In their labours, we behold also,
II. The ardour of mmd with which it should be pur-
sued— Their journey, whether from Arabia or any other country, was long and arduous —
[Their setting out from their own country, and prose- cuting their journey to Judaea, argued no little zeal : but to persevere when the star had disappeared, and when so much difficulty and uncertainty must, in all probability, attend their future exertions, required a zeal more than ordinarily intense and ardent: and we admire their steady perseverance in so great a work.]
What, then, should ever damp our ardour in the service of our Lord ?
[Methinks, this is a labour in which our whole lives should be occupied. We need not, indeed, leave our liomes in order to behold his face, since he is here in the midst of us: but we must be ready to part with all, if called to it : and, whatever diili- culties may obstruct our way, we should determine, with God's
help, to surmount them all Nor sliould wo take with
us a portion only of our property ; but go and offer to him all that we are, and all that we have. Our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, must be consecrated to his service, that he may be glorified in all ]
In them we may yet further see,
III. The blessedness that shall crown our labours —
" They rejoiced with exceeding great joy" —
[They, even before they had fully attained their object, rejoiced : what joy, then, must have filled their souls, when they were introduced into the very presence of this infant, and had the honour of presenting to him their gifts of gold, and frankincense and myrrh !]
But the believer's joy at finding the Saviour, is incomparably more exalted —
[It is truly said to be a "joy unspeakable and glorified." O how richly are the labours of a whole life repaid by one glimpse of the Saviour's glory ! And what prospects does it
open to him in the eternal world ! Truly, no language
can express the joy that he feels, nor any heart conceive the blessedness that awaits him ]
Address —
1. The nominal Christian —