you may, the praiees r,f cities, call them "beautiful for situation," record the strugc,les for liberty of which they may have been the centres, still you mast leave the supr.'.'me honours for "little Ilethlchem." '£he "Lamb of God," the "Saviour of the world," was born there.-R. 'l'. Ver. 8.-Man's guile anrl Goa's omniscience. Herod's fears we can weU understand. He was a usurper, a foreigner, and, indeed, belonged to the Idumrean race, which was flpecially hated. The one thing he had to fear was the birth of a native prince, round whom the hopes of the nation might gather. He was so continually full of fears that his life was a misery to himself and every one who had to do with him. He had learned to be prompt, vigorous, and unscrupulous whenever he felt in the least alarmed, and he had often gained his end by low cunning. In connection with the visit of the Magi, he was set upon scheming to avert disaster. He had no precise knowledge about the expected Messiah; but that must be obtained, and it could best be obtained by subtlety and deception. Explain his schome. I. MAN'S GUILE MAY AT'l'EMl'T TO MABTEB Gon's OMNISCIENCE. See how far man's guile may succeed. It may mas!er his fellow-men. Herod outwitted the Magi, and ~twitted the "chief priests and scribes." The Magi proposed to do his bidding; the "chief priests and scribes" answered him correctly, treating him as if he were as sincere as he seemed. .And all this meant Herod trying his guilefulness upon God. He was going to manage thiags otherwise than as God proposed. Men did not read his wicked heart; he would act as if God did not read it either. He meant by his flkilfulness to frustrate the Divine purposes. Men may try to push their plans against God. They may be clever, guileful, persistent; but the strong figure of the psalm may be used, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision." Abundant are the illustrations of conduct like Herod's; at first, seemingly effective and successful; but it does not really succeed. It never is possible for the wickeg to do more than make their attempt. "Man proposes, God disposes." II. Gon's OMNISCIENCE MASTERING MAN'S GUILE. God's omniscience is (1) fact- reading, (2) heart-reading. God knew what Herod said; but, going beyond Magi and sqribes, God knew what Herod meant. So Divine action was guided by complete know- ledge, and guileful Herod had no chance. God told the Magi what Herod had in his heart, so they never brought him any word. God bore away the young King into a place of safety, and all Herod's guile proved in vain. We can work with God, and reach good success. He who works agaimt God must feel God's overmastering.-R. T. Ver. 11..,.-- Worshipping a Babe. The word "worship" is a con fusing word. It ls applied to human beings, and it is applied to God. It means, "offer homage as to a king;" it means, "reverently acknowled11:e as Divine." Really the word seems only to mean," acknowledge the worth of." We speak of magistrates as "yonr worship." We speak of the service of the Churches as "worship." But when we use the word carefully, we limit it to" paying Divine honours," "venerating with religious rites." We cannot, however, assume that these Eastern Magi worshipped the Babe in the higher, spiritual sense, recognizing in him the manifested God. We have simply that anticipative homage which was due to one who would prove to bes great King. Their o.ttitudo implies the Eastern homage offered to a King. I. WORSHIPPING THE BABE WAS AN ACT OF FArrH. They could not worship on the ground of what the Babe actually was. He was only an ordinary world's Babe, with com- monplace cottage surroundings. There was nothing whatever to suggest kingly claims. The Magi could only have worshipper! on the ground of their belief in his royalty 1md future kingship; and that belief must have been founded on evidence that was kin to them, and satisfactory to them. It is not necessary that what satisfied them should also satisfy us. If they were convinced, their conduct in worshipping the Babe \Vas fully justified. Show tho.t faith must be founded on evidence, but the evidence must be relative to the capacity and associations of each individual. We are responsible for qur beliefs. And, whatever they are, we are bound to act upon them. If we believe that Christ is a born King, then our place is with tl1e Magi, worshipping him. What. then, do you believe concerning Christ? . II. WonsmPPING THE IlAIIE WAR AX ACT OF L01 ALTY. That is, it _meant acknoW'- 64 THE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. [cH. n. 1-23.
}edging this King 118 their King, and declaring themselves ready to enrol themselves in his kingdom whenever that kingdom should be established. .And this certainly is the true and full significance of the worship of Jesus, as now the exalted and spiritual King. It is the declaration and renffirmation of our loyalty. Every aot of worship should be an net of consecration and devotion, a reassertion of our full readiness to serve the King.-R. T.