Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-10-06


ten by the prophet, etc.
We ask ourselves, Has this account OF
st. Matthew the appearance and interna
evidence of truth. -
1t is very clearly established that st. Mat
thew wrote his gospel not longer than six
or eight years after the death of Christ "a.
D. 42), first in Hebrew, the language Oh
those who crucified and were the enemies
Of Jesus, and about thirteen years later
translated it into Greek for the benefit Of
tie tie GGentffs- world He states as true an
occurrence of remarkably and striking
| character which happened within the mem.
| ory of many then living and which if false,
would at once have been exposed and de-
MED. %
The bitterness of the Jews against the
followers of Jesus had not abated after the
martydOm of fStephen.-About the time OF
the publication of st. Matthew's gospel.
Herod Agrippa (son of Aristobulus, and
grandson of Herod the Great) stretched
forth his hands to vex certain of the church,
| aud killed James, the brother of John, with
the sword, and because he saw it pleased
the Jews he proceeded further to take Pc
| ter also." Would not those vindictive Jews,
sustained bv Herod the king, have denied
and refuted the statements of Matthew if
they had not Deen True?
1t will not do to say they did not know
of the existence of Matthew's gospel II
was not a light hidden under bushel, but
was boldly put forth in the Jews own Ian
guage, and the few who may have had ac-
cess to it would so have spread the rumor
of its existence that it would have reached
the knowledge of those ''masters in Israeli
whose predecessors had cruciSed the Son of
| God.
| Surely so horrible a massacre as that 'sof
all the children that were in Bethlehem and
in all the coasts thereof, from two years old
and UNDER" would be remembered by some
one living forty-two or fifty-f years after
| wards. And if it had not occurred, so mon
strous fabrication would have covered the
author with shame and infamy.
| Nor is the fact that Josephus does not
mention that bloody deed of Herod the
Great conclusive argument against its
truth. The omission by one historian to
record an act of cruelty by a tyrant is far
| from being decisive of the fact that it was
not done, and there may have been pr1-
Dental reasons why Josephus suppressed
this instance of Herod's brutality, as there
were coeent motives with st. Matthew,
apart from the guiding power of the Holy
Spirit, to record it.
In the incidental mention of Herod's cru
elites by Macrobius Ia Latin author in the
reign of Theodosius quoted by Adam Clarke)
this massacre seems to be alluded to. He
says: "When he [Augustus] heard that
among those male infants about tWo years
old which Herod, the king of the Jews, Or
dered to be slain in Syria one of his own
sons was also murdered, he said, TT is bet
ter to be Herod's hog than his son." This
BOT ny,H 90 oc
confoundiDg incidents, for this saying of
ed by Herod's asking permission to execute
his son Antipater who was convicted of
conspiracy and treason against his father
The incidents, however, were nearly con-
temporaneous.
1t what is said of Herod the Great be
true, it fixes the period of the main fact of
interest to us-viz, the birth of Jesus at
Bethelehem-for Herod's conduct prompt
ed by the assumption that it was tue. And
further it reveals to us that when angels
announced to shepherds watching their
focks by night sthat in Bethlehem was
born the Saviour which is Christ the Lord"
a star appeared to wise men in the east,
who recognized it as his star acho Eds born
King Of the JeaOs, Who these Magi, or wise
men were, or from what place in the east
they came, is not revealed. All we know
is that the star appeared unto them and in
duced them to make the pilgrimage to ,Jeru-
salem, that they ymightworship this heaven
revealed King of the Jews. Most natural.
ly they came directly to Jerusalem, the
seat of government, for information about
him. Well might Herod s'be troubled" and
all Jerusalem when he heard of these
things; for if they were true they were IA
tai to his cherished hopes of founding
dynasty in his own family. To accomplish
this ambition and aspiration of his life he
had put away and murdered his wives, dyed
his hands in the blood of his own children
and all others who might be obstacles in
the way of attaining that end.
His feelings may we'll be imagined when,
old and sick and feeble this announcement
was made that king of the Jews was born,
whose birth was heralded from heaven by
star, seen and recognized as his harbinger
by wise men in the cast, and who Herod
supposed and feared would supevsede all
those who inherited his tainted and abhorred
Edomitish blood. Promptly ne gathered
all the chief priests and scribes Of the peo-
pie together and demanded of them where
Christ should be born. Without hesitation
they replied, "In Bethlehem of Judea."
He Immediately decided upon his course,
and when he found he was Knocked by the
wise men and could not lay his band upon
the child they came to worship, he thought
and believed he would establish his throne
and dynasty by cutting him off. and to make
sure of this purpose he ordered massacre
of all the male children of two years old
and under in Bethlehem and all the coasts
round about. How impotent the wrath of
man to defeat the purposes of God; The
child he sought to slay was safe beyond
his jurisdiction in Egypt.
The history of Matthew having the uni
ty of time, place and circumstance, bears
the impress of truth, and his statements
have never been challenged nor denied.
We may, therefore, accept and believe them,
and take comfort that the stone of the tenn
pie of our faith rests upon a sure founda-
ton.