LVIII. NAZARENE.

'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.'

Matt. ii. 23

THIS title is not very important, still it is evidently embraced within the range of our plan. The word occurs once more, in the plural form, Acts xxiv. 5, where Paul, among other accusations brought against him by Tertullus, the orator, was charged with being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

The following from Calmet may assist the reader to a correct understanding of the word here applied to the Redeemer :

'NAZARITE, or NAZARENE, may signify, (1.) An inhabitant of Nazareth; or a native of that city. (2.) A sect of Christians. (3.) A man under a vow to observe the rules of Nazariteship; whether for the whole life, as Samson, and John the Baptist; or for a time, as those in Numb. vi. 18-20; Amos ii. 11, 12. (4.) A man of distinction and dignity in the court of a prince. (Compare the Bibl. Repository, ii. p. 388.)

'The name of Nazarene is given to Christ, not only because of his having lived the greater part of his life at Nazareth, and because that place was considered as his country, but also because the prophets had foretold that "he should be called a Nazarene," Matt. ii. 23. We find no particular place in the prophets expressly affirming that the Messiah should

be called a Nazarene; and Matthew only mentions the prophets in general. Perhaps he would infer that the consecration of Nazarites, and their great purity, was a type and prophecy referring to our Saviour; (Numb. vi. 18, 19.) or, that the name Nazir, or Nazarite, [separated,] given to the patriarch Joseph, had some reference to Christ, Gen. xlix. 26; Deut. xxxiii. 16. Jerome was of opinion, that Matthew alludes to Isa. xi. 1; lx. 21: "There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch (Heb. Nezer) shall grow out of his roots." This branch, or Nezer, and this rod, are certainly intended to denote the Messiah, by the general consent of the fathers and interpreters. Or, possibly, in a more general sense, "He shall be vilified, despised, neglected," as every thing was that came from Nazareth; and this might be a kind of prophetic proverb.'

The title here furnishes, like every other one which we have considered, a great moral truth. It shows us the extreme folly and wickedness of prejudice. Even the Saviour himself could not be received because he had 'been brought up' at Nazareth: Luke iv. 16. That there was a very great prejudice against that place, is evident from an incident relating to the beginning of our Lord's ministry: 'Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.'* Human nature remains about the same in all ages. Men generally attach similar honor

* John i. 45, 46.

or disgrace to persons, as they do to places from which they originate. But a more unsafe rule cannot be adopted.

There is another kind of prejudice which manifested itself against our Lord, and that was, that he had never been brought up in any of the schools in that day. 'How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?' was the taunting language of the persecuting Jew. It was well said by the Nazarene, 'My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.'* And many other infallible proofs did this poor, despised Nazarene present that he was of God.

A profitable use may be made of the advice of Philip to Nathanael, 'come and see.' So we say to the infidel, when deriding the Nazarene, and treading his precepts under foot, 'come and see.' Many of those who cry out that the Bible is a fable, never read it in their lives.

'I once met with a per

son,' says a writer, 'who professed to disbelieve every tittle of the New Testament, a chapter of which he acknowledged he had never read. I asked him, had he ever read the Old? He answered, No!' And yet, these are the very men who reject the whole as an imposture! God have mercy upon them. We invite the world to come and examine the claims of the Nazarene; to look at his sufferings, and the purity of his character; and we feel satisfied that it will be found, on examination, that no history bears so many marks of authenticity as that of the poor, despised Nazarene.

*John vii. 15-17.

LIX. PASSOVER.

'Purge out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.'

1 Cor. v. 7.

THIS word occurs in fifty-six instances, but is only applied to Christ in this place. The word Pascha or passover is taken, 1. For the passing over of the destroying angel. 2. For the paschal lamb. 3. For the meal at which it was eaten. 4. For the festival instituted in memory of the coming out of Egypt, and the passage of the destroying angel. 5. For all the victims offered during the paschal solemnity. 6. For the unleavened bread eaten during the eight days of the passover. 7. For all the ceremonies of this solemnity.

The passover was one of the most interesting and solemn festivals that was held among the Jews. All those writers who have described it, represent it as a most animating and thrilling occasion. Each head of the family went through his house to search for leavened bread. When he had gone through to the outer door, he said, 'Whatsoever leavened thing there is in my house, which I have not seen or put away, may it be scattered in pieces, and accounted as the dust of the earth.' A very interesting author gives the following animated description of the appearance of the holy city during this grand festival. 'What a scene! The whole environs of Jerusalem were

turned into an encampment, all the hills and valleys, all the streets and open places, were covered with tents. It was impossible that the houses should contain all the strangers, notwithstanding the unbounded hospitality which was practised on these occasions, and hence it was necessary that a large proportion of them should remain in tents during the festival. In the pleasant season of the year, at which the Passover was held, this had nothing inconvenient or disagreeable in it; it was the universal custom at the feast of tabernacles, and it reminded them of the patriarchal life, and the wandering in the desert. This gave to Jerusalem a singular but very interesting appearance. All was motion, life, and animation, and the thought of the purpose for which these myriads of men had come up from near or distant regions, filled the mind with solemn and elevated feeling. A million of human beings have frequently been assembled here on such an occasion, all for the purpose of appearing with prayer and praise before Jehovah.'*

Such was the passover. How many beautiful

associations must have existed in the mind of a Jew when he thought of this interesting festival. And our Lord and Master is called our Passover.

It may be well to remark, that some believe that Jesus was crucified on the same day and hour that the paschal lamb was offered. It has been stated as a very remarkable fact, that after the destruction of the holy city, the paschal lamb ceased to be offered by the Jews throughout the world. They continue the

*See HELON'S Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, vol. i. p. 169, et seq., in which the author has endeavored to present, in a fictitious dress, 'a Picture of Judaism in the century which preceded the advent of our Saviour.'