specifying the cause; for he was not willing to make her a public example. This is the meaning here of privately. Both to Joseph and Mary this must have been a great trial. Joseph was ardently attached to her, but her character was likely to be ruined, and he deemed it proper to separate her from him. Mary was innocent; but Joseph was not yet satisfied of her innocence. Yet we may learn how to put our trust in God,-he will defend the innocent. Mary was in danger of being exposed to shame. Had she been connected with a cruel, passionate, and violent man, she would have died in disgrace. But God had so ordered it, that she was connected with a man mild, amiable, and tender; and, in due time, Joseph was apprized of the truth in the case, and took his faithful and beloved wife to his bosom. Thus our only aim should be, to preserve a conscience void of offence, and God will guard our reputation. We may be assailed, or circumstances may be against us; but in due time God will take care to vindicate our character, and save us from ruin.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: "for that which is || conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

1

20. He thought on these things. He did not act hastily; he did not take the course which the law would have permitted him to do, if he had been hasty, violent, or unjust. It was a case deeply affecting his happiness, his character, and the reputation and character of his chosen companion. God will guide the thoughtful and the anxious: and when we have looked patiently at a perplexed subject, and know not what to do, then God, as in the case of Joseph, will interpose to lead us, and direct our way. Ps. xxv. 9. The angel of the Lord. The word angel literally means a messenger. It is applied chiefly in the Scriptures to those invisible holy beings who have not fallen into sin, who live in heaven (1 Tim. v. 21-compare Jude 6), and who are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Heb. i. 13, 14; Dan. ix. 21. The word is sometimes applied to men, as messengers (Luke vii. 24, ix. 52; James ii. 25); to the winds (Ps. civ. 4); to the pestilence (Ps. lxxviii. 49); or to whatever is appointed to make known, or to execute the will of God. It is commonly applied, however, to the unfallen, happy spirits that are in heaven, whose only dignity and pleasure it is to do the will of God. Various ways were employed by them in making known the will of God,—by dreams, visions, assuming a human appearance, &c. In a dream. This was a common way of making known the will of God to the ancient prophets and people of God. Gen. xx. 3, xxx. 1, 11, 24, xxxvii. 5, xli. 1; 1 Kings iii. 5; Dan. vii. 1; Job iv. 13-15. In what way it was ascertained that these dreams were from God, cannot now be told. It is sufficient for us to know that in this way many of the prophecies were communicated; and to remark, that now there is no evidence that we are to put reliance on our dreams. Dreams are wild, irregular movements of the mind, when it is unshackled by reason; and it is mere superstition to suppose that God now makes known his will in this way. Son of David. Descendant of David. See ver. 1. The angel put him in mind of his relation to David, perhaps to prepare him for the intelligence that Mary was to be the mother of the Messiah-the promised heir of David. Fear not. Do not hesitate, or have fears about her virtue and purity; do not fear that she will be unworthy of you, or will disgrace you.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name ||JESUS: for 'he shall save his people from their sins.

Luke i. 31. I That is, Saviour. y Acts iv. 12, and v. 31, and xiii. 23, 38.

the

21. His name JESUS. The name Jesus is the same as Saviour. It is derived from the verb signifying to save. In Hebrew it is the same as Joshua. In two places in the New Testament it is used where it means Joshua, the leader of the Jews into Canaan; and in our translation the name Joshua should have been retained. Acts vii. 45; Heb. iv. 8. It was a very common name among Jews. He shall save. This expresses the same as the name, and on this account the name was given to him. He saves men by having died to redeem them; by giving the Spirit to renew them (John xvi. 7, 8); by his power in enabling them to overcome their spiritual enemies, in defending them from danger, in guiding them in the path of duty, in sustaining them in trials and in death; and he will raise them up at the last day, and exalt them to a world of purity and love. His people. Those whom the Father has given to him. The Jews were called the people of God, because he had chosen them to himself, and regarded them as his peculiar and beloved people, separate from all the nations of the earth. Christians are called the people of Christ, because it was the purpose

Sinners

of the Father to give them to him, (Isa. liii. 11; John vi. 37); and because in due time he came to redeem them to himself. Tit. ii. 14; 1 Pet. i. 2. From their sins. This is the great business of Jesus in coming and dying. It is not to save men IN their sins, but FROM their sins. could not be happy in heaven; it would be a place of wretchedness to the guilty. The design of Jesus was, therefore, to save from sin;-1st, By dying to make an atonement (Tit. ii. 14); and, 2d, By renewing the heart, and purifying the soul, and preparing his people for a pure and holy heaven. And from this we may learn, 1st, That Jesus had a design in coming into the world;" he came to save his people—and that design will surely be accomplished. It is impossible that in any part of it he should fail. 2d, We have no evidence that we are his people, unless we are saved from the power and dominion of sin. A mere profession of being his people will not answer. Unless we give up our sins, unless we renounce the pride, pomp, and pleasure of the world, and all our lusts and crimes, we have no evidence that we are the children of God. It is impossible that we should be Christians, if we indulge in sin, and live in the practice of any known iniquity. 3d, That all professing Christians should feel that there is no salvation unless it is from sin, and that they can never be admitted to a holy heaven hereafter, unless they are made pure by the blood of Jesus here.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 'Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel; which being interpreted, is, God with us.

22, 23. The prophecy here quoted is recorded in Isa. vii. 14. It was delivered about 740 years before Christ, in the reign of Ahaz, king of Judah. The land of Judea was threatened with an invasion by the united armies of Syria and Israel, under the command of Rezin and Pekah. Ahaz was alarmed, and seems to have contemplated calling in aid from Assyria to defend him. Isaiah was directed, in his consternation, to go to Ahaz, and tell him to ask a sign from God (ver. 10, 11); that is, to look to God rather than to Assyria for aid. This he refused to do. He had not confi dence in God; but feared that the land would be overrun by the armies of Syria (ver. 12), and relied only on the aid which he hoped to receive from Assyria. Isaiah answered, that, in these circumstances, the Lord would himself give a sign, or a pledge, that the land should be delivered. The sign was, that a virgin should have a son, and before that son would arrive to years of discretion, the land would be forsaken by these hostile kings. The prophecy was therefore designed, originally, to denote to Ahaz, that the land would certainly be delivered from its calamities and dangers, and that the deliverance would not be long delayed. The united land of Syria and Israel, united now in confederation, would be deprived of both their kings, and thus the land of Judah be freed from the threatening dangers. This appears to be the literal fulfilment of the passage in Isaiah. ¶ Might be fulfilled. It is more difficult to know in what sense this could be said to be fulfilled in the birth of Christ. To understand this, it may be remarked, that the word fulfilled is used in the Scriptures, and in other writings, in many senses, of which the following are some:-1st, When a thing is clearly predicted, and comes to pass; as the destruction of Babylon, foretold in Isa. xiii. 19–22; and of Jerusalem, in Matt. xxiv. 2d, When one thing is testified, or shadowed forth by another, the type is said to be fulfilled. This was the case in regard to the types and sacrifices in the Old Testament, which were fulfilled by the coming of Christ. See Heb. ix. 3d, When prophecies of future events are expressed in language more elevated and full than the particular thing at first denoted demands; or when the language, though it may express one event, is also so full and rich as appropriately to express other events in similar circumstances, and of similar import. Thus, e. g., the last chapters of Isaiah, from the 40th chapter, foretell the return of the Jews from Babylon; every circumstance mentioned occurred in their return. But the language is more expanded and sublime than was necessary to express their return. It will also express appropriately a much more important and magnificent deliverance-that of the redeemed under the Messiah, and the return of the people of God to him, and the universal spread of the Gospel; and therefore it may be said to be fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, and the spread of the Gospel. So, if there were any other magnificent and glorious events still, in similar circumstances, and of like character, it might be said also that these prophecies were fulfilled in all of them. The language is so full and rich, and the promises so grand, that they appropriately express all these deliverances. This may be the sense in which the prophecy now under consideration may be said to have been fulfilled. 4th, Language is said to be fulfilled when, though it was used to express one event, yet it may be used also

and

to express another. Thus, a fable may be said to be fulfilled, when an event occurs similar to the one concerning which it was first spoken. A parable has its fulfilment, in all the cases to which it is applicable; and so of a proverb, or a declaration respecting human nature. A virgin shall be with child. Matthew clearly understands this as applying literally to a virgin. Compare Luke i. 34. It thus implies that the conception of Christ was entirely miraculous, or that the body of the Messiah was produced directly by the power of God, of the substance of his mother, agreeably to the declaration Heb. x. 5, "Wherefore, when he cometh into the world, he sayeth, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me.” Emmanuel. This is a Hebrew word, and means, literally, God with us. Matthew doubtless understands this word as denoting that the Messiah was really "God with us;" or that the Divine nature was united to the human. He does not affirm that this was its meaning when used in reference to the child to whom it was first applied; but this was its meaning as applicable to the Messiah. It was fitly expressive of his character; and in this sense it was fulfilled. When first used by Isaiah, it denoted simply that the birth of the child was a sign that God was with the Jews, to deliver them. The Hebrews often used the name of Jehovah, or God, in their proper names. Thus, Isaiah means "The salvation of Jehovah;" Eleazer, "Help of God;" Eli, "My God," &c. But Matthew evidently intends more than was denoted by the simple use of such names. He had just given an account of his miraculous conception -of his being begotten by the Holy Ghost. God was therefore his Father. Ile was Divine as well as human; his appropriate name was, "God with us." And though the mere use of such a name would not prove that he had a Divine nature, yet as Matthew uses it, and meant evidently to apply it, it does prove that Jesus was more than a man,—that he was God as well as man. And it is this which gives glory to the plan of redemption; it is this which is the wonder of angels; it is this which makes the plan so vast, so grand, so full of instruction and comfort to Christians, (see Phil. ii. 6-8); it is this which sheds such peace and joy into the sinner's heart-which gives him such security of salvation-and renders the condescension of God in redemption so great, and his character so lovely.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son: and he called his name JESUS.

a Luke ii. 7, 21.

25. Knew her not. The doctrine of the virginity of Mary before the birth of Jesus is a doctrine of the Scriptures, and very important to be believed; but the Scriptures do not affirm that she had no children afterwards. Indeed all the accounts in the New Testament lead us to suppose that she had. See Notes on Matt. xiii. 55, 56. The language here evidently implies, that she lived as the wife of Joseph after the birth of Jesus. Her first-born_son. Her eldest son, or he that by the law had the privilege of birth-right. This does not of necessity imply that she had other children; though it seems probable. It was the name given to the son which was first born, whether there were others or not. His name JESUS. This was given by divine appointment. Ver. 21. It was conferred on him on the eighth day, at the time of his circumcision. Luke ii. 21.

ADDITIONAL REMARKS.

1. The prophecies regarding our Saviour, his miracles, and his resurrection from the dead, are, throughout the New Testament, chiefly referred to in proof of his being "the Son of David,”—the Messiah promised to the fathers.

2. The world is filled with books, recording the births, lives, and actions, of great men,-and celebrating their praises. Not to know what happened before we were born, is to be children. From these histories much may be learned; but it will profit us nothing, unless, with all our reading and learning, we learn Christ. We have here a simple account of the miraculous conception and birth of him who is "Emmanuel,”-God with us. But for his birth (and performance of that work for which he was born), we had endured to all eternity the curse due to sin. Christ, for his people, has done all that was required to satisfy the Divine justice, and purchase salvation. If we get not a saving interest in Christ, all shall be lost-soul and body. Now we may have Christ. It is 66 now or never."

3. "Christ was equally from the beginning, in his Father's view, for the interest of believers, in all ages preceding his advent, as if he had already lived, and died, and risen again-a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; for he sees through all generations and successions of time, and all things in them are always alike present to his eye. But in the time the Church was held in prefiguring shadows, this was their grand desire, that Christ might appear in the flesh; still looking and waiting when the day should break, and the shadows flee away. This is now the great

wish of his spouse-the Church, and of each particular soul espoused to him, that he should come again as he has promised; and he will do so. What a sweet echo there (Rev. xxii. 17) of Come! The Spirit says, Come! and the Bride says, Come! and he says (ver. 20), Behold, I come quickly ; and they resound, again, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"-LEIGHTON.

CHAPTER II.

1 The wise men out of the east are directed to Christ by a star. 11 They worship him, and offer their presents. 14 Joseph fleeth into Egypt, with Jesus and his mother. 16 Herod slayeth the children: 20 himself dieth. 23 Christ is brought back again into Galilee to Nazareth.

Now

[OW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

b

a Luke ii. 4, 6, 7. The Fourth Year before the Common Account called Anno Domini. b 1 Kings iv. 30.

Ver. 1. When Jesus was born. See the full account of his birth in Luke ii. 1-20. In Bethlehem of Judea. Bethlehem, the birth-place of Christ, was a small town about six miles south of Jerusalem. The word Bethlehem denotes "house of bread;" perhaps given to the place on account of its great fertility. It was also called Ephrata; a word supposed likewise to signify fertility. Gen. xxxv. 19; Ruth iv. 2; Ps. cxxxii. 6. It was called the city of David (Luke ii. 4), because it was the city of his nativity. 1 Sam. xvi. 1, 18. It was called Bethlehem of Judea, to distinguish it from a town of the same name in Galilee. Josh. xix. 15. The soil of Bethlehem was noted for its fertility. Ancient travellers frequently spoke of its productions. The town is situated on an eminence, in the midst of hills and vales. At present it contains about 200 houses, inhabited chiefly by Christians and Mohammedans, who live together in peace. About 200 paces east of Bethlehem, the place is still shown where our Saviour is supposed to have been born. There is a church and a convent there; and beneath the church, a subterranean chapel, which is lighted by 32 lamps—which is said to be the place where was the stable in which Jesus was born. No reliance is, however, to be placed on this tradition. Herod the king. Judea, where our Saviour was born, was a province of the Roman empire. It was taken about 63 years before, by Pompey, and placed under tribute. Herod received his appointment from the Romans, and had reigned, at the time of the birth of Jesus, 34 years. Though he was permitted to be called king, yet he was in all respects dependent on the Roman emperor. He was commonly called Herod the Great, because he had distinguished himself in the wars with Antigonus, and his other enemies; and because he had evinced great talents, as well as great cruelties and crimes, in governing and defending his country, in repairing the temple, and in building and ornamenting the cities of his kingdom. At this time Augustus was emperor of Rome; the world was at peace; all the known nations of the earth were united under the Roman emperor; intercourse between different nations was easy and safe; similar laws prevailed; the use of the Greek language was general throughout the world. All these circumstances combined to render this a favourable time to introduce the Gospel, and to spread it through the earth; and the providence of God was remarkable in fitting the nations, in this manner, for the easy and rapid spread of the Christian religion among all nations. Wise men. The original word here is pay, from which comes our word magician; now used in a bad sense, but not so in the original. The persons here denoted were philosophers, priests, or astronomers. They dwelt chiefly in Persia and Arabia. They were the learned men of the eastern nations; devoted to astronomy, to religion, and to medicine. They were held in high esteem by the Persian court, were admitted as counsellors, and followed the camps in war, to give advice. From the east. It is unknown whether they came from Persia or Arabia. Both countries might be denoted by the word east,— that is, east from Judea. Jerusalem. The capital of Judea. As there is frequent reference in the New Testament to Jerusalem, as it was the place of the public worship of God, as it was the place where many important transactions in the life of the Saviour occurred, and the place where he died, it seems desirable to present a brief description of it. A more full description may be seen in Calmet's Dictionary, and in the common Works on Jewish antiquities.-Jerusalem was the capital of the kingdom of Judah, and was built on the line dividing this tribe from the tribe of Benjamin. It was once called Salem (Gen. xiv. 18; Ps. lxxvi. 2), and in the days of Abraham was the abode of Melchizedek. When the Israelites took possession of the Promised Land they found this stronghold in the possession of the Jebusites, by whom it was called Jebus, or Jebusi. Josh. xviii. 28. The name Jerusalem was compounded probably of the two, by changing a single letter, and calling it, for the sake of the sound, Jerusalem instead of Jebusalem. The ancient Salem was probably built on Mount Moriah or Acra-the eastern and western mountains on which Jerusalem was sub

sequently built. When the Jebusites became masters of the place, they erected a fortress in the southern quarter of the city, which was subsequently called Mount Zion, but which they called Jebus; and although the Israelites took possession of the adjacent territory (Josh. xviii. 28), the Jebusites still held this fortress or upper town until the time of David, who wrested it from them (2 Sam. v. 7-9), and then removed his court from Hebron to Jerusalem-which was thenceforward known as the city of David. 2 Sam. vi. 10, 12; 1 Kings viii. 1. Jerusalem was built on several hills; Mount Zion on the south; Mount Moriah on the cast, on which the temple was subsequently built (see Notes on chap. xxi. 12); Mount Acra on the west, and Mount Bezetha on the north. Mount Moriah and Mount Zion were separated by a valley called by Josephus the Valley of Cheesemongers, over which there was a bridge or raised way leading from the one to the other. On the south-east of Mount Moriah, and between that and Mount Zion, there was a bluff or high rock, capable of strong fortification, called Ophel. The city was encompassed by hills. On the west there were hills which overlooked the city; on the south was the valley of Jehoshaphat, or the valley of Hinnom (see Notes on Matt. v. 22), separating it from what is called the Mount of Corruption; on the east was the valley or the brook Kedron, dividing the city from the Mount of Olives; and on the north the country was more level-though it was a broken or rolling country. To the south-east the valleys of the Kedron and Jehoshaphat united, and the waters flowed through the broken mountains in a south-east direction to the Dead Sea-some 15 miles distant. The city of Jerusalem stands in 31° 50′ north latitude, and 35° 20′ east longitude, from Greenwich. It is 34 miles south-easterly from Jaffa (the ancient Joppa), which is its sea-port; and 120 miles southwesterly from Damascus. The best view of the city of Jerusalem is from Mount Olivet on the east (see Notes on Matt. xxiv.); the mountains on the east being somewhat higher than those on the west. The city was anciently enclosed within walls-a part of which are still standing. The position of the walls has been at various times changed-as the city has been larger or smaller, or as it has extended in different directions. The wall on the south formerly included the whole of Mount Zion, though the modern wall runs over the summit, including about half of the mountain. In the time of the Saviour, the northern wall enclosed only Mounts Acra and Moriah north-though after his death Agrippa extended the wall so as to include Mount Bezetha on the north. About half of that is included in the present wall. The limits of the city on the east and the west being more determined by the nature of the place, have been more fixed and permanent. The city was watered in part by the fountain of Siloam, on the east (for a description of which, see Notes on Luke xiii. 4); and in part by the fountain of Gihon, on the west of the city, which flowed into the vale of Jehoshaphat; and in the time of Solomon, by an aqueduct, part of which is still remaining, by which water was brought from the vicinity of Bethlehem. The "pools of Solomon," three in number, one rising above another, and adapted to hold a large quantity of water, are still remaining in the vicinity of Bethlehem. The fountain of Siloam still flows freely, though the fountain of Gihon is commonly dry. A reservoir or tank, however, remains at Gihon. Jerusalem had, its highest splendour in the time of Solomon. About 400 years after, it was wholly destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. It lay utterly desolate during the 70 years of the Jewish captivity. Then it was rebuilt, and restored to some degree of its former magnificence, and remained about 600 years, when it was utterly destroyed by Titus, A. D. 70. In the reign of Adrian, the city was partly rebuilt, under the name of Elia. The monuments of Pagan idolatry were erected in it, and it remained under Pagan jurisdiction until Helena, the mother of Constantine, overthrew the memorials of idolatry, and erected a magnificent church over the spot which was supposed to be the place of the Redeemer's sufferings and burial. Julian, the apostate, attempting to destroy the credit of the prophecy of the Saviour that the temple should remain in ruins (Matt. xxiv.), endeavoured to rebuild the temple. His own historian, Amianus Marcellinus (see Warburton's Divine Legation of Moses), says that the workmen were impeded by balls of fire coming from the earth, and that he was compelled to abandon the undertaking. Jerusalem continued in the power of the eastern emperors till the reign of the caliph Omar, the third in succession from Mohommed, who reduced it under his control about the year 640. The Saracens continued masters of Jerusalem until the year 1099, when it was taken by the crusaders, under Godfrey of Bouillon. They founded a new kingdom, of which Jerusalem was the capital, which lasted 88 years, under nine kings. At last this kingdom was utterly ruined by Saladin; and though the Christians once more obtained possession of the city, yet they were obliged again to relinquish it. In 1217 the Saracens were expelled by the Turks; who have ever since continued in possession of it. Jerusalem has been taken and pillaged 17 times, and millions of men have been slaughtered within its walls. At present there is a splendid mosque (the mosque of Omar) on the site of the temple. It is a city containing a population variously estimated at from 15,000 to 50,000-though probably not far from 20,000-comprising Jews, Turks, Arabs, Armenians, Greeks, and Papists. The Jews have a number of synagogues; the