the blood of the Lamb, what thoughts and feelings they must have, as they recollect the star in its first. appearance to them; the difficulties which they overcame in following after it; the joy they felt when it reappeared, and gave a divine seal of approbation to their effort; their first sight of the infant Jesus; the impressions made upon them when, in this young mysterious potentate, as they believed him to be, they found the King of kings and Lord of lords! As they cast their crowns at his feet, they remember the gold, and frankincense, and myrrh which they once brought so far and laid there; they adore the sovereign love which selected them in their idolatrous land, and brought them to worship at those feet, and now rewards their gifts and their zeal, which were themselves the work of divine grace, with heavenly blessings. Among the happy spirits in heaven, these wise men must have no common joy in thinking of the method by which they were brought to the knowledge of Christ, and their salvation was secured. Who, of all the armies of heaven, fall at the feet of Christ with more affecting recollections, or with greater reason for gratitude and praise? Of the innumerable friends of Christ in heaven, who more suitably lead the Gentile church than those who were the first fruits of his advent, the trophies of victories won by him while yet in his manger at Bethlehem? And yet every one of us who shall be saved will be an

instance and illustration of sovereign mercy; and in proportion to the strength of our faith and love shall we be happy in the recollections of earth, in the society of just men made perfect, and be qualified for future employment in the service of God.

We read no more of these wise men but that they returned to their own country. They carried with them, of course, the news of the Saviour, and no doubt were instrumental in advancing the new religion in the east. Were we allowed to indulge our fancy, as the Christian writers of the middle ages have done, and embellish the history of these wise men with imaginary incidents, we might do it, perhaps, after this manner. Persia, we would say, has not yet ceased to feel the benefit, indirectly, of their early homage at the feet of the infant Saviour. We cannot fail to remember, in connection with these Magi, that to their fellow-countrymen, the Nestorians of Persia, we are now sending the means of reëstablishing among them a pure Christianity. That people are remarkable from early times for their substantial orthodoxy. Nestorius was excommunicated by the Papal church for denying that Mary was the mother of God, and refusing to worship her; and it is interesting to notice here that the wise men paid no homage to Mary. A peculiar tone of piety characterizes the Nestorian converts, and it may be that they are blessed, and that great blessings are yet in

reserve for them, in consequence of the zealous efforts of the Magi to find Christ. For God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and he remembers mercy to a thousand generations.*

* Extract from the memoir of Mrs. Judith S. Grant, late missionary to Persia, pp. 176-178:

"The place of her sepulture is within the outer enclosure or court of a Christian church, where, for many centuries, the lamp of truth, if not of vital piety, has been kept burning, though with a dim and flickering light. It is the Church of Mary, the mother of Jesus; and you may be interested to learn the tradition of the Nestorians regarding its history. They are confident of the truth of the general belief that Oroomiah was the residence of the renowned Zoroaster, the reformer of that primitive system of idolatry which found a God in the sun, moon, and stars, and the unextinguished fires on their holy altars. Zoroaster, say the Nestorians, was a disciple of Jeremiah, and having learned from him the promised advent of the Messiah, he taught it to his followers, assuring them that, directed by his star, they would be the first to pay him reverence.

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As their tradition is remarkably corroborated by Abulpharagius, I will quote his language: "Zeradusht (Zoroaster,) the preceptor of the Magi, taught the Persians concerning the manifestations of Christ, and ordered them to bring gifts to him in token of their reverence and submission. He declared that in the latter days a pure virgin should conceive, and that as soon as the child was born a star would appear, blazing, even at noonday, with undiminished lustre. You, my sons,' exclaimed the venerable seer, will perceive its rising before any other nation. As soon, therefore, as you shall see the star, follow it whithersoever it shall lead you, and adore the mysterious child- offering your gifts to him with the profoundest humility. He is the Almighty WORD, which created the heavens.' 'It came to pass,' say the Nestorians, 'as Zoroaster predicted. The Magi ("wise men") of Persia were the first to discover the promised star; and, in obedience to their prophet, they hastened to pay their devotions to the new-born King. They took with them gold as a suitable present, if he were an earthly king; but as they had been apprised of his celestial character, they also brought frankincense and myrrh, which they were accustomed to burn as a perfume in their religious adoration.' On their return to the native abode of their prophet at Oroomiah, they brought with them some of the swaddling clothes of the incarnate Divinity, which were subsequently used as a sacred relic in consecrating the first Christian church of this land, which they named in honor of the blessed mother Mary, (Nana Mariam.)”

We have named the Wise men from the East, 'Friends of Christ,' and have given them a prominent place among that honorable number whom we are to consider in these discourses under that name. It is encouraging to notice how little of true faith in Christ, and what imperfect knowledge of him, they probably had when they came to his feet. And yet what consequences have flowed to them in their usefulness, during their lives, in directing the attention of others to Christ, in comforting the mourning people of God, in giving an example of zeal and faith to those who have more knowledge of Christ than they. This teaches us that with whatever motive we seek Christ, or however imperfect and deficient our knowledge of him, we cannot seek in vain, nor will our sincere efforts to know him better fail to be rewarded. "A bruised reed he will not break; and smoking flax he will not quench."

It deserves a passing notice, in conclusion, that

III. THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI AFFORDS A ILLUSTRATION OF OUR SAVIOUR'S HU

REMARKABLE

MILITY AND MEEKNESS.

We cannot suppose that the knowledge of this adoration was withheld from him when he came to years of understanding. What effect might we suppose it would have had on any one of us, had he been told that, when he was an infant, learned men

came in a company and did him reverence; that wise men from the continent of Europe made a pilgrimage to his feet? But the Saviour was subject to his parents, and worked at his trade as a carpenter. When he began his public ministry, and selected his first apostles, did he choose Magi for his ministers? No, but Andrew, and Peter, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and the sons of Zebedee. With what truthfulness and beauty, then, does that gracious invitation to each of us proceed from his lips: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls.” There is only one instance in the New Testament in which the Man of Sorrows is said to have rejoiced; and this was in connection with the truth that God had hid the things of his kingdom from the "wise and prudent," and had "revealed them unto babes." It gratified the benevolence of Christ to think that the humble, unlettered poor of our race were specially the objects of divine compassion, while those who were wise in their own conceit, in consequence of their human learning or gifts, were passed by. When the Saviour, who had had the wise men of the east at his feet, stretches forth his hand, and says, Blessed are ye poor, for yours is the kingdom of God, he excites the confidence and joy of every one