V. 59. On the eighth day, when the child John was brought to be circumcised, 67. Zacharias was filled with the HOLY GHOST, and he prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David. 76. And thou, child, shall be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the LORD, to prepare his ways.

MAL. Ch. iii. V. 1.—JEHOVAH, GOD of Israel, saith, Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me.

JER. Ch. xxiii. V. 5.-Behold the days come, saith JEHOVAH, that I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

It must be remarked that the term LORD, as used by Zacharias in v. 76, is, in the original passages, JEHOVAH and GOD. In this instance, therefore, the original name would unequivocally prove that Zacharias and St. Luke believed in the divinity of CHRIST; for I believe no one ever asserted that JEHOVAH was a created Being.

CHAP. II.

V. 8. And there were shepherds abiding in the field. 9. And lo! the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. 10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is CHRIST the LORD.

ISA. Ch. lii. V. 7.-How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy GoD reigneth.

Isa. Ch. ix. V. 6.—Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

The corresponding passages in the Old Testament

explain the purport of the following words in St. Luke "The SAVIOUR, which is CHRIST the LORD." For this child that was to be born he believes to be the same being whose birth Isaiah prophecies of, and whose title he proclaims to be, The Mighty GoD, the Prince of Peace.

V. 13.-And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising GoD, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to men.

ISA. Ch. lvii. V. 19.-Peace, peace to him that is afar off, and to him that is near, saith JEHOVAH, and I will heal him.

V. 25. And Simeon was a man just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the HOLY GHOST was upon him. 26. And it was revealed unto him by the HOLY GHOST that he should not see death before he had seen the LORD'S CHRIST. 27. And he came by the Spirit into the temple, when the parents brought in the child Jesus. 28. Then he took him into his arms, and blessed GOD, and said, 29. LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, accord. ing to thy word; 30. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation.

ISA. Ch. lii. V. 9.-Break forth into joy, sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem; for JEHOVAH hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10. JEHOVAH hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our GOD.

The holy Simeon's devout joy at beholding the LORD'S CHRIST is truly affecting; and when the holy infant is presented to him, he exclaims, Now let me depart, O GOD, for I have seen thy salvation. His feelings on this solemn occasion are raised to the highest pitch; and well they might; for through the influence of the HOLY SPIRIT he knew that this infant was the true MESSIAH, who was to bring life and immortality to light.

CHAP. IV.

JESUS went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and there was delivered to him the book of the prophet Esaias; and he read. V. 18. The Spirit of the LORD (ADONI JEHOVAH) is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor, and he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable year of the LORD. 20. And he closed the book, 21. And began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears.

ISA. Ch. lxi. V. 1.-The spirit of ADONI JEHOVAH is upon me, because JEHOVAH hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of JEHOVAH.

Our Saviour's application of this prophecy to himself ought to silence every cavil, for it proves that Isaiah prophecied and described the office of CHRIST; and his minute and beautiful account of the actions and sufferings of the MESSIAH so perfectly represent the life of JESUS, that we cannot resist the conviction that it is He of whom he writes. However difficult it may be to explain the unity of CHRIST with the ADONI JEHOVAH of Isaiah, yet it is evident that our Saviour did apply this passage to himself, and it is as evident that the congregation did the same, for the eyes of all were fastened on him.

CHAP. XI.

JESUS saith, 20. But if I, with the finger of God, cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of GOD is come upon you.

EXODUS, Ch. viii. V. 19.-Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of ELOHIM; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them as ELOHIM had said.

The Jews, in our SAVIOUR's time, were like Pharaoh, neither miracles nor sufferings could induce

them to hearken to the GOD of Salvation. Miracles were as openly performed by CHRIST as by Moses, for their immediate benefit, and yet their minds were so blinded by prejudices, and their ignorance of the law and the prophets which testified of him, that they exclaim, He hath a devil.

V. 32. The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonas, and behold a greater than Jonas is here.

JONAH, Ch. iii. V. 5.-So the people of Nineveh believed ELOHIM, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

If the Ninevites listened to Jonas, and repented of their sins, how great must be our guilt if we reject the salvation offered to us by One greater, immeasurably greater, than him. If we search the Scriptures with the earnestness they fully deserve, we cannot fail to perceive that JESUS CHRIST is indeed our LORD and GOD.

CHAP. XVI.

V. 17. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one tittle of the law to fail.

ISA. Ch. li. V. 6.-Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath, for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

And yet how little is this law studied, and how carelessly is it obeyed, although this two-fold guilt is at the risk of our everlasting happiness; for righteous

ness will never be abolished, and not one tittle of the law will ever fail, and to all eternity shall we suffer if we neglect the great salvation offered to us.

V. 29. They have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them. 30. And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.

ISA. Ch. viii. V. 20.-To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

ISA. Ch. xxxiv. V. 16.-Seek ye out of the book of JEHOVAH and read, No one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate, for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

How awfully responsible, then, are those people who neglect to study the Bible; and more reprehensible still are those who prejudge its contents, and read it with minds led astray by the comments of its adversaries.

CHAP. XXI.

Some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts; and JESUS said, 6. The days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down. 22. These be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

DAN. Ch. xii. V. 6.—How long shall it be till the end of these wonders? 7. And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half, and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.