The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1879-12-24

uau SpIc3u III IH0 N0iVilo i1s''',
that about this time great World
j Conoueror was to be born in Ju-
i dca. Many earnest Gentiles long
ed and prayed for his coming,
for they saw clearly that heathen
gods could not save tho world or
them. Among these earnest Gen
tiles were certain "Wise Men"
They must have been 'men Of
wealth and standing. The Cath
olic Church holds that they were
three kings-shieks or chiefs Of
tribes. We know not for certain
how many they were. They were
astronomers, and had learned to
see the finger Of God in the move
ments of the heavenly bodies. AS
they were Gcntiles and not Jews,
the Messianic prophecies in the
Scriptures could profit them little.
But whilst these students and pro
phcts of Nature could not under
stand Gods written word, they
read his will IN the starry heav-
ems.
The great astronomer, Kepler,
has discovered that in the year
747 after the founding of Rome
Zone year before our Saviour's
birth) a very singular conjunction
between the planets Saturn and
Jupiter TOOK place, in the sign Of
the Fish and that the following
Spring the planet Mars joined
Saturn and Jupiter and that
a fourth star was most probably
added to this conjunction. The
great and good man, with reason,
holds that this was the "star Of the
Wise Men" And Wieseler alleges
that the astronomical tablets Of the
Chinese report that new star
appeared in the year correspond
ing to that in which our Saviour
was born (750 after the founding
Of Romel.
How natural that these wise
men, by long and careful study
familiar with the heavenly bodies,
and nightly searching for light in
this grsndest field Of study, should
be among the first to see the new
star. TO their receptive minds
it was the finger Of God-the shin
ing of d light in dark place. Was
it conscience, learning, religious
instinct, or some heathen prophe-
cy that taught them: Up and
follow this star pilot? Or per-
haps some pious Jew had told
them that "there shall come star
out Of Jacob and sceptre shall rise
out of Israel" Mum. xiv. 47.
Who precisely these wise men
we're, and how they lived, can pot
be accurately told. Possibly they
lived at the court of some eastern
king, like Daniel and his three
companions, interpreting dreams
and giving counsel in matters CIV
il and religious. Iti is not unlikely
that they lived in tents, at whose
doors, one morning, their camels
were made to kneel, inviting their
masters TO mount them. In the
East, then as now, as a rule every
man of means had a wife, and
many had more than one. Without
doing violence to the text, we can
bring a group Of women and chill
dren into this parting scene, en-
bracing these long-tearded sages.
10 ali of them it was a solemn
parting. The men had discovered
their need Of new king-a Prince
of Salvation and a King of souls.
The star has heralded his coming.
And now they must go and well
come his Advent. Precious gifts
were secured and carefully packed.
Gold, the most precious metal
then known; trankincense and
myrrh: both products Of Arabia,
and used in the incense sacrifices
of the temple; these arc taken
along. Thus start they, freighted
with costly treasures for the new
born king. A solemn caravan this
was, more solemn and significant
than any that ever had made pill
grimage to Jerusalem, or since
then to Mecca. Servants led the
camels as their wise riders spake |
together about the mysterious
star. Where shall they look for
the child? Jerusalem is the capt.
tai Of the Jewish nation, the home !
of it's kings. In this home, in the