it than that part which relates to the miraculous birth of Christ, and which is addressed in the plural number to the house of David, assuring them in effect that the promises to their fathers should be fulfilled. What follows afterwards of the prophecy relates to Isaiah's son, and is addressed in the singular number to Ahaz to support him in his immediate distress. ($) Her first-born Son.] This expression, which does not occur at all in the Vatican and some other ancient manuscripts, does not determine whether Mary had more children or not, but it is sometimes employed where there was only one child. The suffrage of Antiquity for the most part decides that the Virgin had not any other children. We find our Lord consigning her at His death (as though she had none to whom she had a right to look for maintehance), to the care of the beloved disciple; and we may be permitted to suppose that a vessel b Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the tax which had been so honoured would not afterwards be profaned. This point, however, is one of those into which we need not particularly enquire. And we may best conclude, with Basil, that "though it was necessary for the completion of Prophecy, that Mary should continue a Virgin until she had brought forth her first-born Son, yet what she was afterwards need not be determined, as it is of no manner of concern to the mystery." () Cæsar Augustus.] This was Octavianus, the nephew of Julius Cæsar. When he succeeded to the empire, he took the name of Augustus (that is, august or "honourable "), as a compliment to his own greatness, Judea was tributary to Rome, and he ordered this Census to be taken for registering the population, preparatory to taxation. (2) All the world.] This expression is often used in a confined sense by those later Greek writers, who, like the Jews, were subjects of the Roman empire: and the writers of the New Testament, following the example of the politer writers of the time, may be only alluding here (as some think) to Palestine, and we find them doing so elsewhere when using the same expression (see Matt. iv. 8; Acts xi. 28; Rom. iv. 13). It appears, however, from history, that a Census of the whole Roman empire was taken about this time. 16 But thou, Bethlehem Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of the shall He come forth unto Me, that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Mic. v. 2. JOSEPH AND MARY GO TO BETHLEHEM. of Syria. (3) And all the Jews went to be taxed, every one into his own city, for there the records of each family were kept. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,c()—because he was of the house and lineage of David,d-to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being now great with child. And so it was providentially brought to pass that, while they were there, the Hath not the Scrip- days were accomplished that she should be delivered. cometh of the seed of And she brought forth her first-born Son and wrapped town of Bethlehem where Him in swaddling-clothes, and laid Him in a manger (5) David was? John vii. 42. of the nearest stable or out-building, because, from the great influx of persons who had come to be enrolled, there hemite. 1 Sam. xvii. 68. was no room for them in the inn. ture said, That Christ David, and out of the And David answered, I am the son of thy serv ant Jesse, the Bethle SECTION IX. LEGAL GENealogy of JESUS CHRIST. (FROM ABRAHAM, THE LEGAL ANCESTOR OF JESUS, DOWN TO JOSEPH, His reputed Father.) This is the book of the generations of Adam. Gen. v. 1. THE Matt. i. 1-17. a HE Book of the generation (the genealogy) of Jesus b Jesus asked them say. Abraham to whom the promises were first made. ing, What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? They say unto Him, xxii. 41, 42. Jesus Christ our Lord, Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and The Son of David. Matt. Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; and Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; which was made of the and Esrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; and And the Angel of the Salmon begat Booz of Rachab (Boaz of Rahab); and Booz Seed of David according to the flesh. Rom. i. 3. Lord called unto Abraham out of Heaven, and said, By Myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, in thy Seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Gen. xxii. 15-18.-To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to Seeds, as of many; but as of one; and to thy Seed, which is Christ. Gal. iii. 16. about by this enrolment. Another prophecy, by the dying Jacob (Gen. xlix. 10), was thus veri (3) Syria.] The exact bounds of ancient Syria have never been determined, but such was the general name for the country north of Pales-fied, for the enrolment being made by order of a tine, which lay between the Euphrates on the east, the Mediterranean on the west, Mount Taurus on the north, and Arabia on the south. The region now called Syria includes Palestine. (4) Bethlehem.] Prophecy had declared that Christ was to come "out of Bethlehem of Judea." This village, seated on a hill, six miles from Jerusalem, was formerly called Bethlehem Ephrata or Ephrath (Gen. xxxv. 19), and afterwards Bethlehem Judah, to distinguish it from another place of the name in Galilee (Josh. xix. 15). That Bethlehem Judah and Bethlehem Ephrata were the same, appears from comparing Ruth i. 1, with Ruth iv. 11.-However improbable it might seem that the Saviour should be born at a distance of fifty miles (or about three days' journey) from the abode of Joseph at Nazareth, the event was providentially brought foreign potentate, proved that the Sceptre had departed from Judah, and that the full time had arrived for "Shiloh" to appear. Bethlehem now appears as a confused and irregular pile of white buildings; but the Christian convent there is one of the largest and finest in the Holy Land. (5) A manger.] The spot on which our Saviour was born appears to have been a place of accommodation attached to the inn, either for cattle to stand in, or for the poorer sort of lodgers. From the nature of the country it may have been (as some suppose) a cave. Justin Martyr, born himself in that country, and living sufficiently near the time to know the fact, informs us that the inn, with this its place of accommodation, was then standing, and that it was situated in the suburbs without the town. |