The four Evangelists exhibit to us Jesus Christ under the mystical form of four animals: Ezek. i. 5, 10. For Matthew, as announcing to us the birth and death of the Redeemer, compares Him to a Man, i. 18. Mark, springing forth from the desert, assumes the aspect of a Lion, and announces the Kingdom of Christ and His mighty power, i. 1, 3. Luke also by the figurative emblem of a Calf declares Christ to have been sacrificed for us, i. 8, 10; while John shows by the likeness of an Eagle how the same Lord, after the resurrection of His Body, soared upwards to Heaven.-Isidore of Seville.

When we consider the respective styles of the Evangelists, as a matter of human composition, S. Matthew's Gospel is characterised by precept; S. Luke's, by narrative; S. Mark's, by human incident; S. John's, by doctrine.I. Williams.

CHAPTER I.

VERSE 1.-Let us begin and end all our actions with the Name of the Lord Jesus (Col. iii. 17.) "Whatsoever we do in word or deed," says the Apostle; we can neither begin nor end better, How sweet is the name of Jesus, or Saviour (verse 21) at the onset of our work, to save and keep us from all miscarriage in it. How sweet it is again, when we have done, if we can say, Jesus, again; that we have been saved by it, been saved in it, and shall one day be saved through it; that Jesus runs through all with us! So then remember we to begin and end all in Jesus. The New Testament, the Covenant of our Salvation, begins and ends so. The generation of Jesus; so it begins-confer S. Mark i. 1-and "Come Lord Jesus;" so it ends Rev. xxii. 20. May we all end so, too; and, when we are going home, commend our spirits with S. Stephen into His hands; and, when He comes, may He receive them, to sing His praises, and Allelujahs to His Blessed Name, amidst the Saints and Angels in His glorious Kingdom for ever! S. John xiv. 13, 14; Acts vii. 59.-Dr. Mark Frank.

V. 7.-I find the genealogy of my Saviour strangely chequered with four remarkable changes, in four immediate generations: first, Roboam begat Abia; that is, a bad father begat a bad son: second, Abia begat Asa; that is, a bad father a good son: third, Asa begat Josaphat ; that is, a good father a good son: fourth, Josaphat begat

Joram; that is, a good father a bad son. I see, Lord, from hence, that my father's piety cannot be entailed : that is bad news for me; but I see here, also, that actual impiety is not always hereditary that is good news for my son. Ezek. xviii.-Th. Fuller.

V. 19. Nothing so clearly discovers a spiritual man, as his treatment of an erring brother; when our object is to bring about, not his exposure, but his acquittal, and rather to restore, than to upbraid him. xviii. 15; Ș. John viii. 9, 10; Gal. vi. 1.-S. Augustine.

V. 21. For my own part, I cannot but declare, that so soon as the Christian religion discovers to me this one principle, that human nature is depraved and fallen from God, this clears my sight, and enables me to distinguish, throughout, the character of so Divine a mystery. For such is the whole frame and disposition of nature, as in all things, within and without us, to bespeak the loss of God's more immediate presence and more favourable communications. The mystery of the Incarnation discovers to man the greatness of his danger, by the greatness of those methods, which he stood in need of for his relief. Rom. iii. 23-27, viii. 3, 4; Gal. iii. 21, 22.-Pascal.

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V. 21.—All our reasonable acts are divided into speaking, hearing, and thinking and lo! we cannot speak of Jesus, but He is as honey in our mouths; and, if we hear of Him, the talk doth make the best melody in our ears; finally, the greatest joy of our heart, and the truest also, springeth from our meditation upon Him. Ps. xix. 10; Cant. iv. 11; v. 16; Ps. xliii. 4; Hagg. ii. 6–9.— Bp. Lake.

He "Himself" (Greek) shall save. Joshua saved Israel, not by his own power, not of himself, but God by him; neither saved he his own people, but the people of God: whereas, Jesus Himself, by His own power, the power of God, saves His own people, the people of God. Well, therefore, may we understand the interpretation of His Name to be "God the Saviour." V. 23; Heb. i. 3; 2 Cor. v. 19; Ps. xlvi. 7; xcviii. 2.—Bp. Pearson.

V. 23. I believe, O most condescending Majesty, that when Thou didst stoop so low, as to assume our frail nature, the Holy Ghost came on Thy sacred mother (S. Luke i. 35), and the power of the Highest did overshadow her, and that she did conceive, and lodge Thee in her womb, where Thou, who fillest heaven and earth, wert about nine months for our sakes imprisoned; and therefore all love and praise be to Thee! I believe, O most adorable Humility, that Thou wast at last born into the world; that Thou, having only God for Thy Father, and Mary a pure Virgin for Thy mother, “whom all generations do call Blessed," both Thy conception and birth were perfectly immaculate; that, being without sin Thyself, Thou mightest be a fit sacrifice to atone for us sinners, who, being born of unclean parents, were all by nature unclean; and therefore all love, all glory be to Thee, O immaculate Lamb of God, "who takest away the sin of the world." I believe, O Blessed Saviour, that the two natures of God and man were in Thee so mysteriously united, without either change, or confusion, that they made in Thee but one Person, one Mediator, one Lord. Thou, O Eternal Word, didst "become flesh," and didst “dwell among us ;" and therefore all love all glory be to Thee !-Bp. Ken.

CHAPTER II.

VERSE 1.-These are the only true wise men, who use their learning to find out Heaven. Go on, blest pilgrims, in your holy voyage, and let no difficulties divert your purpose. Behold, a star shows your way, and God is at your journey's end. Lose not too long your time in the distraction of the city, nor concern yourselves in the politic troubles of the court (1 Kings xiii. 7, 11). Behold, the miraculous star shines not over that place (Jerusalem), where "the Sun of Righteousness" was to set. xxiii. 37; xxviii. 7.-Austin.

V. 2.-If you spend your time, while reading the Scriptures, in searching for poetical beauties, or making critical remarks, you act, as those wise men would have done, if they had sate down spectators of the phenomenon, but taken no step in following it. We are not, as Mr. Boyle expresses it, to stand looking at the telescope-case, but to look through it: children may be amused by the case, but the astronomer uses the telescope, as an instrument, whereby to discover the wonders of the planetary world. Thus let us endeavour to use the light, which God affords; not to amuse ourselves with it, but to make our way by it to the Light of Life. S. Luke ii. 15, 16; Acts i. 11; S. John xii. 35.-R. Cecil.

V. 3.—Ignorance, as it makes bold intruding men carelessly into unknown dangers, so it makes men ofttimes