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LETTER XII.

In Judah's sky a star arose
To guide the weary to repose:
It led the wise men of the east
To Zion's light and it to taste;
It brought them far from eastern clime
To tell the world 'twas Shiloh's time.

Edinburgh, 21st February, 1821.

REFRESHING as the streams of the desert to the oriental traveller are good news from a distant land. Shiloh is come suddenly to his temple; his feet have stood on the Mount of Olives, and the hierarchy of Heaven proclaims his glorious advent :-" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men, for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." The fulness of the time was come, the Jewish sceptre had bent to the Roman power, and their lawgivers were assembled to inquire where Christ should be born. They told the birth-place of the Messiah, but when he did appear they knew him not;

" he came to his own and they received him not.” They boldly declared the fulfilment of their father Jacob's prophecy, when they said,—“ We have no king but Cæsar." If their sceptre was gone, and their lawgivers about to be thrown from their seats, Shiloh must appear: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come."

An ancient philosopher dethat one should be sent from

clared it was necessary God to teach us his will, and that he must appear in poverty to make a perfect character. The Jews, in their depraved imaginations, arrayed the character of Messiah as a man of blood triumphing over their enemies, and making the nations of the earth crouch to Jewish government, and displaying all the gaudy trappings of an eastern despot. The heathen conception of true greatness of character far surpassed that of the Jews, who were the depository of the divine oracles. That they have been so, and still retain them in purity, is a miracle itself, for they are the only works of sublimity their nation has produced, and they condemn their actions and the actions of their fathers, since they imbrued their hands in the innocent blood.

Messiah is come; he travelled in the greatness of his strength: he spake in righteousness, and shewed himself mighty to save; he trod the winepress of the wrath of God alone, and of the people there was none with him; therefore they have

been trodden down in anger, and made drunk by the judgments of the Lord. Their strength hath been cast to the earth, their city and temple razed to their foundations, and the site ploughed as a field. Their blood hath sprinkled the holy of holies, the day of vengeance came upon them, because they rejected the consolation of Israel.

To trace a few incidents of the life of this glorious personage, seen in prophetic vision by Isaiah, who, as a watchman on the tower of Zion, looking towards Edom, rapturously exclaimed,—“ Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?” is a subject the most interesting and pleasing.

At twelve years of age, Jesus was "found in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing and asking them questions ;" and when his mother chid him, he mildly replied, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business ?" How early did he display the superiority of his character, and his zeal to perform the work the Father gave him to do! He was full of knowledge, wiser than all his teachers. His love for little children was wonderful; and his often comparing the kingdom of heaven to them, shews the simplicity and loveliness of the Christian character. Even the young of animals draw forth our sympathetic feelings, how much more the young of our own

species! Their artless simplicity seizes our tenderness, and their unaffected humility ensures our love. He who created little children, and whose providence rears them to manhood, must have the same love for his work in embryo, as when arrived at maturity. "He loves because he loves ;" and Jesus' kind interest in the welfare of little children, declares him the Child born and Son given.

His coming to John to be baptised shewed, indeed, that he was desirous to fulfil all righteousness; when he who baptiseth with the Holy Spirit and with fire should come to John, who was not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoes! He paid respect to the Jewish ritual, though he was the prophet Israel was commanded to hear, and the sent of God to declare his will to the sons of men. The temptations of Satan exhibit to us the profound respect Jesus paid to whatever was written of him in the Scriptures, and from that pure source the answers that confounded the tempter were all drawn, a powerful lesson to us when contending with the adversaries of revealed religion, to let the contest be in the arena of Scripture. Revealed religion is so far above the dim light of reason, that they who are only accustomed to reason's lamp, when taking a transient view of this glorious light are dazzled with its splendour, and they cannot steadily look on the Sun of Righteousness. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation; it

is only by the preaching of the cross that success will attend: for he hath ordained, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. His temptations likewise display the power of resistance, that if we resist the devil he will flee from us, and our evil passions and desires will become dead by resistance. The passions of the soul frequently slumber until they are called forth by circumstances; but by triumphing over them they die a natural death. The Christian life is compared to a soldier's; he is called to combat every step he takes in life,-no place of rest is assigned him here. "To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne."

Jesus going with his friends to a marriage-feast, shews the unaffected familiarity of his character; and his turning water into wine was the first display of his miraculous power. It was done without ostentation, and supplied the poverty of the giver of the feast,-unlike the pretenders to miraculous power of the present day, who, by bold assertions, try to cover their weakness. The church of Rome pretend to turn bread into flesh, and wine into blood; but still the bread and wine are unchanged,-they retain all the principles of taste, colour, flavour, and quality; but here, the governor of the feast (who knew not of the miracle performed) saw and drank of the miraculous wine: and so much was

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