The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-22
The Birth of Christ
rlatt. ii, l-l1.

est would add to the general excitement, until
the theme would be on every lip.
| COUNSEL.-Wicked thoughts and purposes
entered the heart OF IIcrod. for the execution
Of which he needed fuller information. Where
is this child, the prospective King? He is not
in the palace, neither in Jerusalem. The chief
priests and scribes, the high officials Of the
church, We're called together and consulted.
They were not, rule, men OF picty,- q
Chr. Nxxvi 1D, but they were acquainted with
the Scriptures. Seated in, the great counsel
chamber they represented the best learning OF
the nation (Matt. ii: -. Herod required them
10 tell him ''where Christ should be born" For
their reply they searched the sacred writings,
nor needed they to search long The custo-
dians OF the parchments. with more care and
precision than We exercise now, had system
oi indexins by which any subject might he
quickly examined (Joln V: 39, and every de-
tail concerning the Great King might easily be
traced. The proof text was found (Nicah v:
%, and the answer was given, in the very lan-
guage of the old prophet, who had written seven
centuries before Here is the first Jewish tes-
timony to Jesus delivered in His infancy, the be-
ginning OF that overwhelming evidence which
aterward WAS employed in convincing the peo-
pie that Gods Amounted had come
ORDERS Having obtained the desired infor-
nation, Herod called the wise men and in
quired concerning the time when the star ap-
peared. This was the second step in working
out his hendish design. Because afterward he
ordered the slaughter OF all the innocent : yeats
old and under (Ch, ii; lG), il is thought by
some that that indicated the time which they
gave him. They were then sent to Bethlelsm,
with Instructions to search ior the child and
to return TO Herod and bring him word. lie
would make these wise and good men the adj
vance agents of his crime What consunnatc
hypocrisy is this? What hclsh hate? The
Lord OF glory began His career with murder
onus king in search oi Him psalm ii: p. Il
was a right thing which llerod proposedto
worship Jesus. emblematic OF that honor which
all kings must ultimately pay Him Csev. xyi
2D. But this concealed purpose was the ear.
liest expression OF that enmity OF the unregen-
crate heart which pursued Him throughout His
career and caused His ignominious death on the
cross Mark Xy: 32).
JOURNEY.-The Wise men departed from the
presence OF Herod, having learned what they
sought, the .siiy oi the Redeemer's birth, Beth
lehcm, little quiet community pelched like
birds nest among the rocky hills of Judah, lay
five miles south OF Jerusalem. The home OF
Jesse and OF his great son, David q sam. xvi:
~, II WAS famed. not in Israel only, but in
all other lands as well, As The travellers moved
forward, that same star which they had seen in
their own country, whose guidance they had
followed Went before them. BY il they di-
rccted their footsteps, as the children OF Israel
found their way through the wilderness 10
Canaan by the cloud oi the Divine presence
Numb. ix: 2O-2D. This supernatural phenonl-
enon, whatever il may have been, shows that
God has not limited His gracious manifestations
10 chosen portion OF mankind, not even in the
oden time to the posterity OF Abraham. He
has ever had race-wide purpose, indicated in
this instance by special escort OF honest seek.
ers for the infant Emmanuel. At length the
star stood over the Bethlehem home, and when