26. Was revealed. In what way this was done we are not informed. Sometimes it was by a dream, at others by a voice, and at others by silent suggestion. All we know of this is that it was by the Holy Ghost. ¶ Not see death. Should not die. To see death, and to taste of death, was a common way among the Hebrews of expressing dea... itself. Compare Ps. lxxxix. 48. The Lord's Christ. Rather, the Lords Anointed. The word Christ means anointed, and it would have been better to use that word here. To an aged man, who had been long waiting for the Messiah, how grateful must have been this revelation-this solemn assurance that the Messiah was near! But this revelation is now given to every man, that he need not taste of death till, by the eye of faith, he may see the Christ of God. He is offered freely. He has coine. He waits to manifest himself to the world. And he is not willing that any should die forever. To us, also, it will be as great a privilege in our dying hours to have seen Christ by faith, as it was to Simeon. It will be the only thing that can support us then-the only thing that will enable us to depart in peace.

27. By the spirit. By the direction of the spirit. Into the temple. Into that part of the temple where the public worship was chiefly performed-in.o the court of the women. See note on Mat. xxi. 12. The custom of the law. That is, to make an offering for purification, and to present him to God. 28. Blessed God. ed God.

Thanked, or prais

29. Now lettest. Now thou dost let, or permit. This word is in the indicative mood, and signifies that God was permitting him to die in peace, by having relieved his anxieties, allayed his fears, fulfilled the promises, and having, VOL.II.-3

by the appearing of the Messiah, removed every reason why he should live any longer, and every wish to live. T Depart. Die. According to thy word. Thy promise made by revelation.-God never disappoints. To many it might have appeared improbable when such a promise was made to an old man, that it should be fulfilled. But God fulfils all his word; keeps all his promises, and NEVER dis appoints those who trust in him.

30. Thy Salvation. Him who is to procure salvation for his people; or, the Saviour.

31. Before the face of all people. Whom thou hast provided for all people, or whom thou dost design to reveal to all people.

32. A light to lighten the Gentiles. This is in accordance with the prophecies in the Old Testament. Isa. xlix. lx. 6, 1. Ps. xcviii. 3. Mal. iv. 2. The Gentiles are represented as sitting in darkness, i. e., in ignorance, and sin. Christ is a light to them, as by him they will be made acquainted with the character of the true God, his law, and the plan of redemption. The darkness rolls away as the sun arises, so ignorance and error, flee away when Jesus gives light to the mind; and the nations shall come to his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising. Isa, Ix. 2, 3. And the glory, &c. The first offer of salvation was made to the Jews. John iv. 22. Luke xxiv. 47. Jesus was born among the Jews.-among them had been the prophecies respecting him, and his first ministry was anong them. Hence he was their glory, their honor, their light. To us it is a subject of special gratitude that the Saviour was given for the Gentiles. For 1, We are Gentiles, and if he had not come we should have been shut out from the blessings of redemption. 2. It is he only that

34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; a Is.8.14. Ro.9.32,33. ICo.1.23,24. 2Co.2. 16. 1Pe.2.7,8.

can make our dying hed Feel soft as downy pillows are,

While on his breast we lean our head

And breathe our life out sweetly there."

Thus may our departure be like that of Simeon. Thus we may die in peace. Thus it will be a blessing to die. But 3. In order to do this, our life must be like that of Simeon. We must wait for the consolation of Israel. We must look for his coming. We must be holy, harmless, undefiled, loving the Saviour. Then death to us, like death to Simeon, will have no terror,we shall depart in peace, and in heaven, see the salvation of God. 2 Peter iii. ii. 12. But 4. Children, as well as hoary-haired Simeon, may look for the coming of Christ. They too must die; and their death will be happy only as they depend on the Lord Jesus, and are prepared to meet him.

34. Simeon blessed them. Joseph and Mary. On them he sought the blessing of God. Is set. Is anpointed, or constituted for that, or such shall be the effect of his coming. T The fall. The word fall here seems to denote misery, suffering, disappointment, or ruin. There is a plain reference here to the passage where it is said that he should be a stone of stumbling, and a rock of of fence. Isa. viii. 14, 15. Many expected a temporal prince, and in this they were disappointed. Many loved darkness rather than light, and rejected him, and fel into ruin. Many that were proud, were brought low by his preaching. The nation also rejected him, and put him to death, and as a judgment, fell into the hands of the Romans, thousands were led into captivity, and thousands perished. The nation rushed into ruin; the temple was destroyed, and the people, were scattered into all the nations. See Rom. ix. 32, 32. 1 Pet. ii. 8. 1 Cor. i. 23, 24. And rising again. The word "again" is not expressed in the Greek. It seems to impose in our translation that the same persons would fall and rise again. But this is not its meaning. It denotes, that many would be ruined by his coming; and

35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

b Ac.28.22. c Jno.19.25. d Ju.5.15,16. 1 Co.11.19.

many others be made happy, or be saved. Many of the poor and humble, that were willing to receive him, should obtain pardon of sin and peace-should rise from their sins and sorrows here, and finally ascend to eternal life. ¶ And for a sign, &c. The word sign here denotes a conspicuous or distinguished object. And the Lord Jesus was such an object of contempt and rejection by all the people. He was despised and rejected, and his religion has been the common mark or sign for all the wicked, the profligate, and the profane, to curse and ridicule, and oppose. Compare Isa. viii. 18, and Acts xxviii. 22. Never was a prophecy more exactly fulfilled than this. Thousands have rejected the gospel and fallen into ruin,— thousands are still falling of those who are ashamed of Jesus, and rejecim,-thousands blaspheme him, deny him, speak all manner of evil against him, and would crucify him again if he were in their hands. But thousands also by him are renewed, justified, and raised up to life and peace.

35. Yea, a sword, &c. The suffer ings and death of thy Son shall deeply afflict thy soul. And if Mary had not been thus forewarned and sustained by strong faith, she could not have borne the trials which came upon her Son. But God prepared her for it, and the holy mother was sustained. That the thoughts, &c. This is connected with the preceding verse. "He shall be a sign-a conspicuous object to be spoken against-that the thoughts of many hearts may be made manifest." That is, they might show how much they hated holiness. Nothing so brings out the feelings of sinners as to tell them of Jesus Christ: many treat him with silent contempt: many are ready to gnash their teeth: many curse him:-all show how much by nature the heart is opposed to religion, and thus are really, in spite of themselves, fulfilling the scriptures and the prophecies. So true is it that "none can say that Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. xii. 3.

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser; she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;

37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers "night and day.

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.

a Ac.26.7. 1Ti.5.5. b ver.25, 1 or, Isra≤l.

36. Of the tribe of Aser. The tribe of Ager, or Asher, dwelt in the northern part of the land of Canaan. Why she was called a prophetess is not known. It might be because she had been the wife of a prophet: or because she was employed in celebrating the praises of God; (compare 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 2, 4. 1 Sam. x. 5.) or because she herself had foretold future events, being inspired.

27. Fourscore and four years. Eightyfour years old. Fastings and prayers. Constant religious service. Spending her time in prayer, and in all the ordinances of religion. Night and day. Continually, i. e., at the usual times of public worship, and in private. When it is said that she departed not from the temple, it is meant that she was constant and regular in all the public services at the temple, or was never absent from those services. We also should not neglect the public worship of God. God most approves those who love his service best, and blesses those who wait at his temple gates.

39. They returned into Galilee. Not immediately, but after a time. Luke has omitted the flight into Egypt recorded by Matthew; but he has not denied it; nor are his words to be pressed as if he meant to affirm that they went immediately to Nazareth. A parallel case we

have in the life of Paul. When he was converted, it is said that he came to Jerusalem-leaving us there to infer that he went directly. Acts ix. 26. Yet we learn in another place that this was after an interval of three years. Gal. i. 17, 18. In the case before us, there is no improbability in supposing that they returned to

feast.

c Is.11.2,3. ver.52. d Ex.23.15. De.16.1.

Bethlehem, then went to Egypt, and then to Galilee.

40. Strong in spirit. In mind, intellect, understanding. Jesus had a human soul, and that soul was subject to all the proper laws of a human spirit. It, therefore, increased in knowledge, strength, and character. Nor is it any more inconsistent with his being God, to say that his soul expanded, than to say that his body grew. Filled with wisdom. Eminent for wisdom when a child. That is, exhibiting an extraordinary understanding and wise, to flee from every thing sinful and evil. And the grace of God, &c. The word grace in the New Testament commonly means unmerited favor shown to sinners. Here it means no more than favor. God showed him favor, or was pleased with him and blessed him.

It is remarkable that this is all that is recorded of the infancy of Jesus. And this, with the short account that follows of his going to Jerusalem, is all that we know of him for thirty years of his life. The design of the Evangelists was to give an account of his public ministry, and not his private life. Hence they say little of him in regard to his first years. What they do say, however, corresponds entirely with what we might expect. He was wise, pure, pleasing God, and deeply skilled in the knowledge of the divine law. He set a lovely example for all children; was subject to his parents, and increased in favor with God and man. 42. Twelve years old. It is probable that this was the age at which males at first went up to Jerusalein, They were

b

α

50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his

a Jno.5.17. 9.1.

ye not.

b Da.7.28. ver. 19.

49. How is it, &c. Why have ye Bought ine with so much anxiety? Mary should have known that the Son of God was safe, that his heavenly Father would take care of him, and that he could do nothing amiss. TWist ye not. Know You had reason to know. You knew my design in coming into the world; and that design was superior to the duty of obeying earthly parents, and they should be willing always to give me up to the proper business for which I live. My Father's business. Some think that this should be translated "in my Father's house," that is, in the temple. Jesus reminded them here that he came down from heaven-tnat he had a higher Father than an earthly parent; and that, even in early life, it was proper that he should be engaged in the work for which he came. He did not enter indeed upon his public work for eighteen years after this; yet still, the work of God was his work, and always even in childhood, it was proper for him to be engaged in the great business for which he came.

50. They understood not, &c. It is remarkable that they did not understand Jesus in this; but it shows how slow persons are to believe. Even his parents, after all that had taken place, did not seem to comprehend that he was to be the Saviour of men; or if they did, they understood it in a very imperfect man

ner.

C

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, 1 and in favour with God and man.

CHAPTER III.

NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, c 1Sa.2.26. ver.40. 1 or, age.

dren should follow. Though he was the Son of God, and on proper occasions was engaged in the great work of redemption, yet he was also the Son of Mary; and he loved and obeyed his mother, and was subject to her. 2. It is no dishonor to be a mechanic, or to be brought up in an obscure and industrious employment. Jesus has conferred honor on virtuous industry, and no man should be ashamed of industrious parents, though poor, or of a condition of life that is far from ease and affluence. Industry is honorable, and virtuous poverty without reproach. The only thing to be ashamed of, in regard to this matter is, when men are idle, or when children are too proud to hear or speak of the occupation of their parents

52. In far or with God. That is in proportion to his advance in wisdom. This does not imply that he ever lacked the favor of God, but that God regarded him with favor in proportion as he showed an understanding and spirit like his own. Happy are those children who imitate the example of Jesus--who are obedient to parents-who increase in wisdom-are sober, temperate, and industrious; and who thus increase in favor with God and man.

CHAPTER III.

1. Now in the fifteenth year. This was the thirteenth year of his being soie emperor. He was two years joint emperor with Augustus, and Luke reckons from the time when he was admitted to share the empire with Augustus Cæsar. See Lardner's Credibility, vol. 1.