Search -
Brighter Than the Sun; Or, Christ the Light of the World, a Life of Our Lord
Brighter Than the Sun Or Christ the Light of the World a Life of Our Lord Author:John Ross MacDuff General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1877 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: IV. ise iften from tfje East Uistt But there were other heralds already on their way, from remote Gentile lands, to do homage to this mysterious Infant, whom aged Simeon had recently sung of as " a Light to lighten the Gentiles," as well as " the glory of God's people Israel." A strange silent messenger had been sent to tell of the Great Sunrise on the Hebrew mountains. Distant tongues were tuned to sing your best-known Christmas Hymn, -- " Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace I Hail the Sun of Righteousness ! Light and life to all He brings, Ris'n with healing in His wings." In the countries far east of Palestine and the Jordan there lived a number of men called " Magi." They were greatly esteemed at the courts of Oriental kings. Daniel, you may remember, though no idolater, but, on the contrary, a faithful servant of the true God, could be known by no more illustrious name than " Chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon" (Dan. ii. 14). Many of them, however, unlike him, were " fire-worshippers." They paid religious homage to the sun and moon and the host of heaven. They had their watch-towers, corresponding to our observatories, along the banks of the Tigris and other Eastern rivers, to allow them to study the heavenly bodies. The stars seen in the skies of Chaldea, Media, and Persia were, I daresay, even more beautiful than those seen in Palestine. One night some of these Magi, as they looked up to the firmament, observed a new star, brighter than the rest. Along with many others in Eastern countries, they expected at this period the coming of a Great King who was to rule...« less