The conduct of the wise men described in this chapter is a splendid exami^le of spiritual diligence. What trouble it must have cost them to travel from their homes to the house where Jesus was born ! How many w^eary miles they must have journeyed ! The fatigues of an Eastern traveller are far greater than we in England can at all understand. The time that such a journey would occupy must necessarily have been very great. The dangers to be encountered were neither few nor small. But none of these things moved them. They had set their hearts on seeing Him "that was born King of the Jews ;" and they never rested till they saw Him. They prove to us the truth of the old saying, "Where there is a will there is a way."
It would be well for all professing Christians if they were more ready to follow the wise men's example. Where is our self-denial ? What pains do we take about our souls ? What diligence do we show about following Christ ? What does our religion cost us ? These are serious questions. They deserve serious consideration.
Last, but not least, the conduct of the wise men is a striking example of faith. They believed in Christ when they had never seen Him ; — but that was not all. They believed in Him when the Scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving ; — but that again was not all. They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary's knee, and worshipped Him as a king. This was the crowning point of their faith. — They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They beheld no signs of divinity and greatness to overawe them. They saw nothing but a new-born infant, helpless and weak, and needing a mother's care
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like any one of ourselves. And yet when they saw that infant, they believed that they saw the divine Saviour of the world. '^ They fell down and worshipped Him."
We read of no greater faith than this in the whole volume of the Bible. It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the penitent thief The thief saw one dying the death of a malefactor, and yet prayed to Him, and " called Him Lord." The wise men saw a new-born babe on the lap of a poor woman, and yet worshipped Him and confessed that He was Christ. Blessed indeed are those that can believe in this fashion !
This is the kind of faith, let us remember, that God delights to honor. We see the proof of that at this very day. Wherever the Bible is read the conduct of these wise men is known, and told as a memorial of them. Let us walk in the steps of their faith. Let us not be ashamed to believe in Jesus and confess Him, though all around us remain careless and unbelieving. Have we not a thousand-fold more evidence than the wise men had, to make us believe that Jesus is the Christ ? Beyond doubt we have. Yet where is our faith ?