September 7

"While Jews on their own law rely, And Greeks of wisdom boast; I love the Incarnate Mystery, And there I fix my trust."

"And dwelt among us." This adds to his humiliation—"Will God in very deed dwell with man upon the earth? He might have been incarnate, and have dwelt in heaven, and among angels. But he dwelt among us. And not in the highest style of our being. Some of our race live in palaces; but he had not where to lay his head. They travel in ease and splendour; he travelled on foot, and was "weary with his journey." We only read of his riding once, and then it was on a colt, the foal of an ass. They are attended with officers of state; he was despised and rejected of men. They come to be ministered unto, but he to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Dwelling expresses permanent residence. He had appeared of old, and had visited the children of men, but he soon again disappeared. But now he took up his abode with us for thirty-three years, well satisfied to keep out of heaven, and to remain here as long as there was any thing for him to do or suffer. This shows intercourse. He occasionally retired; but it was to prepare by privacy for publicity. He never refused society. He was present at the marriage in Cana of Galilee. He accepted the invitation of Levi when he made a great feast and bade many. He also received sinners, and did eat with them. There was nothing in him like extravagance, or sinful indulgence; but there was nothing monkish, abstemious, and austere, as we learn from the comparison and reflection: "John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, a wine bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners." This was a slander, but as he went about doing good, so he never by his example taught his followers to shun their fellow-creatures, and exclaim, "Stand by thyself, come not near to me; I am holier than thou." The truth is, we are to be in the world, but not of it. The religion of the Gospel calls us both out of the world and into the world—out of the world as to its maxims and temper—into it as a field of labour and a sphere of usefulness, where we are to be diligent in business, to relieve the distressed, to teach the ignorant, to reclaim the vicious. We are to fill our days; and live as long as we breathe. When Calvin was requested to leave off writing and correcting, What, said he, shall the master come and find me doing nothing? And Philip Henry's remark is well known, who, when desired to spare himself, said, What are candles for but to burn out?

September 7.—"I will fill this house with glory."—Haggai n. 7.

Two things are certain. First, that "this house" means the temple reared by the Jews after their return from Babylon. Secondly, the "glory" with which it was to be filled was to arise from the coming of the Messiah to dignify it—"For thus saith the Lord of hosts, yet once, it is yet a little while, and I will shake the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come—and I will fill

this house with glory." This was to be more than a substitute for all the distinguished articles that were found wanting in the second temple, compared with the first: and to account for the assurance, "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former."

Accordingly he appeared on earth while this house was standing, and was often found in it. The first time we read of his being there was as an infant, to be presented to the Lord. The offering that accompanied the dedication was "a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons." As this was the sacrifice allowed for the poor, in lieu of any thing more valuable, it shows the lowly condition into which he had entered. Few, therefore, for want of splendour, would notice the event. But this was not the case with all; and another kind of greatness was displayed. "There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." "And there was one Anna, a prophetess, and she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." At the age of twelve we find him in the temple, "sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." How was his glory shed abroad when he "went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." And "the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?"

Here was now found in the temple the body, of which the law was a shadow: the reality of all the types; the accomplishment of all the prophecies; the fulfilment of all the promises; the consolation of Israel. Many eminent characters had entered the former temple: but he was fairer than the children of men: and higher than the kings of the earth. Think of his innocency. The former temple had seen good men, but never a sinless one. But he was harmless, holy, undefiled, separate from sinners: in him was no sin. Think of his devotion. What faith! what trust! what spirituality of mind! what fervour of love! what ardour of zeal!

VOL. II.