THE HIDDEN LIFE OF JESUS.

CHAPTER I.

THE MIRACULOUS CONCEPTION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

Luke i. 5-56.

T. JOHN THE BAPTIST was the saint with whom it pleased God to close the older dispensation and its long line of heroes-a saint whose virtues should be a worthy type of the ancient glories of Israel. His origin was from the purest sources of Hebrew holiness, the venerable couple Zachary and Elizabeth, and was intimately joined to the conception and birth of the Messias, of whom he was appointed to be the precursor.

"There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth. And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame." They were lonely in their old age, for the Lord had afflicted Elizabeth with sterility, among the Jews a mark of God's disfavor. "And they had no son, for that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years."

Zachary was a devout servant of the divine altar, far removed from the worldliness of some of his brother

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priests and the petty externalism of others. He and his wife (who was a cousin of Mary of Nazareth) bore patiently the weary years of their childlessness. They had prayed earnestly for a son, and when God had allowed the time of child-bearing to pass away, they were submissive to His will. Their prayers and their patience were destined to be miraculously rewarded.

It was to Zachary that it pleased God to send the earliest announcement that the world's redemption

was at hand. In the performance of his priestly duty in the Temple he had entered the Holy of Holies to offer incense. This was a function which he must celebrate entirely alone and in the seclusion of Israel's most awful sanctuary, the multitude being prostrate in prayer without. TABLE OF SHOW-BREAD. We may well suppose that God opened this true priest's heart to the entire race of mankind in preparation for his marvellous vision, but especially that his holy soul, forgetting personal unworthiness, expanded and embraced in its offering to God His own chosen race, upon whom Zachary well knew all other races depended for their redemption. As the fragrant incense ascended it bore his heartfelt petitions upward to the throne of grace.

As Zachary stood in the holy place, at his right hand was the table bearing the loaves of proposition, and the seven-branched candlestick at his left; immediately in front was the altar of incense, shining with purest gold, its door covered with at purple veil. Suddenly a flashing light dazzled and almost blinded him,-at the right side of the altar, just beside the bread of proposition, stood an angel of the Lord. Zachary's humility overwhelms him: is this a visitation for his sins?

INCENSE-ALTARS.

"He was troubled and fear fell upon him." The angel speaks and fear gives place to a thrill of ecstasy : Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son." As the angel goes on with the amazing message the aged priest's bosom swells with joy a man-child sent from God! to be named John, Jehochanan-meaning the favor of Jehovah! More, oh! wonderfully more: he is to be a prophet, another Elias, a leader of Israel, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people."

THE VISION OF ZACHARY.

And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God, according to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot to offer incense, going into the temple of the Lord and all the multitude of the people was staying without at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an Angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zachary seeing him was troubled, and fear fell upon him; but the Angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John: and thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity. For he shall be great before the Lord and shall drink no wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people. And Zachary said to the Angel: Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. And the Angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel who stand before God; and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings. And behold thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass; because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time.

But the suddenness of the revelation, the great angel, the amazing promise it was all too much for even Zachary's faith to accept without a momentary reaction. Whereby shall I know this?" he tremblingly asked, "for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." The angel simply insisted, "I am Gabriel who stand before God, and am sent to speak to thee." He deigned to give no further explanation, but struck Zachary dumb for his hesitation in receiving his message. It is noticeable that when Abraham under similar circumstances begged an explanation from God, he was given it and not punished for asking. Plainly, God is now going to do wonders superior to those of the olden time, and He will demand a more implicit faith.

"And the people were waiting for Zachary; and they wondered that he tarried so long in the

Temple." When he came forth they perceived by his altered appearance that some marvel had happened to him. "And when he came out he could not speak to them, and they understood that he had seen a vision in the Temple." His voice was gone, but he managed to inform his priestly brethren, and through them the people, that he had been granted a vision from heaven. His return home to Elizabeth was a more joyous announcement of the great event. "And it came to pass, after the days of his office were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days Elizabeth his wife conceived; and hid herself five months, saying: Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he hath had regard to take away my reproach among men." But Zachary's punishment of

dumbness (and, it is plain, of deafness also) lasted during his wife's pregnancy.

Six months of Elizabeth's time had elapsed when she was visited by Mary of Nazareth, bearing Jesus in her womb. Mary came to wait upon her aged cousin during the time of her confinement, and also

to confide to her the secret of her divine maternity. But as Mary began to speak, Elizabeth's child leaped in

"And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should visit me" (Luke i. 43).

her womb for joy: the Messias had made Himself known to His precursor; at a later day it would be John's high prerogative to make Jesus known to all Israel. Of what happened at this visit of Mary to the aged couple we will in due time tell more in detail. Suffice it to say now, that Mary found in

Elizabeth the sacred confidant she sought, and that she ministered lovingly to her during her child labor and at the birth of John.

CHAPTER II.

THE BIRTH AND CIRCUMCISION OF JOHN. THE CANTICLE OF ZACHARY.

Luke i. 57-80.

How happily passed the last period of Elizabeth's pregnancy in such company, in the exchange of such tidings from above! When her son was born this gladness was spread among all their friends and neighbors. "Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and kinsfolks heard that the Lord had shewed His great mercy towards her, and they congratulated with her."

As in the case of other great heroes of God's people, the Holy Ghost would be the precursor's godfather and would choose his name. "And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called him by his father's name, Zachary. And his mother answering, said: Not so, but he shall be called John. And they said to her: There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name." Not for earthly kinship was John named, but for the entire race of mankind, God's entire family. The writing down of the heaven-given name was the talisman that loosened Zachary's tongue. "And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And demanding a writing-table, he wrote, saying: John is his name. And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God."