Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/111

 teacher of  your  soul. " For  blessed  is  the  man  whom Thou  shalt  instruct,  O  Lord,  and  shalt  teach  him  out  of Thy  law." (Ps. xciii.  12.)

III. Christ sat  in  the  temple,  amongst  the  doctors. Take care  that  you  make  your  soul  a  "  temple  of  the  living God  "  (2  Cor.  vi.  16),  and  not  a  temple  of  sin. Let it be  a  house  of  prayer,  and  not  of  worldly  occupation, not "a  den  of  thieves,"  that  is,  of  vain  thoughts,  which rob God  of  the  honor  which  is  due  to  Him  alone. Then, with all  humility,  fall  at  the  feet  of  your  teacher  with Magdalen, and  entreat  Him  to  show  you  the  ways  of  salvation: "For  those  who  approach  to  His  feet  shall  receive of  His  doctrine." (Deut. xxxiii.  3.)  Lastly,  approach Him  with  an  eagerness  to  learn,  a  resolution  to practise  the  lessons,  which  He  will  give  you,  lest  He abandon  you  to  yourself,  as  He  threatened  Jerusalem  by the  mouth  of  His  prophet:  "Be  thou  instructed,  O  Jerusalem, lest  my  soul  depart  from  thee." (Jer. vi.  8.)

I. At  the  birth  of  Christ  a  miraculous  star  appeared in the  East:  and  as  the  eternal  Father  revealed  the  birth of His  Son  to  the  Jews  by  an  angel,  He  made  it  known  to the  Gentiles  by  the  appearance  of  this  star;  for  Christ was the  Saviour  both  of  the  Jews  and  Gentiles. Congratulate the new-born  Saviour,  that  His  glory  is  made known to  the  most  remote  nations:  and  give  thanks  to God,  that  "  He  hath  revealed  His  justice  in  the  sight  of the  Gentiles." (Ps. xcvii.  2.)  These  Wise  Men  were  the first-fruits of  the  Gentiles,  and  they  were  your  representatives.