Julian Pe- and worshipped him: and when they had opened their Bethlehem. ried, 4709. treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frank Before the Vulgar Era, 5. incense, and myrrh. Whatever, then, may have been the source of the knowledge which induced the Magi to travel from the East to Jerusalem; whether they were instructed by the traditions of their fathers, handed down to them from the times of Balaam; or directed by the traditional knowledge of their ancestors, received perhaps from Daniel and his countrymen; or acquired from the perusal of the Hebrew Scriptures during the captivity-whether that which guided them were a meteor, a comet, or a star, the wisdom and harmony of the dispensation of God is equally ma nifest Christ was promised as the Saviour and Deliverer of all nations, and proofs of his descent into this world to fulfil his high mission were given to the pious Jew, and also to the Gentile. To both were declarations made while he was yet an infant, of his high official character. The Magi (1), as well as the shepherds, were brought by divine direction to pay their homage to him, not as to one who had yet to earn the dignity ascribed to him, but who was already invested with it. In the poverty and seclusion of his humble condition, he received unequivocal proofs of their belief in his exalted, and probably in his divine nature. Such testimonies as these we can only attribute to the Deity; imposture or collusion on his part, during a state of infancy, was a physical impossibility: and it certainly appears impossible to reconcile such evidences with the supposed mere humanity of Christ. It has been supposed by some, that the Magi were proselytes to the Jewish religion-and by others that they were of the descendants of the ten tribes. Dr. Doddridge justly calls this latter opinion a wild hypothesis. The various opinions which have been at different times proposed to the world, respecting the place from whence the Magi came, may be found in Calmet, Art. Magi, and in Frank's prize Essay on the Magi. The more generally received opinion is that of Sir Norton Knatchbull (m), that they came from that part of Arabia which was conterminous to Judæa. Bryant's conclusions respecting the situation of Pethor, agree very well with the result of Sir N. Knatchbull's arguments (n). I have not here discussed the question respecting the time when the eastern sages came to Jerusalem: Lightfoot supposes it was one or two years, and Archbishop Newcome that it was near the end of our Lord's first year. Mr. Benson, in his System of the Chronology of the Life of Christ, (whose hypothesis is here adopted) has examined the subject with much care, and appears to have decided the controversy, that the Magi came from the thirty-ninth to the forty-second day after the birth of Jesus (o). The Jewish traditions inform us, that it was always expected that a star should appear at the time of the coming of the Messiah. Thus we read in one place of the much esteemed Zohar (p)—The king Messiah shall be revealed in the land of Galilee, and to a star in the east, &c. &c. and again (q)—when the Messiah shall be revealed, there shall rise up in the east a certain star flaming with various colours; and others might be quoted. (a) Franks' excellent prize dissertation on the Magi, 8vo. Cam. (5) Hesych. voc Μάγον-Μάγον, τὸν θεοσεβῆ καὶ θεολόγον, καὶ ἱερέα, οι Πέρσαι έτως λέγουσιν ap. Bryant's Analysis of Ancient My Julian Pe- 12 And being warned" of God in a dream that they Bethlehem. riod, 4709. should not return to Herod, they departed into their own Before the Valgar Era, country another way. 5. SECTION XIV. The Flight into Egypt. MATT. ii. 13-15. 13 And when they were departed, behold, 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 young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod that it thology, 8vo. vol. ii. p. 403. (c) Apud Bryant, ut supra. (d) Har- 34 Χρηματισθέντες. This expression seems to imply that the 35 The journey of Joseph and Mary, who were too poor to pay even for the lamb required by the law of Moses, we may justly suppose was defrayed from the offerings of the wise men: their future exigencies, by the over-ruling providence of God, would be equally supplied. Lightfoot quotes on this point the Babylonian Gemara, which states that the Jewish families assembled at this time in Egypt, were so numerous, that the artificers sate by themselves in their companies-the silversmiths—the braziers-the weavers, &c. &c. so that if a poor stranger came into the city, he might know his own fellow-workmen, and betake himself to them, and thence receive sustenance for himself and family. Lightfoot, vol. ii. Works, folio, p. 111. Egypt. Julian Pe- might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the Egypt. prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son riod, 4709. Before the ValgarÆra, 5. 36 36 The Evangelist here seems to apply the passage in Hosea Under the Levitical dispensation, all connection and inti- He was baptized in the river of Jordan-tried in the wilderness forty days-and after the crucifixion of the flesh attained the promised land, the Heavenly Canaan. The Israelites were baptized in the Red Sea-tried in the wilderness forty years, and not crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts, forfeited the promised land, the typical Canaan. Numb. xi. 4, 5, 6. 33, 34, and Numb. xiv. 27. 29, &c. Midrash Techillim, Ps. ii. 7. has these remarkable words. I will publish a decree-this decree has been published in the law, in the Prophets, and in the Hagiographia. In the law, Israel is my first-born, Exod. iv. 22. In the Prophets, Behold my servant shall deal prudently, Isa. liii. 13. In the Hagiographa, The Lord said unto my Lord. All which passages the Jews refer to the Messiah; and St. Matthew, even if he had not spoken by inspiration, would have been justified, according to the custom of his countrymen, in applying the passage in question to the Messiah. SECTION XV. Slaughter of the Children at Bethlehem. MATT. ii. 16-18. Julian Pe16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of Bethlehem. riod, 4709. Before the the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and Vulgar Era, slew all the children that were in Bethlehem ", and in all 5. 37 Because Josephus has omitted to notice the massacre of the infants at Bethlehem, which is related in Matt. ii. 16. the evangelical narrative has been pronounced a fabrication! and a tale that carries its own refutation with it.' This assertion was first made, we believe, by Voltaire, whose disregard of truth, especially in matters connected with the sacred history, is sufficiently notorious. But the evidence for the reality of the fact, and consequently for the veracity of Matthew, is too strong to be subverted by any bold and unsupported assertions. For, in the first place, the whole character which Josephus ascribes to Herod, is the most evident confirmation of the barbarous deed mentioned by the Evangelist. Secondly, The Gospel of Matthew was published about the year of our Lord 38, at which time there doubtless were persons living who could, and from the hostility then manifested against the Christian faith who would, have contradicted his assertion, if it had been false or erroneous: their silence is a tacit proof that the Evangelist has stated the fact correctly. But, thirdly, the reality of the fact itself, (though mentioned in his usual scoffing manner) was not denied by the philosopher Celsus, one of the bitterest enemies of Christianity, who lived towards the close of the second century, and who would most unquestionably have denied it if he could (a). Fourthly, Matthew's narrative is confirmed by Macrobius, a Heathen author, who lived about the end of the fourth century, and who mentions this massacre in the following terms:Augustus," says he, "having been informed that Herod had ordered a son of his own to be killed, among the male infants about two years old, whom he had put to death in Syria, said, It is better to be Herod's hog than his son (b)." Now although Macrobius is far too modern to be produced as a valid evidence in this matter, unsupported by other circumstances, and although his story is magnified by an erroneous circumstance, yet the passage cited from him serves to prove how universally notorious was the murder of the children in Bethlehem, which was perpetrated by the order of Herod. Fifthly, With regard to the silence of Josephus, we may further remark, that no historian, not even an annalist, can be expected to record every event that occurs within the period of which he writes. Sixthly, Contemporary historians do not relate the same facts. Suetonius tells us many things which Tacitus kas omitted, and Dion Cassius supplies the deficiency of both. Seventhly, It is unreasonable to make the silence of the Jewish historian an objection to the credibility of the sacred writer, while there is equal, and even superior reason, to confide in the fidelity of the latter. Eighthly, Herod would naturally be supposed to take such precautions as he might think necessary, without being scrupulous concerning the means. Julian Pe- the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, ac- Bethlehem. riod, 4709. Before the Vulgar Era, Ninthly, Voltaire, either from ignorance or dishonesty, as 5. serts that fourteen thousand children must have lost their lives Lastly, As the male infants that were to be slain could easily Any of these arguments would be sufficient to vindicate the Evangelist's narrative; but, altogether, they form a cloud of witnesses, abundantly sufficient to overbalance the negative evidence attempted to be drawn from the silence of Josephus. (a) See the passages in Lardner's Works, vol. iv. p. 122, 4to. (b) Macrob. Saturn lib. 2. c. 4. The Emperor, according to this writer, seems to have played upon the Greek words, vv a hog, and "tov, a son; the point of the saying perhaps consists in this, that Herod, professing Judaism, was by his religion prohibited from killing swine, or having any thing to do with their flesh; and therefore that his hog would have been safe where his son lost his life. Macrobius, with singular propriety, states this massacre to have been perpetrated in Syria, because Judea was at that time part of the province of Syria. Gilpin and Dr. Clarke, on Matt. ii. 16. The massacre of the infants is likewise noticed in a rabbinical work, called Toldoth Jeshu, in the following passage"And the king gave orders for putting to death every infant to be found in Bethlehem; and the king's messengers killed every infant according to the royal order." Dr. G. Sharpe's first Defence of Christianity, &c. p. 40. (c) Lardner's Credibility, part i. book ii. ch. ii. sect. 1. P. 180-185. 4to. Volborth causæ cur Josephus cædem puerorum Bethlemiticorum, Matt. ii. 16. narratam silentio præterierit, 4to. Gottingen, 1788, as analyzed in the Monthly Review (O. S.) vol. lxx. p. 617. Schutzii Archæologia Hebraica, p. 52, 53. Vide Horne's Critical Introduction, 2d edit. vol. i. p. 653-4. Among the Barrington papers, I find an unpublished letter of Dr. Lardner to Lord Barrington, in which the learned writer argues at length, with his usual judgment and accuracy, against depending on the authority of Macrobius, in the following passage:"I the less regarded it (the passage in Macrobius,) because the objection relating to the slaughter of the infants, taken from the silence of Josephus, appeared to me of no moment. When we have but one history of the affairs of a country, and that history a brief one, the omission of some particular event is no difficulty. Josephus was a firm Jew, and there was therefore a particular reason for his passing over this event; because he could not mention it without giving the Christian cause a very great advantage. To write that Herod, at the latter end of his reign, had put to death all the infants at Bethlehem, under two years of age, on occasion of a report spread that the King of the Jews had been lately born there, would have greatly gratified the Christians, whom Josephus hated; since it was well |