The King of glory : or the most important events in the life of Jesus Christ, with their precious and practical lessons to humanity

Front matter

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.

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Chapter I

Unto us a child is bom. — Is a. 9:6.

The birth of Jesus is the greatest event upon record. It is one of the grandest links in the world's history. The night of the King's nativity was the beginning of a new era to all subsequent ages. The Manger of Bethlehem was the birth-place of new hopes, and a better history for struggling humanity through all time to come.

The King of Glory became a Helpless Babe ; took upon himself the form of a servant, and was found in the likeness of mortal man, that he might fill the world with the wonders of his grace, and heaven itself with the fullness of his glory. His birth mingled the fears of helpless humanity with the brightest expectations of future happiness. At his incarnation, the star of hope, like a signal-light, hung in beauty and loveliness upon the eastern horizon of a dark and benighted world. In his life, the sorrows of earth ripened into the joys of heaven. And in his death, the shame and agony of the Cross melted away into the sceptre of power and the throne of glory.

Jesus was most emphatically a Child of both promise and prophecy. The declarations of the venerable

8 PROMISE AND PROPHECY.

patriarchs, and the predictions of the ancient prophets blended with perfect harmony in pointing to the advent, and describing, with the utmost accuracy and clearness, the person, character and glory of the Coming Messiah. Some of these interesting promises and Messianic prophecies were confided to ancient tradition for the benefit of those ages; but the more important were consigned to the Sacred Records for perpetual preservation. The pious Jews and the devout of all nations waited long and anxiously, with deepest solicitude and most ardent desires, for the confirmation of these sublime declarations, and the consummation of these inspired predictions.

Strange as it may seem, in the Saviour's mysterious and miraculous birth we have simply the verification of many precious promises, and the fulfillment of many princely prophecies given to the world centuries before the advent of Heaven's earth-born King. Yes, as a prelude to his coming, the unerring fingers of promise and prophecy pointed, for thousands of years, to the time and place of his manifestation in the flesh. Finally, the Pledged King made his strange appearance, and light broke in upon a dark, dead world, to roll in floods of glory over the great sea of human life.

Jesus was truly a Child of Promise. The Old Testament is full of pledges the most sacred of a Coming Saviour. The primitive promise, made to Adam, pointed to Christ as the Seed of the Woman destined to bruise the serpent's head. The leading promises, made to Abraham, found their fulfillment in the person and purposes of Jesus. He was also the Seed through which this patriarchal father was to bless all the families or nations of the earth. Heaven's richest benediction up-

A CHILD OF PROMISE. 9

on the head of this ancient worthy contained a most positive promise of a Coming Messiah, through his lineage. It assured him that the Seed promised to Eve should also be the Offspring of his own royal progeny. Jesus was just as truly the Promised Seed of Abraham as he was the Immaculate Son of God. He was both the Promised Prince of Israel and the Pledged Redeemer of the world. The captive race waited and watched with deepest interest, most intense anxiety, and, at times, with brightest anticipations for its Royal Deliverer. Israel's types and shadows, symbols and sacrifices, private fasts and public festivals, all kept prominently before the minds of the people her Promised King. They also bore the most sacred testimony to all nations, of his exalted character and merciful mission amonqr men.

The fabulous legends of antiquity contain many brilliant points illustrative of the miraculous birth, marvelous life, and mysterious destiny of the Virgin's Son. The true and the beautiful of these old legends found their fulfillment in the person of the Nazarene, and were but the symbols of his most eventful life. Many of these trite traditions were preserved by means of unique and poetical images, until they made an indelible impression upon the mind of the ancient world. These traditional legends betoken the possibility, at least, that God portrayed more fully to our first parents the nature and mission of the Promised King, than he afterwards gave to the Jews through Divine Revelation. Hebrew tradition itself annihilates the pernicious effects of the fall by means of a Voluntary Oblation, the offering of a Just Man, who was to be the salvation of

IO A CHILD OF PROPHECY.

all who put their trust in him. The traditions of the Arabs also taught that an indulgent and merciful God would finally vouchsafe to fallen man a Way through which to implore his unmerited forgiveness. These and similar traditions, associated with the bloody sacrifices of innocent victims, established among all nations, kept alive in the memory of many generations, the Promised Victim, which was afterwards slain upon Calvary.

Jesus was preeminently a Child of Prophecy. The prophetic age was burdened with the predictions of a Coming Deliverer. The highest anticipations of deliverance were at times almost universal. The popular mind of the Jews was often wrought to its highest tension. Burning hopes glowed through these Messianic prophecies, like fire through the clouds of heaven. They fired the hearts and centered the thoughts of all Israel on the one great event of time — the Nativity of the King of Glory. The millions of pilgrims, who flocked to the annual feasts at Jerusalem, carried these expectations of a great coming Jewish King throughout all the nations of the earth. The sequel shows that this prophecy was not speculative. Inspired predictions never harmonize with erroneous or mere speculative opinions. Inspiration's truths are all absolute. They reflect the lights of heaven and the shades of hell.

Ancient sages had been singing for centuries of a brighter and better day that would dawn in the fullness of time upon their wretched race. The songs of Zion's seers were rich with the thought that the King of Glory at his coming would usher in a golden age upon a world steeped in sin and saddened with sorrow. The voice

THE GOLDEN CHAIN OF PROPHECY. I I

of inspiration had been heard, all along down through the ages, fortelling the advent of a Great Redeemer who would come as the Consolation of Israel and the Desire of all Nations. In fact, there is a golden chain of prophecy, the first link of which was clasped in the consecrated cradle of the New-born King, and the last of which was riveted in the empty sepulchre of the Risen Saviour.

Centuries after the fall of man, the venerable old patriarch Jacob lay upon his death-bed away down in the land of Egypt. The dying father called around him his sons, the twelve patriarchs, and pronounced upon each of them a prophetical blessing. But when he came to the fourth-born, with Messianic light from the eternal w r orld bursting in upon his departing soul, he said, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law given from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Moses, the great Leader of Israel, said by way of encouragement to the people, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. Balaam, bribed by Balak, to curse Israel, in the valley of willows, being enlightened by the Spirit, in a Messianic vision, exclaimed, I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel. Isaiah, the prince of prophets, saw him as a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Ezekiel, the prophet of the Captivity, beheld him spring up as a Plant of great Renown. Daniel, in his glorious vision, recognized him in the person of the Holy Prince. Micah

12 THE HOPE OF A LOST WORLD.

saw him coming forth as the Ruler in Israel. Haggai hails him as the Desire of all Nations — a King who should fill the Holy Temple with his matchless glory. Zechariah saw him growing up as a Tender Branch, and seated as a Chief Priest upon his throne, bearing his glory in a rule amid the counsels of peace. While Malachi witnessed his rising, as the Sun of Righteousness, with healing in his beams for all who feared his glorious name. Now, Jacob's Anticipated Shiloh, Moses* Great Prophet, Balaam's Rising Star, Isaiah's Slain Lamb, Ezekiel's Plant of great Renown, Daniel's Holy Prince, Micah's Ruler in Israel, Haggai's Desire of all Nations, Zechariah's Fruitful Branch and Malachi's Sun of Righteousness, all pointed prophetically to the coming Nativity of the King of Glory.

It was but natural that these precious prophecies, pointing to the advent of a Mighty Redeemer, should cheer up the drooping spirits of a fallen race, and guild the horizon of their future with the hope of a glorious day that would soon dawn in all its magnificent splendors upon a lost and ruined world. But, in the lapse of time, the shadows darkened. The religion of the Jews became burdened with traditional rites and ceremonies. The worship of the only true and living God had been interwoven with homage paid to dumb idols. Base impostors, substituting memory for hope, had grouped around their own cradles the wonders of prophetic lore which clustered around the anticipated incarnation", and pointed out so minutely the high and tragical destiny of the King of Glory.

But through all these dark vicissitudes the pious of earth did not lose sight of the divine assurances of a

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 13

Coming Saviour. They lived in the faith of an Expected Messiah ; and, in default of further revelations from heaven, their very lives became prophetic of his incarnation and power in the world. Even the guilty and wretched of the race were still looking through these dim and distant prophecies for the mysterious advent of a Mighty Deliverer. The most profound historians, both Jewish and Pagan, inform us that at the time of the King's birth, an intense conviction prevailed throughout the entire East that ere long a Powerful Monarch would arise in Judea, and, beginning at Jerusalem, would extend his dominion over all the nations of the earth. Hence, the Eastern sages bent their steps aright when, in keeping with the voice of prophecy, they followed his natal star to the City of David in search of the new-born King of Glory.

A brief biographical sketch of the King's parentage will not be without interest in this connection. It will also lead us most naturally to the events immediately connected with His humble though royal birth. For these interesting reminiscences we are indebted largely to uninspired writers, and consequently can not vouch for the truthfulness of all their detailed statements.

Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, was the son of Jacob, and a just man, the noblest of God's creatures. He was an honorable Jewish patrician, whose fortune had likely been swallowed up in some political revolution, or Judean war, leaving him only his manly arms and humble trade by which to support himself and a large family. Israel had no castes in her society. Hence manual labor was no disgrace to her purest and best sons. Some of her tribes, it is true, were more

14 THE ADOPTIVE FATHER.

illustrious, and some of her families more noble than others. But among the twelve tribes, Judah had always held the preeminence. Among her many families, the house of David was ever the most highly honored. And Joseph was both of the lineage of Judah, and also of Davidical descent. Yet this high-born old man was a contented widower, and an humble carpenter.

Joseph was poor in this world's goods, but he possessed treasures of grace, and a sanctity of soul which fitted him preeminently for the position he was called to occupy. He was not the most powerful, but the safest; not the wisest, but the most worthy of all the sons of Judah to become the protector of the Maiden Mother and the guardian of her Infant Son. So Mary did not lower her dignity so very much after all by espousing the village carpenter. In fact, their marriage proved to be a holy and most happy alliance, fraught with blessings alike congenial to both. Joseph proved to be a loyal husband, and in affection a most devoted father, whose chief and constant thought was the care of his Virgin wife, and the protection of her Royal Offspring.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, also sprang from the lion tribe of Judah and the royal family of King David. She was born in the city of Nazareth, and educated in the Holy Temple at Jerusalem. The names of her parents were Joachim and Anna. Her father was of Nazareth, and her mother of Bethlehem. They married. Their lives were pious and faultless before men, and plain and right in the sight of the Lord. They grew rich, but were exceedingly charitable. They had lived together for about twenty years in the esteem of men and the favor of God, but without children, when they made a

THE VIRGIN S PARENTS. 1 5

solemn vow, promising the Lord if he would favor them with an offspring they would devote it to his most sacred service for life.

Just after this had occurred, Joachim, and others of his tribe, went up to Jerusalem with their offerings to attend the Feast of Dedication : but when the high-priest saw him, in company with his neighbors, he despised both him and his offerings. He also asked him why he, being childless, had presumed to appear among those who had children, claiming that the offerings of one who had been judged unworthy of an offspring would not be acceptable to God. This unexpected, and unjust reproach confounded Joachim with shame and sorrow. So he would not return home, lest his neighbors should publicly reproach him in the same manner ; but retired to where his shepherds were keeping their flocks in the wilderness; and there he fasted forty days and nights in prayer and supplication to his God.

Soon after this an angel stood by him with a great light, and seeing he was troubled at his appearance, said, Joachim, be not afraid, for I am an angel of the Lord, sent to inform you that your prayers are heard, and your alms accepted of God, who hath both seen your shame and heard you unjustly reproached for having no children. The angel then informed him that God was the avenger of sin, but not of nature ; and that when he caused barrenness it was that the offspring might not be the product of lust, but the gift of his grace. The heavenly messenger also referred very touchingly to the barrenness of the beautiful Sarah, afterwards mother of Nations; then to the beloved Rachel, mother of Joseph, the deliverer of his people: and finally

1 6 THE ANGEL TALKS WITH JOACHIM.

to the honored mother of the valiant Samson, and the holy Samuel, who were numbered among the distinguished judges of Israel.

The angel then told Joachim that his wife Anna should bring forth a daughter, that they should call her name Mary, that she should be filled with the Holy Ghost, and according to their vow be devoted to the Lord from her infancy. He also said that the child should neither eat nor drink any thing unclean, nor have her conversation among the common people ; but be reared in the Holy Temple, that she might not fall under slander or suspicion of any thing that was bad. But his most marvelous revelation was, that, in the process of years, this same holy child, who was to be born in a miraculous manner of one who was barren, should herself, while yet a virgin, in an unparalleled way, bring forth the Son of the Most High God, who should be called Jesus, and according to the signification of his name be the Saviour of all Nations. The sacred messenger then gave Joachim the following sign as an evidence of the truthfulness of his words, and quickly departed : When you come to the golden gate of Jerusalem, you shall there meet your wife Anna, who, being very much troubled that you returned no sooner, shall rejoice greatly at your coming.

The angel then appeared to Anna, who mourned both on account of her barrenness and supposed widowhood, and informed her also that a daughter should be given her whose name she should call Mary, and that she should be blessed above all women. He said she should be full of grace from her birth, continue three years with her parents and then, being devoted to the service

THE VIRGINS BIRTH. 1 7

of the Lord, she should not depart from the Temple until she arrived at the years of discretion ; and while yet a virgin and a maiden she should bring forth a Son, who by his grace, name and works, should be. the Saviour of the world. The heavenly comforter then gave Anna the same sign he had given her husband, and suddenly disappeared. So they both left the places where they were, and, in keeping with the angel's prediction, met at the golden gate of Jerusalem, where they related each to the other their angelic visions ; and being fully satisfied, with the promise of an heir, they rejoiced and gave due thanks to the Lord, who exalts the humble and rewards the faithful.

In due time Anna brought forth a daughter, according to promise, and they called her name Mary. The child increased in strength, and they made her chamber a holy place, suffering nothing uncommon or unclean to come near her. When she was a year old her father made a great feast at which he presented the Virgin to the chief priests, who took her and said, The God of our fathers bless this girl, and give her a name famous and lasting through all generations. The old legendary writers surrounded the childhood of the Virgin with a multitude of strange prodigies which are not sufficiently authenticated to warrant a notice in this connection.

When Mary was three years old, accompanied by other undefiled daughters of the Hebrews, they brought her into the Holy Temple with suitable offerings by which their vow was perfected. They presented the interesting little Virgin to the high-priest, who received •and blessed her, saying, Mary, the Lord God hath magnified thy name through all generations, to the very end

1 8 MARY IN THE HOLY TEMPLE.

of time ; and placing her upon the third steps of the Altar she ascended the stairs with the grace of one of perfect age, and all the people loved her devotedly. Her parents were also filled with wonder, and left her praising God, because she did not desire to return home with them, but willingly remained with the other virgins in the apartments assigned them, where they were to be reared and educated in the Holy Temple.

As the young Virgin advanced in years, she also increased in all of the graces and perfections of womanhood. So, when she arrived at the age of fourteen, the wicked could lay nothing worthy of reproof to her charge, and the good all admired her purity of life and chaste conversation.

At this juncture the high-priest made a public order to the effect that all the virgins of her age, being of proper maturity, who had public settlements in the Temple, should return home, and, according to the custom of their country, endeavor to get married. The other virgins all readily yielded obedience to this command. But the Virgin Mary said she could not comply with it, because her parents had devoted her to the Lord, to whom she had also vowed perpetual virginity. This brought the high-priest into a difficulty. He did not wish to dissolve a vow, neither did he desire to introduce a new custom to which the people were entire strangers. So he called the principal persons of Israel together and counseled them as to how he had best proceed in so difficult a matter. They unanimously agreed to seek directions from the Lord. This resulted in a call for all of the marriageable men of the house of David to come and bring their rods, that he by whom

THE MYSTERIOUS BETROTHAL. 1 9

the Lord would show a sign, might become the husband of the Virgin Mary. So, when they presented their rods to the high-priest, a dove proceeded out of the rod of a certain widower advanced in age, flew upon his head, emblematical of his purity, and every one saw plainly that the Virgin was to be given to Joseph. When the usual ceremonies of betrothing were over, Joseph returned to Bethlehem to set his house in order for the marriage. But the Virgin, with several other maidens appointed to attend her, returned to her home in Galilee. The long looked for period had arrived. The time for the incarnation of the King of Glory was at hand. The angel Gabriel received the mysterious message for earth, and gladly withdrew from the shining courts of heaven. The celestial messenger spread his vast silvery wings, and with lightning speed left behind him the golden streets, the palatial mansions, the emerald walls, and the pearly gates of the Heavenly Jerusalem. He soon reached the end of his delightful journey with his message of mercy, and a countenance all aglow with angelic joy. Descending softly through the hazy air like a falling star, he most gracefully lowered himself in the humble town of Nazareth. The heavenly harbinger sought at once the presence of the meek and modest maiden, and hailed her with his mysterious salutation, as the highly favored of the Lord. The virtuous Virgin was much troubled at his angelic presence, wondrous ways, and marvelous words. His unexpected eulogy, his strange story, and his celestial majesty, were well calculated to stir her sincere soul to its utmost depth. But the merciful messenger mildly said, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. The Holy Ghost shall come

20 GABRIEL S WONDERFUL STORY.

upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, and thou shalt bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David : and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. This was glory enough for the highly honored Maiden. Virginal maternity was without a precedent under the sun: yet Mary, the purest and holiest of all Virgins, believed its announcement by the holy angel, and meekly replied, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.

Then the angel departed, and, in a few days, Mary hastened to the hill country of Judea to visit Elizabeth. When she entered the home of Zacharias and saluted her cousin, Elizabeth recognized in the voice of her salutation the Mother of her Lord : and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, she pronounced a prophetical blessing upon the humble Virgin, which called forth from her lips that beautiful and ever memorable canticle of praise in which she magnified the Lord for her exaltation in being chosen Mother to the world's Promised Redeemer. Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months, up to the birth of John the Baptist, and then returned to her home in Nazareth of Galilee.

Soon after this, Joseph went from Bethlehem to Nazareth for the purpose of marrying his betrothed Virgin. But, seeing her condition, he was much distressed in mind, and sorely grieved at heart. Not knowing what course to pursue, he finally purposed privately to put an end to their agreement, and as privately to put her away. But while he meditated upon these things, an

JOSEPH AND MARY ARE MARRIED. 21

angel appeared to him in a dream, banished every doubt of her guilt, and confirmed every hope of her innocence. Joseph knew now that Mary had been guilty of nothing inconsistent with her sacred vow of virginity, but that her miraculous conception was a supernatural work of the Holy Ghost. So he willingly married her, whom he also kept in purest chastity until after the birth of the King of Glory.

About six months later, the Roman Emperor decreed that the world should be taxed. The customs of such occasions required every man in Israel to be at his native city. So Joseph returned with his family from Nazareth to Bethlehem. When they reached the little city, they found the public inn full to overflowing. They were the recognized descendants of David, Israel's greatest King; but their honored lineage could not secure lodging for them in the great house which still bore the name of their royal ancestor. They were forced, at length, to seek shelter for the night in a dismal, doorless, stony cell — a cave used for a stable.

The time had now fully come for the fulfillment of the Messianic oracles delivered by the prophets of Israel. The night of the Nativity came silently on in all its oriental loveliness. The ashen gray began to mingle with the snowy white around the borders of the distant horizon. The evening shades drew nearer, and a thin, hazy appearance gathered, like the smoke of incense from off some vestal altar, over the honored city of David. The soft twilight, like silvery mist, melted away in the deep blue sky, and the beautiful stars of night, as if kindled by one electric flash, burst forth into flame all over the broad domains of darkness. A

22 THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.

strange light enveloped the cave, and a signal glory veiled the canopy of the heavens. Here the holy Virgin gave birth to the world's Royal Redeemer, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. Here prophecy found its fulfillment: For unto us a Child was born. Here the New-born King, whose throne has been exalted above all the kings of the earth, found his first bed among the beasts, and his first cradle among the poor. But he, who was born in such an humble place on earth, lives in the most exalted state in heaven, where he will reign through everlasting ages as the King of Glory.

However, the humble manner in which this Extraordinary Child made his advent into the world did not long conceal the glory of his coming. The holy angels soon made known to some honest shepherds, who were on the plains of Bethlehem, keeping night-watch over their tender flocks, the incarnation of the long Expected Messiah. The celestial song flooded the skies and rolled over the earth, in the richest strains and sweetest melodies of heaven, as the angel throng chanted in rapturous joy, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will toward men.

"In heaven the rapturous song began, And sweet, seraphic fire Through all the shining legions ran, And touched and tuned the lyre.

"Swift through the vast expanse it flew, And loud the echo rolled: The theme, the joy, the song was new- 'Twas more than heaven could hold.

THE SHEPHERDS WORSHIP HIM. 23

"Down through the portals of the sky The impetuous torrent ran, And angels flew, with eager haste, To bear the news to man :

"' Peace on the earth, good will to men, From heaven's all glorious King.' The world in solemn stillness lay, And heard the angels sing."

The heavenly music ceased. The angelic vision disappeared. The delighted shepherds took counsel together and started for Bethlehem. They soon reached the cave, beheld the Babe, and offered, in deepest humility, the mite and homage of the poor to their Infant King.

It seems strange that these humble men of toil were informed, while kings and princes were left in ignorance of the advent of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Even the devout priests, honored Pharisees and learned Rabbis knew nothing of the Wonderful Babe in the Manger. Hence they had taken no account of the Virgin-born Prince whose throne was to be set up in the hearts of millions, and whose kingdom was to endure as the sun, for ever and ever.

The high estate and lowly condition of Heaven's earth-born King were alike the marvel of men and the wonder of angels. So, when the enraptured shepherds had found and worshiped the King of Glory, they returned to their nocks, praising God and publishing through the mountains the marvelous story of that holy night, and the glory that should follow in the days to come.

The nativity of our King should be commemorated,

24 THE KING S BIRTH COMMEMORATED.

with gifts of love and songs of joy, by young and old, in all lands and in all ages. It should be made an event, annually, of great joy to all people — joy to the poor, because the King came to make them rich : joy to the rich, for he came to make them richer still : joy to^ the simple, because he came to make them wise unto salvation : joy to the wise, for he came to give them true wisdom : joy to the mourning and sorrowing ones of earth, because he came to comfort and bind up their broken hearts ; and joy to the guilty, condemned and despairing ones, for he came to take away transgression, bear the sins of many, and give himself a ransom for all men. Thank God, the flood of joy, which flowed from the Manger of Bethlehem, is wide enough to encompass the earth with its glory, rich enough to bless every human soul with its mercy, and deep enough to roll on through all time and over boundless eternity.