4. How they conducted themselves towards him when they had found him —
[Filled with holy awe and reverence, they no sooner beheld him, than they prostrated themselves before him; and presented to him the offerings which they had brought with them for that purpose. It is possible, that their worship was only such as it was customary to pay to kings ; and that their presents were only such as were the produce of their own country, without any thing mysterious in their import. Still, however, we read not of their paying any such regard to Herod ; and therefore we may conclude, that at least they considered Jesus as excel- ling all other kings in dignity and glory.]
» Numh. xxiv. 17.
We shall now, II. Call your particular attention to the Wise INlen— They may be regarded by us in a three-fold view :
1. As witnesses to confirm our faith —
[Does the indiiFerence of the Jews respecting their new- born King appear to weaken the evidence of his birth ? Let us hear th°e testimony of the Magi respecting him : * We beheld a new-formed star, and were instructed by Jehovah in the rea- son of its formation. We went to see the child whose birth it announced, and we saw him with our eyes, and paid to him the homage which was due from us. We know that we found the very child that was referred to, because that miraculous star pointed him out to us ; and when we had honoured him to the best of our ability, Jehovah appeared to us again, revealed to us the purpose which Herod had conceived, and directed us to return to our own country without informing Herod, that so the parents of the child might have time to remove him to a land of safety.'
Must we not in all this acknowledge the hand of God ? and would God thus set his seal to a falsehood, and thus countenance an impostor?]
2. As types to animate our hope —
[We are taught to believe that the day shall come, wlun all nations of the earth shall be converted to God, and the ful- ness of the Gentiles shall be brought into the Church of Christ. Tlie conversion of these Wise Men was, as it were, the first fruits, which assure to us the complete harvest. Does the event appear incredible? It was no difficulty to God to convince, and encourage them: nor will it be difficult with him to effect the universal change, whenever his time is come. The same thing shall then take place on an extended scale''; and " the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of the Lord and his Christ."]
3. As patterns to direct our conduct —
[Much may we learn from those heathen philosophers. First, let us learn to improve our studies or pursuits, whatever they may be, for our spiritual advantage. Do we behold strange phenomena in nature ? Let them lead us to the God of nature: and whatever light we obtain from him, let us use it as the means of obtaining more light.
Next, let us not regard any scoffs, or difficulties, or dangers, that we may have to encounter in the way of our duty. Doubt- less, the sages found many obstacles in their way ; but they persisted to the end ; and never ceased from their labour, till
^ Isai. Ix. 5, 6.