Verse 34. Set for the fall and rising again, &c.-It has been taken for granted, without, however, any just ground, that the allusion is here to "the stone of ɛtumbling and rock of offence," mentioned by the prophets. But this only perplexes the meaning of a very plain passage. Christ was set, appointed, by the divine wisdom, in such a way that none but the humble and penitent should be benefited by his mission, and that the proud and worldly should have their condemnation increased by it, through no fatality or predestination, but through their own fault and folly, turning that unto "death" which was "ordained for life." Many in Israel, therefore, rejecting his holy doctrines, and despising the mere spiritualities which he offered to them, fell into the guilt of rejecting and crucifying the Son of God, for which "wrath came upon them to the uttermost." On the other hand many rose. Our translation, rising again, would intimate that the same persons who fell, afterwards rose, which was not certainly the fact; but avaoTaois often signifies a rising up, without the idea of reiteration. True faith in Christ raises man up from the degradation of sin, and that prostrate, spurned, and incurable condition to which he is reduced by his fallen nature and his vicious habits, into the favour and image of God, the dignity of communion with him, and the lofty hopes of immortality and eternal life. Every Jew, when Christ came, had the alternative placed before him, to fall by unbelief, or to rise by faith; and wherever Christ is preached, the same result follows, as to every indivi

reject the gospel through positive infidelity, or neglect it through indifference, and remain irresponsible. Nor let him assume even, that all that can follow is the loss of some good which might otherwise have been secured. A positive offence is committed in either case, against the majesty, the authority, and the mercy of God; an offence to be signally punished, not by the loss of good merely, but by the infliction of evil. He that will not rise, through the appointed Redeemer, must fall beneath the stroke of his vengeance as Judge,-a fall of which the terrible disasters brought upon the Jewish nation were but the faint types, however terrible.

For a sign which shall be spoken against.— The metaphor supposed to be implied here, "a but or mark to be shot at," is fanciful. The publicity of Christ's character, his claims as God manifest in the flesh, and the public exhibition of his cross, as the only ground for man to hope for salvation, with the array of public miracles which attested the whole, appear to be comprehended in the term sign, -a public representation of something remarkable and striking. And this, says Simeon, is, or shall be, a sign spoken against, or contradicted, and even blasphemed, as it has been in all ages by Jews, Mahometans, and infidels; and too often, in its more spiritual manifestations, by formalists and hypocrites, professing a religion which they do not understand, and which, if they did, they would contradict and hate, as, in fact, they do when it is presented to them in its true forms of power and purity.

Verse 35. A sword shall pierce, &c.—

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Words which predicted the poignant agonized feelings of the mother when she heard the "contradiction of sinners " against her immaculate Son, saw him hung, and heard him taunted, upon the cross. Wounds of the mind are often said, in all languages, to be inflicted by 93 and arrows swords." This clause, being addressed to Mary particularly, seems rightly regarded as a parenthesis; and what follows, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed, is connected with the rejecting of and speaking against Christ, before mentioned. Grotius understands the thoughts to mean the real disposition, which is indeed true; but diaλoyoμo signifies the thoughts (so to speak) in action, in a state of disputing, reasoning, and forming different conclusions. Nor has any thing ever opened the moral state of the heart of men, thrown such light upon the actuating principles of human nature, and brought every part of the character of men of all ranks under such searching and demonstrative views, as Christ and his holy gospel. The rejection of its truth because of its purity; of its love, because of the confession of our helplessness and unworthiness which it supposes; of its true worship, because of its spirituality; and the hatred it has brought upon its meek and benevolent followers, in all ages, for their very devotedness to Christ, and their zeal for the salvation of others; are all such manifestations of the dislike of man to light and conviction, his pride, his carnality, his haughty enmity to holiness and holy men, his very hatred of God, as the world had never witnessed before. The fact of the persecution of this divine religion of Christ, in his fol

lowers, and the habitual hatred of THE WORLD to his true DISCIPLES, whether that world has worn a pagan or a Christian garb, are all circumstances which have revealed the thoughts of many hearts, and poured a flood of light upon the fallen state of human nature.

Verses 36, 37. Anna, a prophetess.— Anna, the same as Hannah, signifies grace or gracious. She is called a prophetess either with regard to the spirit of prophecy falling upon her at this time; or, like Simeon, she was an instance of its restoration to the Jewish church, a little before the birth of Christ, but in exclusive reference, as it seems from all the instances, to that event. This aged woman had given up herself entirely to devotional exercises, being, no doubt, exempted by her circumstances from any other employment. She therefore departed not from the temple, but was present there at all the stated services; for this is obviously the meaning of departing not from the temple, and of “dwelling in the courts of the Lord's house for ever," the wish of David; not that she was always in the temple, but at the morning and evening service, to which she might add some of those occasional ones which were often occurring, as in the case of the presentation of our Lord, during which service she came in. To this she added fastings, and prayers night and day. These prayers were her private closet devotions; for at night she would have no access to the temple.

Verse 38. Gave thanks.-In an inspired prophetic composition, for the birth and sight of Messiah, whom she recognised by prophetic impulse, or was present whilst Simeon recognised him, and

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took him in his arms. Her song of praise is not recorded, as being perhaps an echo of Simeon's. And she spoke of him no doubt in the same inspired strains to all that looked for redemption in Jerusalem, that is, for the Redeemer, but with reference, not to Jewish worldly views, but to the redemption which he was to effect. We thus learn that there was a pious remnant in Jerusalem, looking out with desire and confidence for the advent of the great salvation of God, the Redeemer promised in all their sacred books; and to these Anna appears to have paid a joyful visit, acquainting them with what she had seen and heard in the temple. It is interesting to observe, that these pious people appear to have had mutual knowledge and pious intercourse with each other. They formed at that time the true spiritual church, within the nominal fallen church of Jerusalem. And we may gather that this number of spiritual persons was not large; although a great deterioration of the Jewish church, both in doctrine and in manners, appears to have taken place during the thirty years which elapsed between this event and the entrance of our Lord upon his public ministry.

sion is not grace simply, which has a large signification; but the grace of God was upon him, which cannot be understood of a corporeal endowment, but of the special favour of God, and all the moral consequences which result from it. Besides, from the total silence of the Gospels on the subject, it would not seem that, when Christ had entered upon his ministry, his personal appearance exhibited any thing remarkable. Under strong excitement it probably did, as when he drove the traders out of the temple; and when unbending himself in more familiar intercourse with his beloved disciples, what we call expression, but which differs from form, was in him, no doubt, like himself, peculiar, and in its effect most influential. But generally he appeared on a level with the common order of men; and if so when grown up and in his ministry, there seems no reason to assume that he should, as to aspect and manner, be endowed in infancy and youth with a distinguishing gracefulness and elegance. The words of the text are infinitely more important as they prove, that from infancy the Holy Spirit was the tutor of the human mind of Christ; that he endowed it with his own gifts; filled it with wisdom, not at once,―for "he grew in wisdom "as well as "stature,"-but as the strength and capacity of the facul. ties of the human mind, subject, no doubt, as ours, to the control and limitation of the progressive growth and vigour of the body, admitted; suggested the subjects of his holy musings; fixed the strong and infallible principles of all truth in his judgment; and carried them into exact application in his meditations

Verse 40. And the child grew, &c.—Of John it was also said that he grew and waxed strong in spirit; but of our Lord it is added, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Some commentators refer the last clause to the beauty of his form. So Campbell, "adorned with a divine gracefulness; " and Wetstein before him. "Ea erat venustas, et dignitas forma in puero, ut omnes intelligerent a Deo ita crnatum esse." But the expres

were under no alarm at the absence of their son, till the day's journey was completed, and the family groups would be collected for the evening meal.

Verses 46, 47. After three days they found him. This, according to the Jewish mode of reckoning time, is equivalent to, on the third day. They had journeyed one day from Jerusalem, on the second they travelled back, and on the third they found him.

In the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors. The temple includes its courts, which were collectively so called. Here were the sanhedrim, which consisted of seventy-two members with the nasi or president at their head, and the father of the court, Ab-beth-din, on his right hand. This sat in the room Gazith. Then there was the lesser council of twenty-three judges, which sat in the gate of the court of Israel; and another council which sat in the gate of the court of the Gentiles. There was also a synagogue in the temple called the great synagogue, to which several celebrated doctors were attached. Lightfoot has adduced examples to show that it was permitted and customary in any of these assemblies of doctors, of learned scribes and rabbins, to propose questions concerning the law. These courts were also open, and there was generally a full audience of the people. Those who questioned, and those who answered, did it before the public The doctors of this time at Jerusalem were of great celebrity. There was Hillel, and Shammai; one the president, the other the vice-president, of the sanhedrim, who had each authority enough to divide the whole body of the learned into two schools on the interpretation of the law of divorce. Simeon the son of Hillel was also a distinguished man; and Jonathan Ben Uzziel, the

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author of the Chaldee paraphrase; and several others, noted in the subsequent writings of the Jews, as among their wisest and greatest authorities. sanhedrim sat in a semicircle; and before them sat the disciples of the wise men in rows. But our Lord was found sitting in the midst of the doctors; having, probably, through admiration of the wisdom he had shown in the commencement of the conversation, been called up and placed there as a mark of honour.

Hearing them, and asking questions.— They were employed in controversies and determinations, during which the disciples of the Rabbins were permitted to ask questions to gain information. It would seem also that this was allowed to any one, as our Lord was not the scholar of any Rabbi; and indeed the Jewish doctors were pleased to be interrogated, and placed their fame upon the readiness and skill with which they answered questions. They also often chose to communicate knowledge by asking questions of their disciples, thereby suggesting trains of thought, calling their powers into exercise, and taking occasion from their replies to form other questions to lead at length to the right conclusion. Our Lord heard the debates and the divisions of the doctors, probably the questions of some of their disciples, and the answers given. He also put in his questions, was answered, and was himself questioned; so that the attention of all was strongly fixed upon him; and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding in the law, and the scriptures in general, and at his answers, those which he gave to the questions proposed to him. The common notion of his disputing in the temple with the doctors, is unwarranted by the history. No. thing strictly controversial seems to have arisen; but the subjects were such as to