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OUR LORD'S EARLY HISTORY.

The four authentic histories which contain the record of the life of our Saviour on earth, rest, in the first place, as all histories do, on human testimony. It might have pleased the Almighty to have revealed the whole to one individual, who might have been commissioned to deliver it to the world in the inspired words of infallible truth, which would have at once rendered all resort to historical evidence unnecessary. But this is not the method that has been followed. It has seemed more expedient to Divine Wisdom to commit the important duty to four properly qualified persons-men of undoubted veracity and irreproachable character-guided no doubt by the Spirit in the choice and use of their materials, but leaving them to gather these materials themselves in the same manner as is done by other historians— from their own observation-from written docu

ments or from the evidence of credible eye and ear witnesses.

From the histories themselves, and other collateral information, we are sufficiently certified of the nature of the evidence on which they rest. Two of the historians were among the immediate disciples of our Lord, who attended him during the whole of his public ministry, and were themselves the witnesses of what they recorded to have taken place during that important period. Mark is known to have been the friend and companion of St. Peter, the first called of the Apostles, from whom he had ample opportunities of deriving information, and who is generally understood to have revised, at least, if he did not directly dictate, those parts of the narrative of which he had the best means of knowing the truth. St. Luke, in like manner, was the companion of St. Paul, and is understood to have written his Gospel, as well as the Acts of the Apostles, under his immediate inspection; and though neither of them were personal attendants of our Lord, yet Luke states, that "he had perfect understanding of all things from the very first," and that, therefore, he had undertaken, as others had done, to set in order

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a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us." Though he may not have been himself an eye-witness of our Saviour's miracles, or a hearer of his discourses, his intercourse with the

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Apostles, and others who were witnesses of these, must have been abundantly sufficient to qualify him for the task of committing them to writing.

Two of the evangelists, St. Mark and St. John, confine their history to the period of our Lord's public ministry; but St. Matthew and St. Luke, in addition to this, embrace in their narratives various circumstances preceding and attendant upon his birth, and some facts in the private life of himself and his parents, before the time of his shewing himself to Israel. It may be asked, from whom did they derive their information for this part of their history? The answer which naturally occurs to us is this that these facts could only have been communicated by the parents themselves, his mother, and his reputed father, to whom only they were known, and who were the only witnesses who could give evidence respecting them. We shall examine this more particularly.

On perusing the opening part of the Gospel of St. Matthew, we cannot fail to be impressed with the belief, that most of the information there contained must have been derived in some way or another from Joseph, the reputed father of our Lord. In the first place, commentators are generally agreed, that the genealogy with which the first chapter commences is that of Joseph, and that its

design was to shew that Christ was in his right the heir of the throne of David. It is known that these genealogies were kept and preserved with the greatest care by the Jews, particularly those who like Joseph were of the family and lineage of David. It is natural, therefore, to suppose, that this genealogy was obtained from him; but there are other circumstances still more decisive. For instance, we are told that when Mary, Joseph's espoused wife, was found with child of the Holy Ghost, Joseph being a just man was minded to put her away privily. But when he thought on these things, "The angel of the Lord appeared to 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. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins." Now, this is a fact of which Joseph himself, and no other human being, was cognizant, and he alone could bear witness to its truth, so far as human testimony was concerned. Upon him it must have made an impression of that indelible kind, that not merely the fact of the dream or vision, but every word addressed to him by the angel, must have remained to the latest hour of his life imprinted upon his memory. He, therefore, was an unexceptionable witness to the fact, and from him it must have

been conveyed, either directly or otherwise, to St. Matthew.

Several other instances of the same kind occur in the second chapter. When the wise men of the East, after presenting their treasures, and paying their adorations to the infant Saviour, had departed into their own country, it is related,—that “the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the

to destroy him."*

young child

Joseph having obeyed this command, we are told afterwards, that "when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life."†

Again, it is said, that when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea he was afraid to go thither: "notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee, and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth."‡ Now, here are four repeated instances of an angel appearing to Joseph in a dream,-facts to which he, and he alone could bear evidence, and, therefore, it could only be

*Matt. ii. 13.

† Matt. ii. 20.

Matt. ii. 22.

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