Magi whom it guided: "a star shall come out of "Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and "shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the "children of Sheth. "the Second Advent application of the emblem as we learn from Rev. ii. 25-28; "That which ye have hold fast TILL I COME; " and he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto "the end, to him will I give power over the nations: "and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the "vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, " even as I received of my Father. And I will give "him the morning star :"-evidently here the badge or insignia of rule and victory.

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Again, The Prophecy foretold the coming of a "King of Israel," as also the Magi well understood it, saying "Where is He that is born King of the "Jews? for we have seen His star in the East and though at His first coming Christ asserted this Title, and died a martyr to this claim, yet "the kingdom of Israel" did not then come, nor has it even yet come: though we are assured it will come at that period which forms the theme of the 60th chap. of Isaiah (well chosen for the first lesson for this Festival) when "Zion's light shall come and the "GLORY of the Lord shall rise upon her;

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"the Gentiles shall come to her light and kings to the "brightness of her rising:"-a "glory" and "light"

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and "brightness of rising" none other than that of the glorious Epiphany of the Saviour Himself, predicted in the verse next before but one, ch. lix. 20.

And last,-The worship and offerings of the Magi, while (as already said) a present attestation to His Divinity, afforded also the Type of a future glory— of a repetition of the same homage on a larger scale from distant lands and nations to the King of Israel, when, as foretold in Psalm lxxii. 10, 11, "The kings “of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents ; "the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, "all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall 66 serve Him"-and this when He shall be revealed as the Antitype of Solomon, as the context of the Psalm proves. Or, as it is more fully stated in the sublime prophecy of Isaiah just referred to—chap. Ix., in the address to Zion restored and glorified, ver. 5-9; "Then thou shalt see, and flow "together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; "because the abundance of the sea shall be converted "unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto "thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the "dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from "Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and "incense; and they shall show forth the praises of "the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered "together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall

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"minister unto thee: they shall come up "tance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of

my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and "as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles "shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to "bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold "with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and "to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified "thee.”—And again, ver. 13, “The glory of Lebanon "shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and "the box together, to beautify the place of my sanc"tuary; and I will make the place of my feet "glorious.”—And again, ver. 16, "Thou shalt also "suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the "breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the "LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty "One of Jacob."

And now, What is the application of this subject to ourselves? It is twofold, corresponding to the twofold aspect of this remarkable passage in the Life of our blessed Lord.

(1.) Regarding it as 'The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles' it calls upon us to rejoice with thankfulness. To rejoice in "the Epiphany of the GRACE "of God bringing Salvation." (Titus ii. 11, Gr.). As recorded of the Magi that “when they saw the star

they rejoiced with exceeding great joy," so may we well rejoice with them—we who know so much more of that "Grace" than did they!

To rejoice with thankfulness, especially, that no sooner was that Grace revealed than God in His great mercy hastened to make it known to the Gentiles, who were thus, if not the first, among the first worshippers at the feet of the Infant Saviour. Truly it becomes us to take heed to the exhortation of the Apostle, in reference to this same mercy towards us,-" Where"fore remember that ye were in times past Gentiles

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.. that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no "hope, and without God in the world: but now, in "Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are "made nigh by the blood of Christ." And well may the Church therefore celebrate the event from year to year: for it is a day to be much remembered to the Lord in our generations and families who are so deeply concerned in the result.

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(2.) But we have seen it was a type—or more, an earnest of another event yet to come: of another Epiphany,"—even "the Epiphany of the GLORY of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: "* and in this view we should again rejoice, at the prospect * Titus ii., as before, ver. 13 Gr.

it opens (to use the words of the Collect) of the fruition of the glorious Godhead' hereafter, when that glory shall be unveiled; as also at the confirmation of that hope which it affords, inasmuch as by such specimens of "the power and Coming" and 'Majesty" of the Saviour, (to adopt the words of an Apostle relative to another of them-His Transfiguration) "we have the word of prophecy more sure" which promises that event, and are encouraged still to wait for His Second Advent while celebrating His First.