64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill-country of Judea:

66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. 67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

hver. 20. or, things. i c. 2. 19, 51. k Ps. 80. 17. / Ps. 72. 18. m Ps.

111.9.

blessed Paul himself did so. Zacharias's pitching upon the same name that Elisabeth had chosen, was a great surprise to the company; They marvelled all; for they knew not that, though by reason of his deafness and dumbness they could not converse together, yet they were both guided by one and the same Spirit: or, perhaps they marvelled that he wrote so distinctly and intelligently, which (the stroke he was under, being somewhat like that of a palsy) he had not done before.

5. He thereupon recovered the use of his speech; (v. 64,) His mouth was opened immediately. The time prefixed for his being silenced, was, till the day that these things shall be fulfilled, (v. 20,) not all the things going before concerning John's ministry, but those which relate to his birth and name, (v. 13;) that time was now expired, whereupon the restraint was taken off, and God gave him the opening of the mouth again, as he did to Ezekiel, ch. 3. 27. Dr. Lightfoot compares this case of Zacharias with that of Moses, Ex. 4. 24, 26. Moses, for distrust, is in danger of his life, as Zacharias, for the same fault, is struck dumb; but, upon the circumcising of his child, and recovery of his faith, there, as here, the danger is removed. Infidelity closed his mouth, and now believing opens it again; he believes, therefore he speaks. David lay under guilt from the conception of his child till a few days after its birth; then the Lord takes away his sin; upon his repentance he shall not die, so here he shall be no longer dumb; his mouth was opened, and he spake, and praised God. Note, When God opens our lips, our mouth must show forth his praise: as good be without our speech as not use it in praising God; for then our tongue is most our glory, when it is employed for God's glory.

6. These things were told all the country over, to the great amazement of all that heard them, v. 65, 66. The sentiments of the people are not to be slighted, but taken notice of. We are here told, (1.) That these sayings were discoursed of, and were the common talk all about the hill-country of Judea; it was pity but a narrative of them had been drawn up, and published in the world immediately. (2.) That most people who heard of these things, were put into consternation by them; Fear came on all them that dwelt round about there. If we have not a good hope, as we ought to have, built upon the Gospel, we may expect that the tidings of it will fill us with fear. They believed and trembled, whereas they should have believed and triumphed. (3.) It raised the expectations of people concerning this child. and obliged them to have their eye upon him, to see what he would come to. They laid up these presages in their hearts, treasured them up in mind and memory, as foreseeing they should hereafter have occasion to recollect them. Note, What we hear, that may be of use to us, we should treasure up, that we may be able to bring forth, for the benefit of others, things new and old, and, when things come to perfection, may be able to look back upon the presages thereof, and to say, "It was what we might expect." They said within themselves, and said among themselves, "What manner of child shall this be? What will be the fruit when these are the buds, or rather, when the root is out of such a dry ground?" Note, When children are born into the world, it is very uncertain what they will prove; yet sometimes there have been early indications of something great, as in the birth of Moses, Samson, Samuel, and here of John. And we have reason to think that there were some of those living at the time when John began his public ministry, who could, and did, remember these things, and relate them to others, which contributed as much as any thing to the great flocking there was after him.

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake "by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to Premember his holy covenant.

n Jer. 23. 5, 6. Dan. 9. 24. o Is. 54. 7-17. Jer. 30. 10, 11. p Lev. 26. 42. Ps.

105. 8-10. Ez. 16.60.

the Holy Ghost, and put this honour upon him, to employ him for his honour.

II. What the matter of his song was. Here is nothing said of the private concerns of his own family, the rolling away of the reproach from it, and putting of a reputation upon it, by the birth of this child, though, no doubt, he found a time to give thanks to God for this, with his family; but in this song he is wholly taken up with the kingdom of the Messiah, and the public blessings to be introduced by it. He could have little pleasure in this fruitfulness of his vine, and the hopefulness of his olive-plant, if herein he had not foreseen the good of Jerusalem, peace upon Israel, and blessings on both out of Zion, Ps. 128. 3, 5, 6. The Old-Testament prophecies are often expressed in praises and new songs, so is this beginning of NewTestament prophecy; Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. The God of the whole earth shall he be called; yet Zacharias, speaking of the work of redemption, called him the Lord God of Israel, because to Israel the prophecies, promises, and types of the redemption had hitherto been given, and to them the first prof fers and proposals of it were now to be made. Israel, as a chosen people, was a type of the elect of God out of all nations, whom God had a particular eye to, in sending the Saviour; and therefore he is therein called the Lord God of Israel. Now Zacharias here blesses God,

1. For the work of salvation that was to be wrought out by the Messiah himself, v. 68-75. This it is that fills him, when he is filled with the Holy Ghost, and it is that which all who have the Spirit of Christ are full of.

(1.) In sending the Messiah, God has made a gracious visit to his people, whom for many ages he had seemed to neglect, and to be estranged from; he hath visited them as a friend, to take cognizance of their case. God is said to have visited his people in bondage, when he delivered them, (Ex. 3. 16.-4. 31,) to have visited his people in famine, when he gave them bread, Ruth 1. 6. He had often sent to them by his prophets, and had still kept up a correspondence with them; but now he himself made them a visit.

(2.) He has wrought out redemption for them; He has redeemed his people. This was the errand on which Christ came into the world-to redeem those that were sold for sin, and sold under sin; even God's own people, his Israel, his son, his firstborn, his free-born, need to be redeemed, and are undone if they be not. Christ redeems them by price out of the hands of God's justice, and redeems them by power out of the hands of Satan's tyranny, as Israel out of Egypt.

(3.) He has fulfilled the covenant of royalty made with the most famous Old-Testament prince, that is, David. Glorious things had been said of his family, that on him, as a mighty one, help should be laid, that his horn should be exalted, and his seed perpetuated, Ps. 89. 19, 20, 24, 29. But that family had been long in a manner cast off and abhorred, Ps. 89. 38. Now here it is gloried in, that, according to the promise, the horn of David should again be made to bud, for, (Ps. 132. 17,) He hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, (v. 69,) there, where it was promised and expected to arise. David is called God's servant, not only as a good man, but as a king that ruled for God; and he was an instrument of the salvation of Israel, by being employed in the government of Israel; so Christ is the Author of eternal redemption to those only that obey him. There is in Christ, and in him only, salvation for us, and it is a horn of salvation; for, [1.] It is an honourable salvation, it is raised up above all other salvations, none of which are to be compared with it; in it the glory both of the Redeemer and of the redeemed are advanced, and their horn exalted with honour. [2.] It is a plentiful salvation; it is a cornucopia-a ritual blessings, in heavenly things abundantly. [3.] It is a powerful salvation; the strength of the beast is in his horn; he has raised up such a salvation as shall pull down our spiritual enemies, and protect us from them. In the chariots of this salvation the Redeemer shall go forth, and go on, conquering and to conquer.

Lastly, It is said, The hand of the Lord was with him; that is, he was taken under the especial protection of the Almighty, from his birth, as one designed for something great and considerable, and there were many instances of it. It appeared like-horn of plenty, a salvation in which we are blessed with spiwise that the Spirit was at work upon his soul very early. As soon as he began to speak or go, you might perceive something in him very extraordinary. Note, God has ways of operating upon children in their infancy, which we cannot account for. God never made a soul but he knew how to sanctify it.

V. 67-80. We have here the song wherewith Zacharias praised God when his mouth was opened; in it he is said to prophesy, (v. 67,) and so he did in the strictest sense of prophesying, for he foretold things to come concerning the kingdom of the Messiah, to which all the prophets bear witness. Observe,

I. How he was qualified for this; He was filled with the Holy Ghost, was endued with more than ordinary measures and degrees of it, for this purpose; he was divinely inspired. God not only forgave him his unbelief and distrust, (which was signified by discharging of him from the punishment of it,) but as a specimen of the abounding of grace toward believers, he filled him with

(4.) He has fulfilled all the precious promises made to the church by the most famous Old-Testament prophets; (v. 70,) As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets. His doctrine of salvation by the Messiah is confirmed by an appeal to the prophets, and the greatness and importance of that salvation thereby evidenced and magnified; it is the same that they spake of, which therefore ought to be expected and welcomed; it is what they inquired and searched diligently after, (1 Pet. 1. 10, 11,) which therefore ought not to be slighted, or thought meanly of. God is now doing that which he has long ago spoken of; and therefore be silent, O all flesh, before him, and

The Song of Zacharias.

CHAPTER I.

73 The oath which he sware to our father] Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all 'the days of our life.

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go "before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways;

attend to him. See, [1.] How sacred the prophecies of this
Balvation were: the prophets who delivered them, were holy
prophets, who durst not deceive, and who aimed at promoting
holiness among men; and it was the holy God himself that
spake by them. [2.] How ancient they were; ever since the
world began. God having promised, when the world began,
that the Seed of the woman should break the serpent's head, that
promise was echoed to when Adam called his wife's name Eve
-Life, for the sake of that Seed of hers; when Eve called her
first son Cain, saying, I have gotten a man from the Lord, and
another son, Seth, settled; when Noah was called rest, and fore-
told that God should dwell in the tents of Shem. And it was
not long after the new world began in Noah, that the promise
was made to Abraham, that in his Seed the nations of the earth
should be blessed. [3.] What a wonderful harmony and concert
we perceive among them; God spake the same thing by them
all, and therefore it is said to be did oróuaros, not by the mouths,
but by the mouth, of the prophets, for they all speak of Christ
as it were with one mouth.

Now what was this salvation which was prophesied of?
First, It is a rescue from the malice of our enemies; it is
owrnplav i xepuv ha salvation out of our enemies, from
among them, and out of the power of them that hate us, (v. 71 ;)
it is a salvation from sin, and the dominion of Satan over us,
both by corruptions within and temptations without. The car-
nal Jews expected to be delivered from under the Roman yoke,
but intimation was betimes given, that it should be a redemption
of another nature. He shall save his people from their sins, that
they may not have dominion over them, Matt. 1. 21.

Secondly, It is a restoration to the favour of God; it is to
perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, v. 72. The Re-
deemer shall not only break the serpent's head, that was the
author of our ruin, but he shall reinstate us in the mercy of God,
and re-establish us in his covenant; he shall bring us as it were
into a paradise again, which was signified by the promises made
to the patriarchs, and the holy covenant made with them, the
oath which he sware to our father Abraham, v. 73. Observe,
1. That which was promised to the fathers, and is performed to
us, is mercy, pure mercy; nothing in it is owing to our merit,
(we deserve wrath and the curse,) but all to the mercy of God,
which designed us grace and life: er mero motu-of his own
good pleasure he loved us, because he would love us. 2. God
herein had an eye to his covenant, his holy covenant, that cove-
nant with Abraham; I will be a God to thee and thy seed. This
his seed had really forfeited by their trangressions, this he
seemed to have forgotten in the calamities brought upon them;
but he will now remember it, will make it appear that he re-
members it, for upon that are grounded all his returns of mercy;
(Lev. 26. 42,) Then will I remember my covenant.
Thirdly, It is a qualification for, and an encouragement to, the
service of God. Thus was the oath he sware to our father Abra-
ham, That he would give us power and grace to serve him, in an
acceptable manner to him, and a comfortable manner to our-
selves, v. 74, 75. Here seems to be an allusion to the delive-
rance of Israel out of Egypt, which God tells Moses, was in
pursuance of the covenant he made with Abraham, (Ex.3.6-8,)
and that this was the design of his bringing them out of Egypt,
that they might serve God upon this mountain, Ex. 3. 12. Note,
The great design of Gospel grace, is, not to discharge us from,
but to engage us to, and encourage us in, the service of God.
Under this notion Christianity was always to be looked upon,
as intended to make us truly religious, to admit us into the
service of God, to bind us to it, and to quicken us in it. We
are therefore delivered from the iron yoke of sin, that our necks
may be put under the sweet and easy yoke of the Lord Jesus.
The very bonds which he has loosed, do bind us faster unto him,
Ps. 116. 16. We are hereby enabled, 1. To serve God without
fear-ap6ßws. We are therefore put into a state of holy safety,
that we might serve God with a holy security and serenity of
mind, as those that are quiet from the fears of evil. God must
be served with a filial fear, a reverent obedient fear, an awa-
kening quickening fear, but not with a slavish fear, like that of
the slothful servant, who represented him to himself as a hard
Master, and unreasonable; not with that fear that has torment
and amazement in it; not with the fear of a legal spirit, a spirit
of bondage, but with the boldness of an evangelical spirit, a
spirit of adoption. 2. To serve him in holiness and righteous-
ness, which includes the whole duty of man toward God and our
neighbour. It is both the intention, and the direct tendency,
of the Gospel, to renew upon us that image of God, in which
man was at first made, which consisted in righteousness and
true holiness, Eph. 4. 24. Christ redeemed us, that we might
serve God, not in the legal services of sacrifice and offerings,

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his peo-
ple, by the remission of their sins,

78 Through the tender tmercy of our God; where-
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness
by the day-spring from on high hath visited us,
the way of peace.
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in
showing unto Israel.
spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his

Acts 5. 31. tor, bowels of the mercy. or, sunrising; or, branch. Is. 11. 1.
Zech. 3. 8. 6. 12. to Is. 9. 2. 49. 9.

but in the spiritual services of holiness and righteousness, Ps.
50. 14. 3. To serve him, before him, in the duties of his imme-
diate worship, wherein we present ourselves before the Lord, to
serve him as those that have an eye always upon him, and see
his eye always upon us, upon our inward man; that is serving
him before him. 4. To serve him all the days of our life. The
design of the Gospel is to engage us to constancy and perseve-
rance in the service of God, by showing us how much depends
upon it, that we do not draw back; and by showing us how
Christ loved us to the end, and thereby engaged us to love him
to the end.

2. He blessed God for the work of preparation for this salva-
tion, which was to be done by John Baptist; (v. 76,) Thou child,
though now but a child of eight days old, shalt be called the pro
phet of the Highest. Jesus Christ is the Highest, for he is God
over all, blessed for evermore, (Rom. 9. 5,) equal with the Fa-
did, was as his harbinger. Prophecy had now long ceased, but
ther. John Baptist was his prophet, as Aaron was Moses's
in John it revived, as it had done in Samuel, who was born of
prophet, (Ex. 7. 1;) what he said, was as his mouth, what he
an aged mother, as John was, after a long cessation. John's
business was,

(1.) To prepare people for the salvation, by preaching repentance and reformation as great Gospel duties; Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, and but a little before him, to prepare his ways, to call people to make room for him, and get coming to him, be taken away; see Is. 40. 3, 4. Let valleys ready for his entertainment. Let every thing that may obstruct his progress, or embarrass it, or hinder people from be filled, and hills be brought low.

(2.) To give people a general idea of the salvation, that they might know, not only what to do, but what to expect; for the doctrine he preached was, that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. There are two things in which you must know that this salvation consists:

[1.] The forgiveness of what we have done amiss; it is salvation by the remission of sins, those sins which stand in the way of the salvation, and by which we are all become liable to was not desperate, for pardon might be obtained through the ruin and condemnation, v. 77. John Baptist gave people to understand that, though their case was sad, by reason of sin, it tender mercy of our God; the bowels of mercy, so the word is: there was nothing in us but a piteous case to recommend us to the divine compassion.

[2.] Direction to do better, for the time to come. The Gospel salvation not only encourages us to hope that the works of hath visited us from on high, (v. 78;) and this also is owing to darkness shall be forgiven us, but sets up a clear and true light, by which we may order our steps aright. In it the day-spring the tender merey of our God. Christ is avaro-the Morning Light, the rising Sun, Mal. 4. 2. The Gospel brings light with it, (John 3. 19,) leaves us not to wander in the darkness of pagan ignorance, or in the moonlight of the Old-Testament types or figures, but in it the day dawns; in John Baptist it began to break, but increased apace, and shone more and more to the perfect day. We have as much reason to welcome the Gospel day, who enjoy it, as those have to welcome the morning, who had long waited for it. First, The Gospel is discovering; it shows us that which before we were utterly in the dark about, (v. 79;) it is to give light to them that sit in darkness, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ; the day-spring visited this dark world, to lighten the Gentiles, Acts 26. 18. Secondly, It is reviving; it brings light to them that sit in the shadow of death, as condemned prisoners in the dungeon, to bring them, the tidings of a pardon, at least of a reprieve, and opportunity of procuring a pardon; it proclaims the opening of the prison, (Is. 61. 1;) brings the light of life. How pleasant is that light! Thirdly, It is directing; it is to guide our feet in the way of peace, into that way which will bring us to peace at last. It is not only a light to our eyes, but a light to our feet, (Ps. 119. 105;) it guides us into the way of making our peace with God, of keeping up a comfortable communion; that way of peace, which as sinners we have wandered from, and have not known, (Rom. 3. 17,) nor could ever have known of ourselves.

In the last verse, we have a short account of the younger years of John Baptist. Though he was the son of a Priest, he did not, like Samuel, go up, when he was a child, to minister before the Lord, for he was to prepare the way for a better priesthood. But we are here told,

1. Of his eminence as to the inward man; The child grew ( 315 ) in the capacities of his mind, much more than other children so that he waxed strong in spirit, had a strong judgment and

city of David, (2 Sam. 5. 7,) yet Christ was not born there; for Bethlehem was that city of David, where he was born in meanness, to be a Shepherd; and that our Saviour, when he humbled himself, chose for the place of his birth; not Zion, where he ruled in power and prosperity, that was to be a type of the church of Christ, that mount Zion. Now when the virgin Mary 2. Of his obscurity as to the outward man; He was in the de- was with child, and near her time, Providence so ordered it, serts; not that he lived a hermit, cut off from the society of that, by order from the emperor, all the subjects of the Roman men; no, we have reason to think that he went up to Jeru-empire were to be taxed; that is, they were to give in their salem at the feasts, and frequented the synagogues on the sab-names to the proper officers, and they were to be registered and bath day, but his constant residence was in some of those scat-enrolled, according to their families, which is the proper signitered houses that were in the wildernesses of Zuph or Maon, fication of the word here used; their being taxed was but se which we read of in the story of David. There he spent most condary. It is supposed that they made profession of subjection of his time, in contemplation and devotion, and had not his to the Roman empire, either by some set form of words, or at education in the schools, or at the feet of the rabbins. Note, least by payment of some small tribute, a penny suppose, in Many a one is qualified for great usefulness, who yet is buried token of their allegiance, like a man's atturning tenant. Thus alive; and many are long so buried who are designed, and are are they vassals upon record, and may thank themselves. thereby in the fitting, for so much greater usefulness at last; as According to this decree, the Jews (who were now nice in John Baptist, who was in the desert only till the day of his show-distinguishing their tribes and families) provided that in their ing to Israel, when he was in the thirtieth year of his age. Note, There is a time fixed for the showing of those favours to Israel, which are reserved; the vision of them is for an appointed time, and at the end it shall speak, and shall not lie.

V. 1-7. The fulness of time was now come, when God would send forth his Son made of a woman, and made under the law; and it was foretold that he should be born at Beth-trouble of being enrolled, only that Joseph and Mary may; this lehem. Now here we have an account of the time, place, and manner of it.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel ca multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,d good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning

this child.

e Ps. 103. 20, 21. 1 Pet. 1. 12. d is. 57. 19. the men the shepherds. whom God has a good will to, though vessels of his mercy. See how well affected the angels are to man, and to his welfare and happiness; how well pleased they were in the incarnation of the Son of God, though he passed by their nature; and ought not we much more to be affected with it? This is a faithful saying, attested by an innumerable company of angels, and well worthy of all acceptation-That the good will of God toward men, is glory to God in the highest, and peace on the earth.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel /before he was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the days of her purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

Lev. 12. 3. ƒ Matt. 1. 21. c.1.31. g Lev. 12. 2, &c. and kept them in reserve, to be compared with the discoveries that should afterward be made her. As she had silently left it to God to clear up her virtue, when that was suspected, so she silently leaves it to him to publish her honour, now when it was vailed; and it is satisfaction enough to find that if no one else takes notice of the birth of her child, angels do. Note, The truths of Christ are worth keeping; and the way to keep them safe, is to ponder them. Meditation is the best help to

memory.

2. The shepherds made them the matter of their more public praises. If others were not affected with those things, yet they themselves were; (v. 20,) They returned, glorifying and prais ing God, in concurrence with the holy angels. If others would not regard the report they made to them, God would accept the thanksgivings they offered to him. They praised God for what they had heard from the angel, and for what they had seen, the babe in the manger, and just then in the swaddling, when they came in, as it had been spoken to them. They thanked God that they had seen Christ, though in the depth of his humiliation; as afterward the cross of Christ, so now his manger, though to some it was foolishness and a stumbling-block, others saw in it, and admired, and praised, the wisdom of God, and the power of God.

V. The visit which the shepherds made to the new-born Saviour. 1. They consulted about it, v. 15. While the angels were singing their hymn, they could attend to that only; but when they were gone away from them into heaven, (for angels, when they appeared, never made any long stay, but returned as soon as they had despatched their business,) the shepherds said one to another, Let us go to Bethlehem. Note, When extraordinary messages from the upper world are no more to be expected, we must set ourselves to improve the advantages we have for the confirming of our faith, and the keeping up of our communion with God in this lower world. And it is no reflection upon the testimony of angels, no nor upon a divine testimony itself, to get it corroborated by observation and experience. But observe, These shepherds do not speak doubtfully, "Let us go see whether it be so or no;" but with assurance, Let us go see this thing which is come to pass; for what room was left to doubt of it, when the Lord had thus made it known to them? The word spoken by angels was steadfast and unquestionably true. 2. They immediately made the visit, v. 16. They lost no time, but came with haste to the place, which, probably, the angel directed them to more particularly than is recorded; ("Go to the stable of such an inn ;") and there they found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. The poverty and meanness in which they found Christ the Lord, were no shock to their faith, who themselves knew what it was to live a life of comfortable communion with God in very poor and mean circumstances. We have reason to think that the shepherds told Joseph and Mary of the vision of the angels they had seen, and the song of the angels they had heard, which was a great encouragement to them, more than if a visit had been made them by the best ladies in the town. And it is pro-it was a painful operation, (Surely a bloody husband thou hast bable that Joseph and Mary told the shepherds what visions they had had concerning the child; and so, by communicating their experiences to each other, they greatly strengthened one another's faith.

VI. The care which the shepherds took to spread the report of this; (v. 17,) When they had seen it, though they saw nothing in the child that should induce them to believe that he was Christ the Lord, yet the circumstances, how mean soever they were, agreeing with the sign that the angel had given them, they were abundantly satisfied: and as the lepers argued, (2 Kings 7. 9, This being a day of good tidings, we dare not hold our peace,) so they made known abroad the whole story of what was told them, both by the angels, and by Joseph and Mary, concerning this child, that he was the Saviour, even Christ the Lord, that in him there is peace on earth, and that he was conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, and born of a virgin. This they told every body, and agreed in their testimony concerning it. And now, if, when he is in the world, the world knows him not, it is their own fault, for they have sufficient notice given them. What impression did it make upon people? Why truly, All they that heard it, wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds, v. 18. The shepherds were plain downright honest men, and they could not suspect them guilty of any design to impose upon them, what they had said, therefore, was likely to be true; and if it were true, they could not but wonder at it, that the Messiah should be born in a stable, and not in a palace; that angels should bring news of it to poor shepherds, and not to the chief priests. They wondered, but never inquired any further about the Saviour, their duty to him, or advantages by him, but let the thing drop as a nine days' wonder. O the amazing stupidity of the men of that generation! Justly were the things which belonged to their peace hid from their eyes, when they thus wilfully shut their eyes against them.

VII. The use which those made of these things, who did believe them, and receive the impression of them.

1. The virgin Mary made them the matter of her private meditation; She said little, but kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart, v. 19. She laid the evidences together,

V. 21-24. Our Lord Jesus, being made of a woman, was made under the law, Gal. 4. 4. He was not only the Son of a daughter of Adam, made under the law of nature, but, as the Son of a daughter of Abraham, he was made under the law of Moses; he puts his neck under that yoke, though it was a heavy yoke, and a shadow of good things to come. And though its institutions were beggarly elements, and rudiments of this world, as the apostle calls them, Christ submitted to it, that he might with the better grace cancel it, and set it aside for us.

Now here we have two instances of his being made under that law, and submitting to it.

I. He was circumcised on the very day that the law appointed; (v. 21,) When eight days were accomplished, that day sevennight that he was born, they circumcised him. 1. Though

been, said Zipporah to Moses, because of the circumcision, Ex. 4. 25,) yet Christ would undergo it for us; nay, therefore he submitted to it, to give an instance of his early obedience, his obedience unto blood. Then he shed his blood by drops, which afterward he poured out in purple streams. 2. Though it supposed him a Stranger, that was by that ceremony to be admitted into covenant with God, whereas he had always been his beloved Son; nay, though it supposed him a Sinner, that needed to have his filthiness taken away, whereas he had no impurity or superfluity of naughtiness to be cut off, yet he submitted to it; nay, therefore he submitted to it, because he would be made in the likeness, not only of flesh, but of sinful flesh, Rom. 8. 3. 3. Though thereby he made himself a Debtor to the whole law, (Gal. 5. 3,) yet he submitted to it; nay, therefore he submitted to it, because he would take upon him the form of a servant, though he was free-born. Christ was circumcised, (1.) That he might own himself of the seed of Abraham, and of that nation of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, and who was to take on him the seed of Abraham, Heb. 2. 16. (2.) That he might own himself a Surety for our sins, and an Undertaker for our safety. Circumcision (saith Dr. Goodwin) was our bond, whereby we acknowledged ourselves debtors to the law; and Christ, by being circumcised, did as it were set his hand to it, being made Sin for us. The ceremonial law consisted much in sacrifices; Christ hereby obliged himself to offer, not the blood of bulls or goats, but his own blood, which none that ever were circumcised before could oblige themselves to. (3.) That he might justify, and put an honour upon, the dedication of the infant seed of the church of God, by that ordinance which is the instituted seal of the covenant, and of the righteousness which is by faith, as circumcision was, (Rom. 4. 11,) and baptism is. And certainly his being circumcised at eight days old, doth make much more for the dedicating of the seed of the faithful by baptism in their infancy, than his being baptized at thirty years old doth, for the deferring of it till they are grown up. The change of the ceremony alters not the substance.

At his circumcision, according to the custom, he had his name given him; he was called Jesus or Joshua, for he was so