Secondly, It was done by the ministry of Men For illustrious persons, divinely directed, came from a far country, to offer gifts, and to do honor to the new born King.

Thirdly, It was done by the ministry of Nature. Nature herself was commanded to bear witness to the presence of the God of Nature. A Star or Divine Light, pointed out significantly from heaven the spot upon earth where the Savior was born.

Thus, I say, it pleased the Divine Wisdom, by an assemblage of heavenly testimonies, to glorify the incarnation of the Son of God.

All these testimonies were appropriate; but the Journey of the Eastern Sages had in it a peculiar fitness. We can hardly imagine a more natural mode of honoring the event than this, that illustrious persons should proceed from a far country to visit the child which was born Savior of the world. They came, as it were, in the name of the Gentiles, to acknowledge the heavenly gift, and to bear their testimony against that nation which rejected it. They came as the representatives of the whole heathen world; not only of the heathens in the East, but also of the heathens in the West, from whom we are de scended. In the name of the whole world, lying "in "darkness, and in the shadow of death," they came inquiring for that Light which, they had heard, was to visit them in the fulness of time. "And the Star "which they saw in the East went before them, till "it came and stood over where the young child was.

"And when they were come into the house, they "fell down and worshipped him; and when they had "opened their treasures, they presented unto him "gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh ;" and they departed into their own country.

Do you ask how the Star of Christ was understood in the East? Or why Providence ordained that peculiar mode of intimation?

Christ was foretold in old prophecy, under the name of the Star that should arise out of Jacob;" and the rise of the Star in Jacob was notified to the world, by the appearance of an actual Star.

We learn from authentic Roman history, that there prevailed" in the East" a constant expectation of a Prince, who should arise out of Judea, and rule the world. That such an expectation did exist, has been confirmed by the ancient writings of India. Whence, then, arose this extraordinary expectation, for it was found also in the Sybilline books of Rome?

The Jewish expectation of the Messiah had pervaded the East long before the period of his appear ance. The Jews are called by their own prophet the "Expecting people*," (as it may be translated, and as some of the Jews of the East translate it,) the "people looking for and expecting One to come." Wherever, then, the ten tribes were carried thoughout the East, they carried with them their expectation. And they carried also the prophecies on which their

"

* Is. xviii, 2. The people meted out,” in our translation.

expectation was founded. Now one of the clearest of these prophecies runs in these words: "There shall come a Star out of Jacob." And as in the whole dispensation concerning the Messiah, there is a wonderful fitness between the words of prophecy and the person spoken of, so it pleased the Divine Wis. dom that the rise of the Star in Jacob should be announced to the world by the appearance of an actual Star, (for by what other means could the great event be more significantly communicated to the remote parts of the earth?) and this actual Star, in itself a proper emblem of that" Light which was to lighten the Gentiles," conducted them to Him who was called in a figure the Star of Jacob, and the "glory of his people Israel;" and who hath said of himself, (Rev. xxii. 16,) "I, Jesus, am the bright and morning Star t."

But again, why was the East thus honored? Why was the East, and not the West, the scene of these transactions? The East was the scene of the first revelation of God. The fountains of inspiration were first opened in the East. And, after the flood, the first family of the new world was planted in the East; I mean the East, in relation to Judea. Besides, millions of the human race inhabit that portion of the globe. The chief population of the world is in these regions. And in the middle of them the Star of Christ first appeared. And, led by it, the wise men

The Jews used to speak of their Messiah under the appellation of Bar Cocab, or "the Son of the Star ;" and false Christs actually assum ed that name

passed through many nations, tongues, and kindreds, before they arrived at Judea in the West; bearing tidings to the world that the Light was come, that the "Desire of all Nations" was come. Even to Jerusalem herself they brought the first intimation that her long-expected Messiah was co me.

Now, my brethren, as the East was honored in the first age, in thus pointing out the Messiah to the world; so now again, after a long interval of darkness, it is bearing witness to the truth of his religion; not indeed by the shining of a Star, but by affording luminous evidence of the divine origin of the Christian Faith. It affords evidence, not only of the general truth of its history, but of its peculiar doctrines; and not of its doctrines merely, but of the divine power of these doctrines in convincing the understandings and converting the hearts of men. And in this sense it is, that "we have seen his Star in the East, and are "come to worship him."

And when these evidences shall have been laid be. fore you, you will see that the Time is come for diffusing His religion throughout the world; you will "offer gifts" in His name for the promotion of the work; and you will offer up prayers in its behalf, "that God would be pleased to make his ways "known, his saving health unto all nations."

In this discourse, we propose to lay before you,

1st. EVIDENCES of the general truth of the Chris tian Religion, existing in the East.

2dly. EVIDENCES of the divine power of that religion exemplified in the East.

I. The general truth of the Christian Religion is illustrated by certain evidences in the East. Of these we shall mention the following.

I. Ancient writings of India, containing particulars of the history of Christ.

2. Certain doctrines of the East, shadowing forth the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, and manifestly derived from a common origin.

3. The state of the Jews in the East, confirming the truth of ancient prophecy.

4. The state of the Syrian Christians in the East, · subsisting for many ages, a separate and distinct people in the midst of the heathen world.

These subjects, however, we must notice very briefly.

I. Hindoo history illustrates the history of the Gospel. There have lately been discovered in India, certain Shanscrit writings containing testimonies of Christ. They relate to a Prince who reigned about the period of the Christian æra; and whose history, though mixed with fable, contains particulars which correspond, in a surprising manner, with the advent, birth, miracles, death, and resurrection of our Savior, The event mentioned in the words of the text is exactly recorded, namely, That certain holy men, di- ̈