succeeded bis father in Judma. His character was well known; he was like hie father, cruel and suspicious. Joseph foored for the holy Child. (2) His dream. Again (so the Greek word seems to suggest) be sought counsel of God; again, for the fourth time now, God answered him in a dream. We mark Joseph's untiring watchfulness, hie .constant prayers, God's gracious answers. God's people must do their part; they must work and watch and pray. In all their difficulties they must come to God in prayer; he will guide and direct them, they may not doubt. But they must be, like Joseph, vigilant and careful; they must learn of One greater than Joseph to "watch and pray." They must try to live, as Joseph lived, in habitual intercourse with God. (3) His obedience. He might have wished to live at Bethlehem, where he and Mary were not known, where the holy Child was born; the city of David seemed the fit home for the Son of David. But there was reason to fear the tyranny of Arebela.us. God gnided him to Galilee; he returned to his old home at Nazareth. There the holy Child grew up to manhood. The first years of that wonderful life were spent in that little town, away from great cities; among the busy scenes of active life, in daily labour, in deep mysterious thought and constant prayer; in wanderings, perhaps, full of holy meditation, among those scenes of rare natural beauty, on those wooded hills with their wealth of bright flowers, with their fair, wide-reaching prospects. 'l'here he lived, a still, humble lire, unknown to the great world; but, we may be sure, a life most beautiful and holy, a ·ure which the angels of God watched with the intensest interest, with the deepest reverence. We may well be content to live quiet, common-, place lives, unknown and unregarded; such was the early life of Jesus Christ our Lord. But in those early years, we cannot doubt, much of his great work wns wrought. "By the obedience of One shall many be made righteous." During those long years of perfect purity and holy submission of will he obeyed the Law of God in our nature, as our Tiepresent.ative. He is our ,visdom and Righteousness and Sanctification; he is "the Lord our Righteousness; " his obedience is OUis, if we abide in him. Out of those thirty years of silent obedience grew the three years of active work. Quiet persevering obedience in the ordinary duties of daily life is the best preparation for active work for God, and for the great emergencies which may from time to time occur in our Jives. (4) The Nazarene. The prophets had spoken of the Messiah as the Branch (Netser) which should grow out of the roots of Jesse (Isa. xi. 1). The name of Nazareth itself was Netser, "the Brauch." The prophets had also spoken of him as despised and rejected of men. He was the lowly Branch or Shrub, not the stately tree; he dwelt in Nazareth, which bore the same humble name, an unknown place, from which it was not thought that any good thing could come. The prophetic description was fulfilled; he was called "the Nazarene;" the same name bas been given in contempt to his disciples. He was lowly in heart ; let us learn of him the precious grace of lowliness. • LESSONS. 1. God will bring to pass the purposes of hie love; wicked men cannot overthrow them. "In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." 2. Trust the little ones to God; he cares for them. 3. Be humble and gentle, like the holy Child.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 1.-" The days of Herod the king." This is more than a note of time. It -cannot but strike us as a remarkable fact that Christ should have been bom during the reign of the gloomy ldumman ruler. L CHRIST COMES WHEN HE 18 MOST NEEDED. Those were dark days when Herod made his Saturnine temper the spirit of a nation's government. Hie reign had been carried on with an external splendour and a vigorous attempt to please the Jews. But a heathen by nature, Herod was always suspected by the Jews in the midst of his pious Hebrew profes1,ions. Now, however, at the end of hill life, his crimes had consumed what little good repute he had contrived to manufacture for him.J!elf. The nation was sick at heart, and the only solid hope left it was that cherished in the breast of the devout Jews, who, like Anna and SiIJ1eon, were "waiting for the consolation of lsraeL" It was the chill and darkneBB that precede the dawn. Then Christ came. No earthly events could shape a Christ; for the earthly circumstances were most adverae, He did not come to reward merit; for merit was re.re in those de.ye. But cu. n.1-23,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 45