4, 5-16, 20. The second coming, and final triumph of CHRIST and His Church.

Malachi: iii. 1-6, &c.

Even so does the goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise Thee, the Holy Child JESUS.

Remember the LORD's own words concerning the testimony of the Prophets, S. John v. 46, 47, when He reproved the Jews for their want of faith in Him, "when they persecuted Him, and sought to kill Him," ver. 16–18; vii. 19, because He said "that God was His FATHER," and drew from Him those solemn words, as much needed now as then "Had ye believed Moses and the Prophets, ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?"

S. Matthew writing for the Jews, appeals especially to those of their ancient prophecies, which are connected with our LORD's birth and early years, i.e.,

1. The Incarnation, and Name Immanuel. S. Matth. i. 23, comp. Isa. vii. 14.

2. Bethlehem the Birthplace of JESUS.

ii. 6, comp. Micah v. 2.

S. Matth.

3. The sojourn in Egypt. S. Matth. ii. 15, comp. Hosea xi. 1.

4. The slaughter of the Holy Innocents. S. Matth. ii. 16, comp. Jer. xxxi. 15.

5. Name of Nazarene answering to the prophetic title of the Branch. S. Matth. ii. 23, comp. Isa. xi. 1. And thus, point by point, does S. Matthew show that each peculiarity about our LORD's birth and early years is a prophetic note of His Messiahship.

Compare S. Luke ii.; Acts vii. 37; Acts iv. 27; 2 Cor. xiii. 4; v. 19; 1 S. Pet. ii. 22; Rom. v. 10; Ephes. ii. 16; Col. i. 20; 1 S. John ii. 2; iv. 10.

Thus do "the glorious company of the Apostles praise" Him, as we have already seen. Now "the Holy Church throughout the world doth acknowledge Him."

I. Consider the Holy Child then in His earthly generation as the Son of Man.

For He is-
1. "The Seed of the Woman."

iv. 4; 1 Tim. ii. 13; Rev. xii. 5.

Gen. iii. 15; Gal.

2. "Born of a Virgin." Ps. xxii. 10; lxix. 8; lxxxvi. 16; cxvi. 16; Isa. vii. 14; xlix. 1; Micah v. 3; Jer. xxxi. 22; S. Matth. i. 23; S. Luke i. 26, 35.

3. "Of the Family of Shem." Gen. ix. 26. 4. "Of the Race of the Hebrews." Phil. iii. 5; 2 Cor. xi. 22.

Ex. iii. 18;

5. "Of the Seed of Abraham." Gen. xii. 3; xviii. 18; xxii. 18; S. Matth. i. 1; S. John viii. 56; Acts iii. 25.

6. "Of the Line of Isaac." Gen. xii. 3; xxi. 12; xxvi. 4; Rom. ix. 7; Gal. iv. 23-28; Heb. xi. 18.

7. "Of Jacob, or Israel." Gen. xxviii. 4, 14; Ex. iv. 22; Numb. xxiv. 7, 17; Ps. cxxxv. 4; Isa. xli. 8 ; xlix. 6; Jer. xiv. 8; S. Luke i. 68; ii. 32; Acts xxviii. 20.

8. "Of the Tribe of Judah." Gen. xlix. 10; 1 Chron. v. 2; xvii. 11-14; Ps. lxxxix. 4-36; cxxxii. 10-17; 2 Chron. vi. 42; Isa. ix. 7; xi. 1; lv. 3, 4; Jer. xxiii. 5, 6; Amos ix. 11; S. Matth. i. 1; S. Luke i. 69; S. John vii. 42; Acts ii. 30; xiii. 23; Rom. i. 3; 2 Tim. ii. 8; Rev. xxii. 16.

9. "Born (this day) at Bethlehem, the City of David." Micah v. 2; S. Matth. ii. 6; S. Luke ii. 4; S. John vii. 42.1

II. Consider the Holy Child as the Eternal Word, and His Eternal Generation as Son of God. Ps. ii. 7; xix. 2; xxxiii. 6; xlv. 1; cxix. 89; cxlvii. 18; Isa. xl. 8; liii. 8; lv. 10, 11; Wisd. ix. 1; xviii. 15; S. John i. 1; xiv. 2; xvi. 28; xvii. 8, 25; 1 S. John i. 1; v. 7; Rev. i. 2; xix. 13. See S. Anthony of Padua's Moral Concordances.

1 See Prophecies and Allusions, &c., from Hales' Analysis of Sacred Chronology, quoted in Baxter's Bible.

"The Son of the Living GOD." S. Matth. xvi. 16. "His Only-begotten SoN." S. John iii. 16. "The Son of the FATHER." 2 S. John 3.

"The Only-begotten of the FATHER." S. John

iii. 18.

"The Only-begotten Son which is in the Bosom of the FATHER." S. John i. 18.

"The First-born of every creature." "His own SON." Rom. viii. 32.

"A Lawgiver." Isa. ix. 6.

Col. i. 15.

"One SoN," (His Well-beloved.) S. Mark xii. 6. "My SON." Ps. ii. 7.

"His dear SoN," (the Son of His Love.) Col. i. 13. "The Son of the Highest."

"The SON of the Blessed." "Secret." Judges xiii. 18. "Wonderful."

For He is

Isa. ix. 6.

S. Luke i. 32.

S. Mark xiv. 61.

IV. Consider Him,

"GOD." S. John i. 1; S. Matth. i. 23; Isa. xl. 3. "Thy Throne, O GOD, is for ever and ever." Heb. i. 8.

"The Mighty GOD." Isa. ix. 6.

"The Everlasting Father." Isa. xl. 28.

"The true GOD." 1 S. John v. 20.

"My LORD and my GOD." S. John xx. 28. "GOD my SAVIOUR." S. Luke i. 47.

"Over all God blessed for ever. Amen." Rom. ix. 5. "The GOD of the whole earth." Isa. liv. 5. "GOD manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. iii. 16. "Our GoD and SAVIOUR." 2 S. Pet. i. 1.

"The Great GOD and our SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST." Titus ii. 13.

"Immanuel, 'GOD with us."" S. Matth. i. 23. "The God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob; The Highest." S. John viii. 58; Ex. iii. 6; Judges xiii. 18-22; Isa. ix. 6; Dan. ii. 25-28; S. Luke i. 76. "Thou hast made Him a little lower than the Angels." Heb. ii. 7.

XV.

"The Man."

S. John xix. 5.

"The Man CHRIST JESUS."

"A Man approved of God."

1 Tim. ii. 5.

Acts ii. 22.

"The Second Man, the LORD from Heaven." 1 Cor.

47.

"The Son of Man." S. Mark x. 33.
"The Son of Abraham."

S. Matth. i. 1.

"The Son of David. S. Matth. i. 1.

"The Son of Mary." S. Mark vi. 3.

"The Son of Joseph," (reputed.) S. John i. 45. "The Seed of the Woman." Gen. iii. 15.

"Of the Seed of David." Rom. i. 3.

V. Consider the testimony borne to this Holy Child as the Son by the Father, by Himself, by the Holy Ghost, by Angels, Saints, men, and devils.

"My Beloved SON." S. Matth. xvii. 5. GOD the FATHER.

"I am the Son of GOD." S. John x. 36. LORD Himself.

By the

"The Son of GOD." S. Luke i. 35; ii. 11. Gabriel the Archangel.

"This is the SON of GOD." S. John i. 34. John Baptist.

The CHRIST, the Son of GOD." S. John xx. 31. S. John the Divine.

"He is the SON of GOD." Acts ix. 20. S. Paul, Apostle.

"Thou art the Son of GOD." S. Matth. xiv. 33. Disciples.

"Thou art the CHRIST, the SON of the Living God." S. Matth. xvi. 13—20. S. Peter.

"Rabbi, Thou art the Son of GOD." S. John i. 49. Nathanael.

"The CHRIST, the Son of GOD." S. John xi. 27. Martha.

"JESUS CHRIST is the SON of GOD." Acts viii. 37. The Eunuch.

"Truly this was the Son of GOD." S. Mark xv. 39. The Centurion.

"Thou art the SON of GOD." S. Mark iii. 11. The Unclean Spirits.

"The Son of the Most High GOD." S. Mark v. 7. The Legion.

"We praise Thee, O GOD, we acknowledge Thee to be the LORD.

"Thou art the King of Glory, O CHRIST.

"Thou art the Everlasting SON of the FATHER. "Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory."

So doth the Holy Church throughout the world still acknowledge Him to be the LORD; the King of Israel; the Son of David.

Lastly.

"This same JESUS, the Holy Child," Who comes to-day in lowly humiliation, will come again as Judge "in the clouds of heaven, with all His holy Angels," (S. Matth. xxv. 31, &c.; Zech. xiv. 5,) and if we reject their message of peace now, they will cast us out of His kingdom then. (For "the reapers are the Angels.") S. Matth. xiii. 37, &c., 41-43. Comp. S. John v. 17-21, 22-25, 27, 28, 30; 1 Cor. xv. 24—28; Ephes. ii. 1; S. Matth. xi. 27, 28; xviii. 27; xvi. 27; S. John iii. 35; xvii. 2.