for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." We must always remember that though Jesus was God, He was also man, and came to save us, not by destroying the law, but by fulfilling it, by working out a perfect obedience for us, as well as by paying the penalty of our sins upon the cross.

The priests and Levites little thought who the Babe in Mary's arms was; they looked upon Him simply as a poor man's child. But still, as at His birth angels proclaimed His wonderful nature to the shepherds, so now in the temple He was not left without witnesses: "There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel." Among the prophecies of Christ there is one in the 9th chapter of Daniel, which marked the time of His coming. This time had now arrived, and many of the Jews were watching for His appearance; and Simeon was among

the number. But there was one great difference between Simeon and most of the others. They expected Him to come as a great King to free them from the Roman Emperor, and despised the " carpenter's son," as they called Him, saying, "We will not have this man to reign over us." But Simeon recognised in this lowly Babe the Saviour who should free them from a yoke which is far more hard than that of the Roman Emperor-the yoke of sin and Satan.

See what a character is given to Simeonjust and devout, and waiting for the consolation of Israel. This is what many of the Jews thought that they were waiting for; but the consolation that they waited for was an earthly one, while the consolation that Simeon looked for was a heavenly one. Suppose a man were ill with a dreadful disease, which was gradually killing him, and suppose some one were to come and offer to make him a great king, do you think he would be able to enjoy his power

and dignity?

And yet this was just what

most of the Jews wanted. They were ill with the dreadful disease of sin, from which, if not cured, they must perish everlastingly; but they would not believe that their condition was so bad; and because Jesus brought medicine to heal their sickness before He made them "kings and priests," they rejected Him. Simeon was wiser: he had read the prophets aright, and had not mistaken their meaning. He did not mix up the prophecies of Christ's second coming with those of His first. There are many places in the Old Testament where it speaks of glory being restored to the Jews; and most of the Jews imagined, that when Messiah came these promises would be at once fulfilled, and that they would again become a great and powerful nation. They passed over all the prophecies of Christ's humiliation, His sufferings and death, which are so plainly spoken of in Isa. liii.

But what made Simeon so different?

The

Holy Ghost was upon him. Nothing else ever makes a man know the true meaning of Scripture, at least in such a way that it shall be of any use. A man may understand very clearly with his head the meaning of the words of the Bible; but unless he have the teaching of the Holy Spirit, he will never feel their full force; and they will never have any effect upon his life. But the Holy Ghost was poured out in a peculiar manner upon Simeon, so that he knew things beforehand, and had the gift of prophecy. Thus you see the verse says, "It had been revealed to him that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ." It was the Spirit, too, which led him into the temple just at the moment when Mary and Joseph brought in the Holy Child. He took Him up in his arms, and blessed God; and then he spoke those beautiful words that you hear so often in church, "Lord, now lettest Thou Thy

servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation," &c. What did he mean by saying that he had seen God's salvation?

The work of salvation was not finished until Christ had died on the cross, and had risen again from the dead. He meant that he had seen the wonderful Child, who should work