tion and salvation of man,—it must be clear that all the incidents attending such a coming must be grounded in some universal, law, which the Creator has established in all his creation. This is very apparent in all the incidents attending the Messiah's birth-appearance to the eyes of men. As far as mere place or locality is concerned, the Saviour of the world could have accomplished all His merciful acts of redemption and salvation, had His birth taken place in Galilee, instead of in Bethlehem; or in a palace, instead of in a manger: but in this case, the Lord Jesus, as the Word, which in the beginning was with God, and was God (John i. 1), would not have been truly represented as coming forth to the world in His own divine order and providence. To shew the orderly descent of divine truth, and where and how it should first be recognised by the children of men, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. It was there where the Lord Jesus came forth! there, where the Shepherds, who were keeping watch over their flocks by night, first saw Him! It was there, where the wise men first beheld the Redeemer, fell down to worship Him, and opening their treasures, presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. ii. 11), these being the outward emblems of those celestial, spiritual, and natural affections of the soul, which move wise men to seek and worship the Lord. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, because He was the living bread from heaven, and said "I am the bread of life" (John vi. 48), of which if a man eat, he shall live for ever. The meaning of the word Bethlehem, is the house of bread, and as such it was the only place where Jesus, the living bread, could first appear.
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