The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-07-12

Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notea]
GOLDEN TExr.--They saw the young child
with Mary, His mother. and fell down and
worshiped Hlm-Matt a:il. fN tH #
THE sEcTIor includes simply the lesson.
This story Ia recorded only In Matthew.
PLACE In THE SroRY.-The visit Of the wise
men WAS made soon after the Presentation in
the Temple and was quickly followed by the
flight into Egypt Both this and the next les
son, the whole Of Matthew 2, belong In the mid
die Of verse 80, Of Luke
TIMk-February b. G. 4, when Jesus was six
or eight weeks old
PLAcE.-Bethlehem Of Judes, 9 village fve
or six miles south Of Jerusalem. Bethlehem
means House of Bread" q very fitting name
for the place where was born Him who was the
Bread Of Life
THE FAR EAST included the lands Of the cap
tivities-Assyria, Babylonia and Persia, where
Ezekiel prophesied and Daniel ruled and
Esther was queen. .+
LESSON NOTES.
Wise Men from the East Search for
Him.-Vs. 1, 2. There came wise
men" Greek, Magi, sages). Original
ly a class of priests among the Persians
and Medes, who formed the kings
privv council, and who cultivated as
trology. medicine and occult natural
science. They are frequently referred
to by ancient authors. Herodotus
speaks of them as a priestly caste of
the Medes, and as interpreters of
dreams. Afterwards the term was ap-
piled to all eastern philosophers
Schaff. They are men of rank and
wealth and learning from the far east,
representatives of all that is best in the
old civilizations of the world. .-Sadler
Daniel became president of such an or
der in Babylon Dan. 2:4s). The Cos
pei does not tell how many in numbe
these wise men were, but tradition has
made them three, from the number of
their gifts, and represents them as
kings-"three kings of the Orient"
Bede, indeed, is able to tell us that
Melcher was an old man. with long
white hair and a sweeping beard, and
that he gave the gold as to king; that
Caspar was beardless youth, with
ruddy face. and that he presented the
frankincense as gift worthy of God;
while Balthasar was swarthy. strong
bearded man, and gave the myrrh for
the burial. From the east" Here in
the plural, referring to the eastern re-
were the priestly caste of the Zoroas-
trian religion, the religion of Persia,
and hence were not idolaters. but wor-
shippers of the one God under the en-
blem of fire.
The Expectation of the Messiah in
the World.-In the far east the Chinese,
the Japanese and other kindred ma
tions have cherished an immemorial
tradition that God was to descend upon
earth in visible form, to enlighten
mems ignorance in person and redeem
them from their sins. We are informed
by Tacitus, by Suetonius and by jose
the entire east, at this time, an intense
conviction. derived from ancient proph-
ecies, that ere long powerful mon
arch would arise in Judea and gain
dominion over the world. Virgil, who
lived q little befoys this, owns Fourth
Ec1ogue) that child from Heaven was
looked for, who should restore the
| golden age, and take away sin. Cons
fucius, in China. at least B. G. 500, had
prophesied the appearance of such a de-
| liverer, and a dcputation Of his follow.
ers, going forth in search of him,
were the mems of introducing Bud
dhism into China. But the clear
est of all these prophecies was
one by Zoroaster before b. c. 500.
The HISTORIANS say that Zoroaster
was disciple of jeremiah, from whom
he learned about the Messiah.
'Zoroaster taught the Persians con-
cerning Christ. He declared that in
the latter days pure virgin should
| conceive, and that, as soon as the
child was born, a star would appear,
blazing, even at MONDAY, with undi-
minished luster. You, my sons, ex-
claimed the venerable seer, will per-
ceive it's rising before any other
nation. AS soon as you see the star,
follow it wheresoever it leads you, and
adore the mysterious child, offering
your gifts to Him with the profoundest
humility. He is the Almighty Word
which created the heavens. Memoir
of Mrs. Judith S. Grant, missionary to
| Persia.
Whence arose this expectation?
Without doubt from the Jews, who
were scattered everywhere. with their
Scriptures and their hopes, since the
Babylonish captivity. Daniel himself
was a prince, and chief among this
very class of wise men. His prophe,
cies were made known to them; and
the calculations by which he pointed
to the very time when Christ should be
born became, through the Book OF
Daniel, part of their ancient litera
ture
The Guiding Star.-V. 2.-"For we
have seen His star in the east" Seer
by them in the eastern countries, ol
seen in the eastern sky. The first was
certainly the fact, but the second is the
probable meaning here. This mus
have been miraculous star. for il
went before them, and stood over the
exact place where Jesus was with Hii
mother. But, at the same time, th'
! remarkable conjunction of planets a
this time may have had something t.
do with it. 1t is natural that a mirac
ulous being should be heralded by
miraculous star. His birth was mir