He tells the Wiſe Men, that Bethlehem was the place, wherein his Wite Men had informed him, thac the King of the Fews was to be bin, and ſends them chither wich theſe Inſtructions : That they thould go, and ſearch diligently there for the young Child, whom he doth nor call King, thereby dilſembling his bloody Mind, and ma- king as it he had no jealouſie of him ; yer wichal he ſuggeſts to chem, rhat he was like to be a Greaz Prince, or elfe he would never have prerended that he had a Deſign, when once he knew cercain- ly where he was, to g9 and pay an Hmage to him, This Text lets us ſee the malignity of Herod's Heart, and indeed of all wicked men's Hearts, Herod knew that the Meſtah was born. The Extra- ordinary Star, and the coming of the Wiſe Men, the Prieſts and Scribes Anſwer to him could nor bur confirm him that he was born, who was long fince Promiſed as a King and Governor to Iſrael , yer could he nor obtain of his wrerched Heart, to comply with the Counſels of God, bur contrary to his own Conviftions, ſhews the folly of his Hearr, in thinking ic was in his Power to fruſtrate the Divine Counſels, and be roo hard for God himſelf ; nor is his folly leſs remarkable, not ſending any of his own Courtiers wich chem, whom he might better have ruſted than meer Strangers, ro have come back, and brought him an account : Bur whether it was, that he durſt not cruſt any of the Jews, or that he was over-credulous in cruſting to the innocent Simplicity of theſe Wiſe Men, being nor made acquainted wich his Intentions, he ſuffereth rhem to go alone upcn this Errand, whom he mighr poſſibly think, wouid be leaſt ſulpe&ed of 7oſeph and Mary ; fo as ar their rerura he ſhould have a m re full account of all Circumſtances concerning him, than he culd have expetted from one who had been raken notice cf, as one that belonged to his Courr.
9 And when they had heard the King. they depar- ted ; and lo, the Star which they ſaw in the Eaſt.,went betore them, till 1t came, and ſtood. over where the young child was.
They departed toward Bethlehem-Fudah, how long their Jour- ney was, we cannot tell. Some wonder, thar none of the Zews did attend them in their Journey, coming cur of their own Country up- on ſuch a Diſcvery, and impure it eirher to the 7-ws Fear of the i*rant under winch chey were, or to the blindneſs and hardnets of thcir Hearts, fcr Sr. 7ohn tells us he came among his own, ond they re- ceived him not ; bur 1t 1s poſſible that the Wiſe Mens immediare Ap- plications were to the Court, as thinking that the moſt probable place to hear of ore that ſhould be born King of the Jews ; and ir may be queſti-»ned wherher Herod, tho* he called the Scribes, and the Prieſts cogerher rold rhem, that his Summoning ot chem was o-cafion- ed by the coming, of rhe iſe Men, for che only Queſtion he propoun- ded io them, was, Where Ch:ijt was to be born £ Which they mi.zhr un- derſtand without any Relation ro che Wile Mens Queſtion. Nor is it probable that Herod ſhould be more open than needed in pub- liſhing the coming of theſe Wiſe 3/en, or their Errand, Yer, the Texr ſaying, that not only Herod, but all Feruſalem was trouble, ſuggeſts ro us that both their Coming, and che Occaſion of ir, was noiſed abroad, more than prebably A-rod could have withed, but ic is like their Diſmifſion was fo private, thar ifany cfthe Jews had had an Heart and Courage enougi to have gone with them, yet they mizhr not have had Opportunity. Ir 15 more admirable, that Herod ſent none that he could ſecurely truſt with chem : Bur the Hand of God was in this thing. They ſhall be hid, whwm he will hides The Lord had prepared them a berrer Guide, The Sr, which probably had diſappeared for a zocd cime, while they were upon their Journey to Feru/alem ( for they needed no Star to guide them to ſo Famous a place) as ſoon as they were our © 7eru/alem ap- peared again | and went before them, till it c:me, and ji514 over where the young Child was ] probably, the Star appeared in che lower Re- gion, and tho! it could nor point ſo direttly char rhey ſhould know the very Houſe, yer ir mighr poiat ſo near, as by mmquiry chey might eafily find ir, eſpecially by the influence oft God up2n their Spirits, which doubtleſs they did nor wanr, Whether thefe Wiſe Men were of the Poſterity of Balan, who Prophetied, Num. 24.17, 19, of a Scepter that fhmld ariſe out of Tract, that ſhould ſmite the Corners of Moab, one that ſp:1d have Doininion, 6c, Or this Stay had any
Relation
Chap. 11.
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” ys Ek cab Pe Ge ap
oL. . j/ _ pets +
So St bt.
-.
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Chan. II. St: M AT
Relation to the Star mentioned there, v. 17. is very incertain : Tt is more probable rhar theſe Wiſe Men came a far —_ PP; 1nd chart the S:ar there mentioned, was not to be underſtood in a 1::eral Senſe, bur berrer expounded by Simeon, Luk. 2.32. A Light 79 liehten the Gentiles, and to be the Glory of his People Iſrael.
10 And when they ſaw the Star, they rejoyced with exceeding great joy.
Joy is bur tlie natural Conſequent of Defire ſatisfied. They had in their own Country ſeen an extraordinary Star, which, accord- inz to the Rules of rheir own Art, they might gueſs to be an Indi- cation of a great Prince born; or by a Divine Revelation chey might know ro be ſo. This kindled in them a ſtrong Deſire ro go and pay an Homage to him. Upon this they rake a long Journey to Je- ru/alem : When they come there, they were more tully confirmed from che Anſiver of the Prieſts and Scribes, that there was a Chriſt to be born in Bethlehem-Fudah ; thither they go in their Journey; the ſame Star they had before ſeen, appears t0 rhem again, Con- firming both rheir former Apprehenſions, and by 1ts ſtanding over Bethlehem, and a particular Houſe in it (to their Apprehenſions ) they were fully confirmed, thac they had right Inſtrutions from Herd, aud rejoyced in the ſatisfaction of their Deſires naturally , and poſſibly rejoyced Spiritually in this matter of Foy to all People, if they had (as is probable) a Spiricual Illumination , and believed thar rhis Chriſt was alſo 7eſ#, one come to fave both 7Zews and Gen- tiles from their ſins. :
11 Whenthey were come into the houſe, they ſaw
the young child with Mary his Mother, and fell down and worſhipped him : and when they had opened their
| Oroffered Treaſures, they || preſented unto him Gifts, Gold, and
Frankincenſe and Myrrh.