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Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem — The house of bread, that bread of life that came down from heaven, John 6:50 , and dwelt among us in this city of David, otherwise called Ephrata, that is, fruit bearing; and situated (they say) in the very navel and centre of the earth, because in him all nations should be blessed: here was Jesus born, by mere accident in regard of his parents (who were brought hither by a tyrannical edict of the emperor, forcing all, even great bellied women, to repair to their own city to be taxed, though it were in the deep of winter), but by a sweet Providence of God, to fulfil the Scripture and to settle our faith.

In the days of Herod the king — When the sceptre was departed from Judah, and the times were grown deplored and desperately wicked. Joseph found his brethren in Dothan, i.e. in defection; so did Christ, when he came: scarcely were there four, or fewer, found, that waited for the consolation of Israel. Then, also, when among the poor Gentiles a plentiful harvest, a very great number of elect, were ready ripe,Matthew 9:37; Matthew 9:37 ; Luke 10:2 ; John 4:35 . Then, when cuncta atque continua totius generis humani aut pax fuit, aut pactio (Flor.), then came the Prince of Peace into the world, when all was at peace throughout the world.

Behold, there came wise men — Neither kings nor cunning men, but sages of the East, Θεωρητικοι , contemplative persons, philosophers, interpreters of the laws of God and men ( μαγοι, îäðéí ). The tale of the three kings of Cullen is long since exploded.

To Jerusalem — So misreckoning of a point they missed the haven, and had like to have run upon the rocks. Had they met with the shepherds of Bethlehem, they had received better intelligence than they could from the learned scribes of Jerusalem. God hath chosen the weak of the world to confound the wise, 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 . Surgunt indocti et rapiunt coelum, et nos, cum doetrinis nostris, detrudimur in Gehennam (August. Confess. viii. 8). None are so far from Christ, many times, as knowing men. Some of the scribes and Pharisees were very atheists, for they knew "neither the Father nor the Son." Ulpian the chief lawyer, Galen the chief physician, Porphyry the chief Aristotelian, Plotinus the chief Platonist, Libanus and Lucian the chief orators of that age, were all professed enemies to Christ. No Church was founded at Athens, Acts 17:16 , which yet Demosthenes calls the soul, sun, and eye of Greece, Euripides the Greece of Greece, Thucydides and Diodorus the common school of all men, the mart of good learning, …; ψυχην, και ηλιον, και οφθαλμον ελλαδος. ελλαδυς ελλαδα. κοινον παιδευτηριον παντων ανθρωπων . The greatest clerks are not always the wisest men in the affairs of God. Howbeit, learned Nathaniel, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, masters in Israel, were disciples to our Saviour; lest, if he had called simple men only, it might have been thought, quod fuissent ex simplicitate decepti, that they were deceived out of their simplicity, saith one.

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Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? — As presupposing a common notice. But the "kingdom of God cometh not by observation," Luke 17:21 , neither is it of this world. Christ is somewhat an obscure King here, as Melchisedec was; and his kingdom consists in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, which the stranger worldling meddles not with, Proverbs 14:10 ; Romans 14:17 . The cock on the dunghill esteems not this jewel.

For we have seen his star in the East — Some rumour of the star of Jacob they had heard and received, likely, either from Balaam’s prophecy, Numbers 24:17 , who was an East countryman; or from the Chaldean sibyl, or from the Jews in the Babylonish captivity; and now they make their use of it. (Hugo. Postill.) But the Scripture giveth more grace, James 4:6 . Only take heed that "ye receive not the grace of God in vain," 2 Corinthians 6:1 .

And are come to worship him — With a religious worship; to kiss at his mouth, as the word signifieth; and as Pharaoh said to Joseph, they shall all kiss at thy mouth. Woe worth to us, if we kiss not the Son with a kiss of faith and love ( προσκυνειν ), since he is now so clearly revealed unto us, not by the sight of one star only, as to these, but by a whole heaven bespangled with stars, though not in every part, yet in every zone and quarter of it, as one saith of our Church. We have a word of prophecy (how much more is this true of the holy Gospel?) more sure than the voice that came from heaven in the holy Mount (saith St Peter), whereunto we shall do well to take heed, as unto a light shining in a dark place, 2 Peter 1:19 . Besides the works of God, those regii professores, as one calleth them, those catholic preachers, Psalms 19:2-3 , those real postills of the divinity, Christ is purposely compared to sensible objects, as to the sun, stars, rose, rock, …, that through the creatures, as so many optic glasses, we might see him that is invisible, having the eyes of our mind turned towards Christ, as the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy seat.

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When Herod the king had heard these things , he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

When Herod the King heard these things he was troubled — At that wherein the sages and shepherds rejoiced. It is fair weather with the saints when foulest with the wicked. Abraham stands upon the hill, and seeth the smoke of the cities ascend like a furnace. "Behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen," Isaiah 65:14-15 . Aelian ( Histor. Animal. ) compareth tyrants to swine, which if a man but touch, they begin to cry, as dreaming of nothing but death; forasmuch as they have neither fleece nor milk, nor anything else, but their flesh only to forfeit. But si praesepe vagientis Herodem tantum terruit, quid tribunal iudicantis? saith one. If Christ in the cratch were so terrible, what will he be on the tribunal?

And all Jerusalem with him — Perhaps to comply and ingratiate with the tyrant (as the Arabians, if their king be sick or lame, they all feign themselves so); or, as homines ad servitutem parati; so Tiberius called the Romans, who gave public thanks for all, even the wicked acts of their emperors (Tacitus); or as fearing some new stirs in the state, as the burnt child dreads the fire.

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And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests — The true picture of Popish councils, who propound grave questions as this was, Where Christ should be born? and pretend to worship Christ, but intend to worry him: the Council of Trent was carried, against the simplicity of Christ, with such infinite guile and craft, as that themselves will even smile in the twiumphs of their own wits (when they hear it but mentioned) as at a master stratagem. It passed in France in manner of a proverb, That the modern council had more authority than that of the apostles, because their own pleasure was a sufficient ground for the decrees, without admitting the Holy Ghost. (Hist. of Council of Trent.)

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And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem — Lo, how readily and roundly, out of the Scriptures, they could answer to this capital question; giving such signs of the Messias as did evidently agree to Jesus Christ. Yet were they for their obstinace so infatuated, that when God showed them the man to whom their own signs agree, they cannot allow him. Unless the Lord give a mind as well as means, sight as well as light, and irradiate the organ as well as the object, we grope as blind men in the dark,Isaiah 59:10; Isaiah 59:10 ; we err in heart, as not knowing God’s ways, yet cannot wander so wide as to miss hell: to original blindness we add actual stubbornness, Psalms 95:8 , the devil holding his black hand (as it were) afore our eyes, that we may not see and be saved, Acts 26:19 .

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And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least — "Thou art the least," saith Micah, Micah 5:2 , via in comparison of greater cities, yet "not the least," saith Matthew, because "out of thee shall come a Governor," … In Scripture, the place of holy men’s birth is remembered and registered: God loves the very ground his servants tread on. "The Lord shall count, when he numbereth up the people, that this man was born there:" Psalms 67:6-7 how much more the man Christ Jesus? Any interest or relation to him ennobleth whatsoever place or person, and may justly comfort us against whatsoever troubles. The prophet Micah, whose words are here cited, opposeth the birth of this babe of Bethlehem to all the troops and troubles of Assyria, Micah 5:1-2 .

For out of thee shall come a Governor — No sooner is this Child born, this Son given to us, bug the "government is laid upon his shoulder," Isaiah 9:6 , as the key of the house of David was upon Eliakim’s, Isaiah 22:22 . Send ye therefore a lamb to this ruler of the land, Isaiah 16:1 ; do him all hearty homage and fealty.

That shall rule my people — Or feed them; ποιμανει . Psalms 78:71 . Αγαμεμνονα ποιμενα λαων . Homer. 1 Peter 5:4 ; Song of Solomon 8:14 ; Psalms 23:2-3 . for the art of feeding and ruling are sisters. David was taken from following the ewes to feed God’s people; so was Moses, in whose absence, how soon was Israel, as silly sheep, gone out of the way! Christ is the arch-Shepherd, that feeds his people daily, daintily, plentifully, pleasantly, among the lilies,Song of Solomon 2:16; Song of Solomon 2:16 ; yea, in his garden of spices, in green pastures of his word, and by the still waters of his sacraments, where we go in and out, and find pasture, John 10:9 , such as breeds life, and life in more abundance, Matthew 2:10 . We lie down in peace,Jeremiah 23:4; Jeremiah 23:4 , and need not fear the spiritual Assyrian, Micah 5:5 , while we keep us within the hedge, and run to the foddering places; submitting to the ministers, those under-shepherds, Song of Solomon 1:7-8 , who are charged to feed Christ’s sheep, his sheep with golden fleeces; yea, to do it ( ìé , as the Syriac hath it) for me, for my sake (saith our Saviour), to whom Peter cannot better seal up his love than by taking care of his cure. I know how Bellarmine glosseth that text, John 21:16 "Feed my sheep," that is, Regio more impera, Rule like an emperor: Supremum in Ecclesia dominlum tibi assere, saith Baronius, Domineer over the Church, because the word here used ( ποιμαινω , -and so in John) signifieth as well to govern as to feed. But what will they say to βοσκω , the other word there twice used by our Saviour, which always signifieth to feed, and not at all to govern? But these men seize at government, stop feeding, although the Fathers took the text only of feeding by doctrine, and that they beat upon, and urged altogether.

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Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently — ηκριβωσε . Accuravit, et omnibus nervis incubuit. The children of this world are wise in their generation, but so are serpents, foxes, …, to the which the Church’s enemies are often compared, He thought by this means to have made all sure, but in the thing wherein he dealt proudly and politically, God was above them, as old Jethro hath it, Exodus 18:11 . There is neither power nor policy against the Lord; "who ever waxed fierce against him, and prospered?" Job 9:4 .

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And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him , bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

And he sent them to Bethlehem — It was a wonder he went not himself, or sent not some assassin underhand, to despatch the child immediately. But God befooled him. The Germans have a proverb, "Where God intends to blind any man, he first closes his eyes." Deus quem destruet dementat. God first deludes whom he will destroy. So the apostle, 1 Corinthians 3:19 , He taketh the wise ( σοφους ), the finest and choicest wits of the world, the rare and picked pieces: Mentemque habere queis bonam et esse corculis datum est: These he taketh, he catcheth and keepeth as beasts in a gin (so the word signifieth), and that in their own craft; δρασσεσθαι est manu capere, et fimiter tenere. εν τη πανουργια, in veteratoria versutia. Erasmus. when they have racked their wits, and racked their fortunes, to effect their fetches; when they have done their utmost (as the word imports) to bring about their devilish devices.

That I may come and worship him — When he meant to worry him. Cogitabat Iesum non colere sed tollere, non adorare sed necare. Oh base dissimulation! such was that of those incendiary fugitives of Rhemes, Giffard, Hodgson, and others, who at the same time when they had set up, and set on savage to kill Queen Elizabeth, they put forth a book, wherein they admonished the English Catholics not to attempt anything against their prince. (Camden’s Elizabeth.) In like sort Robert Parsons (that arch-traitor), when he was hatching a horrible treason against his natural prince and native country, he set forth his book of Christian Resolution, as if he had been wholly made of devotion. So Garret (a little before the Gunpowder Plot was discovered) wrote to the Pope that he would lay his command upon our Papists to obey their king and keep themselves quiet. Herod here, when he was whetting his sword, yet promised devotion, saith Chrysostom. Quando gladium acuebat, devotionem promittebat. A fair glove upon a foul hand. The panther’s skin is fairest, but his friendship is fatal, and his breath infectious. The above mentioned Garnet, upon a treatise of equivocation, plastered on this title, A Treatise against Lying and fraudulent Dissimulation.

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