Simeon’s Swan Song

Simeon's Swan Song

(No. 2293)

INTENDED FOR READING, ON LORD'S-DAY, JANUARY 29, 1893.

DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"Lord, now Jet You Your servant depart in peace, according to Your
word: for my eyes have seen Your salvation." Luke 2:29,30.

IF we are believers in Christ, we shall one day use words like these.
Perhaps not just at present and yet, possibly, sooner than some of us
think, we shall gather up our feet in our bed and we shall say with all
composure, "Lord, now let You Your servant depart in peace, according
to Your word."

See what death is to the Believer. It is only a departure! It is a
departure after a day of service. "Lord, now let You Your servant
depart. My day's work is done. Let me now go Home." With us who believe
it will be a departure to a higher service, for we shall still be the
Lord's servants even when we depart from this present sphere of labor.
We shall go to do yet higher and more perfect work in the nearer
Presence of our Master. "His servants shall serve Him; and they shall
see His face." Death to the Believer is only a departure from one form
of service to another. And, note, that it is a departing "in peace." We
are at peace with God. We have–

"Peace! Perfect peace! In this dark world of sin,

The blood of Jesus whispers peace within!" As many as have believed in
Jesus, have entered into rest. "Being justified by faith, we have peace
with God." We have joy and peace in believing and, as we live in peace,
we shall also die in peace. We shall remain in peace and we shall
depart in peace. A deep and holy calm will fill up our dying moments–

"It is enough: earth's struggles soon shall cease,

And Jesus call to Heaven's perfect peace!" We shall be able to say,
perhaps, when we come to die, what a dear friend of mine once said to
me, when I went in to see him on his dying bed. A part of his
affliction consisted in total blindness from what they call the
breaking of the eye-strings. Sitting up, although he could not see me,
he moved his hand and said–

"And when you see my eye-strings break,

How sweet my minutes roll!

A mortal paleness on my cheek,

But glory in my soul!"

So will it be with us–we shall depart in peace. To the Believer, death
is not a thing to be dreaded–he even asks for it, "Lord, now let You,
permit You, Your servant to depart in peace. Grant it as a gift,
vouchsafe it as a favor." Death to the sinner is a curse, but to the
Believer it is a form of benediction, it is the gate of life. To the
sinner, it is a chain dragging him down to the unutterable darkness of
Hell, but to the saint, it is a chariot of fire bearing him aloft to
the Heaven of light and love!

Note, also, that Simeon said, "Lord, now let You Your servant depart in
peace, according to Your word." Did you not notice, in our reading,
what Luke says about Simeon in the 26th verse? "It was revealed unto
him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he had seen
the Lord's Christ." The prophecy had been fulfilled! He had seen the
Lord's Anointed. There was nothing more for him to desire upon earth,
so he said, "Lord, now let You Your servant depart in peace, according
to Your word: for my eyes have seen Your salvation." The reason for
Simeon's holy calm, the cause of his finding death to be nothing but a
departure out of this world, lies in this fact, that he could say, "My
eyes have seen Your salvation." It is of that blessed fact that I am
going to talk tonight as the Spirit shall help me.

I do not suppose that everybody here can say, "Lord, now let You Your
servant depart in peace." Some of you would not depart in peace if
death came to you as you now are. Dear Friend, if you are not prepared
for death and judgment, you had better pray, "Lord, let me stay here
till I have found peace with You; and then let me depart in peace
whenever

You will."

I shall at this time take the innermost sense of the text, dwelling
upon these words of Simeon, "My eyes have seen Your salvation." There
were others who had seen the Baby Christ with their natural eyes, but
Simeon had seen, in the Babe, Christ, the salvation of God, not with
his outward eyes, but with the inward perceptions of his spirit! I hope
that many here present can say that they have seen, and do see, in
Christ, God's salvation, and their salvation given to them of God. If
so, I am sure that they feel ready to live, or ready to die. But if it
is not so with any of you–if you cannot say, "My eyes have seen Your
salvation," you cannot pray, "Lord, let Your servant depart in peace."

What, then, do these words mean, "My eyes have seen Your salvation"? I
will try to explain their meaning in my discourse tonight and, when I
have finished, I think you will see that there are these five things
included in this utterance of old Simeon. First, here is clear
perception. Next, perfect satisfaction. Then, happy unbinding. Then,
dauntless courage. And finally, joyful appropriation.

I. The first thing for us to notice in Simeon's swan song is CLEAR
PERCEPTION–"My eyes have seen Your salvation."

Some people are very hazy in their religion–they "see men as trees
walking." They see things as we see them in London in a fog. That is to
say, we do not see them clearly; we cannot see them distinctly; and yet
we do see them after a fashion. The fault with a great many Christians,
nowadays, is that they have only just light enough to see things as in
a mist–they have not discerned clearly the sharply-cut image of the
Truth of God. But Simeon could say, not, "I think I see the salvation
of God in Christ. I hope I do. Perhaps I do–he could say, "My eyes
have seen Your salvation." Oh, happy are you, my dear Friends, tonight,
if you can distinctly and clearly see in Christ Jesus, the salvation of
God!

True, Christ was but a Baby then. And Simeon could easily hold Him in
his arms, yet his faith could see everlasting salvation, infinite
salvation within God Incarnate! God has come into our world and has
taken upon Himself our nature. He that was born at Bethlehem was "very
God of very God." He that trod the acres of Palestine, as He went about
doing good, was the same who "was in the beginning with God," without
whom was not anything made that was made. Christ is God. "The Word was
with God, and the Word was God," but it is equally true that "The Word
was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the Only-Begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth."–

"Itis my sweetest comfort, Lord,

And will forever be,

To muse upon the gracious truth

Of Your Humanity.

Forever God, forever Man,

My Jesus shall endure.

And fixed on Him, my hope remains

Eternally secure."

Now, this Christ took upon Himself the sins of all His people. "Who His
own Self bore our sins in His own body on the tree." "The Lord has laid
on Him the iniquity of us all." And sin, being laid on Christ, it
remained no more on those from whom He took it! He bore it that they
might not bear it! He suffered the consequences of their sin that they
might never suffer those consequences! Jesus made an Atonement to the
Justice of God–He vindicated and honored the perfect Law of the Most
High. When I see Christ on the Cross, Christ in the tomb, Christ risen
from the dead, Christ at the right hand of God, I understand that He
took away my sin. He died. He was buried. He came forth from the grave,
having destroyed my sin and put it away–and He has gone into the
heavens as my Representative, to take possession of the right hand of
God for me, that I in Him and with Him may sit there forever and ever!

To me, Christ's Sacrifice is a business transaction as clear and
straight as mathematics could make it. I care not that men decry what
they call "the mercantile theory of the Atonement." I hold no "theory"
of the Atonement! I believe that the Substitution of Christ for His
people is the Atonement for their sins. And that there is no other
Atonement–but that all else is theory! This is to me so clear, so
true, so definite, that I can venture to say with Simeon, when I have
seen

Christ, especially Christ crucified, Christ glorified, "My eyes have
seen Your salvation." Clear perception, then, is the first meaning of
Simeon's words.

You young people who have come to believe in Christ, get clear
perceptions as to how Christ is God's salvation. Do not mix and muddle
things up, as so many do, but accept Christ as your Substitute, as "the
Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world." Believe that on
the Cross He paid your debt, discharged your liability–and bought you
with a price–so that you are His, and His forever and ever. You will
never have peace in death–I do not see how you are to have solid rest
in life–without a sharp, crisp, clearly-cut idea of how Christ is the
salvation of God! The bulk of people do not see it and they, therefore,
miss the comfort of it. The comfort of a man, immersed in debt, is
assured if he has a friend who bears his burden and pays his debt for
him–then he feels that he is clear of all his former liabilities. I
declare, before the living God, that I know of no solid comfort for my
heart, tonight, but this–the chastisement of my peace was upon Him,
and with His stripes I am healed! May you get a clear perception of
this great Truth of God, now!

II. But, next, when Simeon could say, "My eyes have seen Your
salvation," he had PERFECT SATISFACTION in Christ.

You observe, he takes Christ up in his arms, and says, "My eyes have
seen," not, "a part of Your salvation," but "Your salvation." He is not
looking to anything else for salvation, but only to that Man-Child,
seeing all that that Man-Child will do, and bear, and
suffer–recognizing in Him the two Natures, the Divine and the
Human–and as he clasps Him to his breast, he says, "My eyes have seen
Your salvation. It is enough, I have here all that I need. Lord, now
let You Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word: for my
eyes have seen Your salvation."

Beloved Friends, have you ever done with Christ what old Simeon did?
"He took Him up in his arms, and blessed God." All that you need to
save you, lies in Him! I have known the Lord, now, for some 40 years,
or thereabouts. When I first came to Him, I came as a sinner, without
any works of my own which I could trust, or any experience upon which I
could rely. And I just rested my whole weight upon the finished work of
Christ. Now, after 40 years of service, and nearly 40 years of
preaching the Gospel, have I any works of my own to add to what Christ
has done? I abhor the thought of such a thing! Have I even the weight
of a pin's head that I dare put into the scale with my Lord's merits?
Accursed be the idea! More than ever do I sing–

"Nothing save Jesus would I know,"

and nowhere would I rest but in Him alone!

Now, dear Christian Friends, I know you understand this, that Christ is
an all-sufficient Savior, that He is all your salvation and all your
desire. And yet, perhaps, you are tempted at times to think that you
must be this, or you must do that, or you must feel the other, or else
Christ is of no effect to you. Think not so, but rest wholly and alone
on Christ! Say, "I rest in Him, whether I am a saint or a sinner;
whether I have bright frames or dark frames; whether I am useful, or
whether I am defeated in my service, I have no more to trust in when I
rejoice in the Light of God's Countenance than I have when I walk in
darkness, and see no light. Christ is everything to me at all times–a
winter Christ and a summer Christ–all my Light when I have no other,
and all my Light when I have every other light."–

"My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness!

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name!

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand!" God bring you to this, that you may
say, "I have seen Christ, my eyes have seen God's salvation. I am
perfectly satisfied. I need nothing else." Does a man pluck me by the
sleeve, and say, "I will tell you something worth hearing"? My good
Fellow, go and tell it to somebody who wants to hear it, for I do not!
I have heard all the news I need when I have heard of eternal salvation
by Jesus Christ!

III. Now, thirdly, notice that there is in Simeon's words, "My eyes
have seen Your salvation," a kind of HAPPY UNBINDING. The man has been,
as it were, bound. But He says, "Lord, now let You Your servant depart
in peace. Every fetter is now broken. I have seen Your salvation, Lord,
I am not tied to life, nor tied to home, nor tied to comfort, nor tied
even to Your Temple. Now, Lord, I can go anywhere, departing in peace,
for my eyes have seen Your salvation."

Is not that a grand utterance of old Simeon? The most of us are tied in
one way or another and we find it hard to cut ourselves loose. With
many of us, the first part of our life is often spent in tying
ourselves down to this world and, by-and-by, we feel that we are too
much tied, bound, hampered, hindered–and we cry out, "How shall we get
free?" The only way to get free is to get Christ! "If the Son shall
make you free, you shall be free, indeed." If you take Christ in your
arms and say, with Simeon, "My eyes have seen Your salvation," you can
then say, "Everyone else and everything else may now go."–

"Yes, should You take them all away, Yet will I not repine; Before they
were possessed by me, They were entirely Thine"

And, as You have given me Christ, You may do what You will with me as
to other things! Where Christ is not valued, gold becomes an idol.
Where Christ is not prized, health becomes an idol. Where Christ is not
loved, learning and fame become idols. Where Christ is not first and
foremost, even personal beauty may become an idol. But when Christ
becomes our All in All, because our eyes have seen His salvation, then
the idols fall! Dagon is broken! We are emancipated and we can say
concerning all these things, "Yes, whether you come or whether you go,
you are not lords of the house–you are but comers and goers unto me
henceforth and forever, for a clear conception that Christ is God's
salvation and a full grasp of Him as mine, have set my Spirit free from
every fetter that before held me in captivity."

IV. I must not pause here, because I want you to notice how being able
to say, "My eyes have seen Your salvation," gives to a man DAUNTLESS
COURAGE.

He who has once seen Christ as God's salvation is not afraid to see
death. "Now," he says, "I can look death in the face without dread, for
I have seen God's salvation." He is not afraid of that tremendous
Judgment Seat which will be set in the clouds of Heaven, for He who
will sit upon that Judgment Seat is God's salvation to us who believe!
The man who is "looking unto Jesus" is not afraid of the day when the
earth will rock and reel, and everything based upon it will shake to
its destruction. He is not afraid of the star called Wormwood, nor of
seeing Heaven and earth on a blaze. "My eyes have seen Your salvation,"
he says, and he bears this glorious vision about with him wherever he
goes. It is more to him than any earthly charm could be! It is more
powerful than the most potent charm of the mystic or the magician. Such
a man is safe! He must be safe–his eyes have seen God's salvation!

If you would have a courage of the truest kind that needs no stimulus
of drink, and no excitement of the noise of trumpet and of drum–the
calm courage that can suffer pain, that can bear rebuke, that can
endure slander, that can stand alone, that could stand foot to foot
with the infernal fiend, himself, and yet not be afraid. If you would
have such courage as that, I say, you must got Christ in your arms, for
then shall you say with Simeon, "Lord, come what may, I have nothing to
fear, for my eyes have seen Your salvation."–

"Fearless of Hell and ghastly death,

I'd break through every foe!

The wings of love, and arms of faith,

Should bear me conqueror through."

V. I will not detain you much longer, for the time is well near spent,
but I would say this one more thing, He who lays hold on Christ, makes
a JOYFUL APPROPRIATION of Him. His sight of Christ, his clear
apprehension of what Christ is, is accompanied by a personal
appropriation of Christ to himself.

This is the matter that puzzles many. I have, during the past week,
talked with several people who have heard from me concerning the way of
salvation and the preciousness of Christ. And the question of many of
these enquirers has been this, "How can we get hold of Christ? We
believe that all you say about Him is true. Christ is God's salvation,
but how can we take Him to be ours? You seem to treat Christ as if He
were yours beyond all question. How can we learn to do the

same?"

My answer is, when you once know how the Savior saves, and how He is
God's salvation, trust Him to save you! That trust grips Him, holds
Him–and if you can hold Him–He is yours. We have certain rights of
property extant among us and a man may have to bring his title deeds to
prove that a house is really his own. But in the Kingdom of Grace, the
only title deed you need is that you have hold of Christ. May I take
Him, then, without any right? Yes, taking Christ gives you the right to
take Him! "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become
the sons of God." There

is a piece of bread on yonder table. I mean to have it for my own. It
will be of no use for you to dispute with me about the matter, for I
shall put it beyond all dispute. How? I shall take that bread in my
hand. Well, you can wrench it from me. I shall do more than that–I
shall eat it! I shall digest it–it will become a part of my own being!
You will not get it away from me, then–and I do not care if you go to
the law with me to try to get it! Possession is more than nine points
of the law in such a case as that. Digestion and assimilation will be
ten points of the law, certainly! Now, it is just so with Christ. Poor
Soul, take Him; believe Him; trust Him; appropriate Him! Trust Him
more, and more, and more! The more the devil tries to take Him from
you, trust Him the more. Plunge yourself deeper and deeper, still, into
this sea of salvation, and trust Christ still more.

Perhaps someone says, "But how may I know at first that I have a right
to trust Christ?" You have a right to trust Christ because you are
commanded to do it. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be
saved." "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved." Make a dash
for this great blessing! Take Christ, tonight, regardless, for, though
it should seem like robbery to you to take Him, yet if you once have
Him, He will never be taken away from you! Make a dash for Christ, I
say, tonight, and take Him, saying, "I believe Him. I trust Him. I rest
myself on Him." Heaven and earth shall pass away, but if you trust
Christ, you shall never be ashamed! There was never a man yet who dared
trust Christ and yet found that Christ was not equal to his need, or
that He did not fully supply all his needs.

Simeon took Christ up in his arms. Somebody might have said, "Old man,
what have you to do with the new-born King? Old man, you may be just
and devout, but dare you handle the Incarnate God? Dare you fondle Him
upon whose shoulders God has laid the key of His Kingdom, whose name is
called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace? Dare you touch Him?" Yes, He dares do it! He takes
Him up in his arms. He clasps Him to his heart. He rejoices over Him.
He is ready to die with delight, now that he has found Christ! Come,
poor troubled ones, come tonight and take Christ into your arms! And
you, dear saints of God, who have done this long ago, do it again! Take
Him right up into your arms, as though He were still a Babe. Take Him
to your heart and say, "He is everything to me–my Love, my Hope, my
brother–this blessed Incarnate God who loved me and gave Himself for
me." If you can do this, it shall be well with you now, it shall be
well with you in death, it shall be well with you throughout eternity!

Have I among my hearers any who are postponing this all-important
business, putting it off till a more convenient season? Let me tell
them something that ought to warn them of the risk they are running.
Once upon a time the Prince of Darkness said to the evil spirits under
his command, "I want to see which of you can be my best servant. The
Gospel is being preached in various places and many persons are hearing
it. And I am afraid that my kingdom will suffer loss. Unless something
can be done, I fear that many will desert from under the black flag and
enlist under the standard of Jesus of Nazareth. I would gladly prevent
this–which of you will help me? Then up rose one who said, "I will go
forth and say that the Bible is not true, that Christ is not God, and
that what is preached is not the Truth of God." But the great Prince of
the Pit answered him, "You will not serve my turn just now. There are a
few places where you will be very useful, but the most of those who are
listening to this Word will laugh at you and drive you back. You smell
too much of the place where you go on my errands. You cannot do what I
need now."

Up stood another of the evil throng and said, "Let me go and I will
bring forth certain new views of truth and various fresh doctrines, and
with these I will turn aside the thoughts of men from the old faith."
But the Prince of the power of the air replied, "You, too, are a good
servant of mine, and you stand me in good stead at other times, but
just now you are not the one for the task I propose." Then out spoke
one who said, "O Prince of Darkness, I think I am your good soldier on
this occasion. Here am I, send me." "And what will you do?" said
Beelzebub, "What will you do?" "I will go forth and tell the people
that the warnings of the preacher are true and the voice of the Gospel
is the voice of God! I will not awaken and arouse them by any sort of
opposition, but I will tell them that there is time enough, by-and-by,
to attend to these things. I will bid them wait a little longer and
bide their time. I will put this word into the mouth of each one, that
he may say to the preacher, 'Go your way, for this time. When I have a
convenient season, I will call for you.'"

Then the grim master of the Pit smiled and said, "Go your way, my
faithful servant, you are he that shall carry out my purpose right
thoroughly, and so shall you foil the preacher–and the Word of God
that he utters shall fall to the ground." Is there not a message here
for someone who is listening to my words?

"My eyes have seen Your salvation." How I wish that I could make some
here who do not know it, understand how simple is the way of salvation!
You are a sinner, guilty and condemned! Christ becomes a Man, takes
your sins, suffers in your place. You accept Him to stand for you. You
permit Him, by your faith, to be accepted as your Substitute, and His
pains are put down instead of yours, and you are "accepted in the
Beloved," and saved in Him. Oh, if you could but do this–and you may
do it tonight before you leave this place, and I hope you will–if you
do this, whether you are old or young, there will come to you a heart
full of benediction for life, and the best of all preparations for
death! Truly happy shall you be if you can say, "My eyes have seen Your
salvation."

I seem as if I did not need to see anything else, after having seen
Christ as God's salvation! There is a story told of Muslims, who often
are very fanatical, and do very strange and horrible things in their
fanaticism. But they have been known to go to Mecca, to see the tomb of
their prophet, and when they have seen his tomb, they have taken a hot
steel and have drawn it across their eyes, that they might never see
anything else–that indeed they might die with the view of the false
prophet's tomb as their last sight!

Now, that is not what we do, but still, we would act in the spirit of
it. "My eyes have seen Your salvation." People say, "See Naples and
die." They mean that it is so lovely that when you have seen it, there
is nothing more to see. See Christ, and what else is there to see? Now,
whether you sail over the blue sea beneath a bluer sky, or dive into
the deeps of this murky atmosphere–whether you are in a palace or in a
dungeon, sick or full of bounding health–all these are items of small
consequence, if your eyes have seen God's salvation, for God has
blessed you as only God can bless you! Go and live in peace and go and
die in peace–and praise the name of Him who gave you such a Savior to
see, and the power to see Him! The Lord bless you, Beloved! Amen and
amen.

EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON. LUKE2:21-38.

Verse 21. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of
the Child, His name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel
before He was conceived in the womb. Although the old Law ends with
Christ, it is very instructive to notice that He came under the Law and
conformed to all its appointments. Jesus, therefore, had to be
circumcised. In Him the Law was fulfilled in every point, even to the
jots and tittles–nothing was omitted. Behold how perfect is the
righteousness which He worked out for His people!

22. And when the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses
were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the
Lord. Everything was done that was required by the Jewish Law, you see.
"When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons." "Being found in fashion as
a Man," and a Man under the Jewish Law–Jesus and His parents were
obedient to all its requirements.

23, 24. (As it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every male that
opened the womb shall be called holy to the Lord); and to offer a
sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord, A
pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. This proves the poverty of
our Lord's parents. If they had been able to bring a costlier
sacrifice, they would have done so. The Law required the offering of a
lamb for a burnt offering, but there was a gracious provision in the
case of the poor mother–"If she is not able to bring a lamb, then she
shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt
offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make
an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." Even in the case of a
working woman, the birth of her first-born son required from her a
sacrifice; but it might be of the smallest kind–"A pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Think of your Lord, Himself,
redeemed by a sacrifice, a pair of doves offered in His place! What a
wonderful coming down to our condition and position was this!

25. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon;
and the same man was just and devout. He blended in his character his
duty to man and his duty to God–"he was just and devout."

25. Waiting for the consolation of Israel. His devotion was not that of
a blind devotee. He had eyes of expectation! He was expecting the
Messiah to come, who is, "the consolation of Israel."

25, 26. And the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it was revealed unto him
by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he had seen the
Lord's Christ. That which the Holy Spirit reveals will assuredly come
to pass, as it did in the experience of old Simeon.

27. And He came by the Spirit into the Temple. Men who have the Spirit
will be led by the Spirit. Simeon came into the Temple at the right
moment. Just when a young man was entering, with his wife and new-born
Child, "He came by the Spirit into the Temple."

27, 28. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him
after the custom of the Law, then took he Him up in his arms. He came
in, I say, at the right time! Did ever anybody who was not led by the
Spirit, find Christ? Somebody has come in here tonight and he does not
know why he has come–he has been led here by the Spirit that he may
see Jesus, and may have such a sight of Him as shall be his salvation!
God grant that it may be proved that many an aged Simeon has traveled
here this Sabbath night, led by the Spirit for this purpose, to find
the Savior in His own house!

28, 32. And blessed God, and said, Lord, now let You Your servant
depart in peace, according to Your word: for my eyes have seen Your
salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people; a
Light to lighten the Gentiles, and the Glory of Your people Israel.
Simeon had studied the ancient prophecies to good purpose and he
perceived from them that "the Lord's Christ" would be "a Light to
lighten the Gentiles" as well as "the Glory of" God's ancient people,
"Israel."

33. And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were
spoken of Him. We may be very near to Christ and yet know very little
about Him. Joseph and the virgin mother did not understand "those
things which were spoken of Him." One wonders it was so after all that
had been revealed to them–we marvel that they marveled!

34. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary, His mother, Behold,
this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel. Do
you understand that? Whenever Christ comes to a man, there is first a
fall–and a rising again afterwards. You never knew the Lord aright if
He did not first give you a fall! He pulls us down from our pride and
self-sufficiency and then He lifts us up to a position of eternal
safety! He is "set" for this purpose! This is the great design of
Christ's coming–"This child is set for the fall and rising again of
many in Israel."

34. And for a sign which shall be spoken against. Christ and His Gospel
will always be spoken against. If you know a gospel which is approved
by the age and patronized by the learned, that gospel is a lie! You may
be sure of that. But if it is spoken against, if it is slandered, if it
is called absurd, unscientific, and I know not what, all that is in its
favor!

35. (Yes, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also). This
favored woman had the greatest smart to go with her great honor. She
saw the suffering and anguish of her Son and, the nearer you are to
Christ, the more of sorrow it will cost you, sorrow which you may be
well content to bear. You know how it is put in that hymn of which many
of us are very fond–

"IfI find Him, if I follow,

What His recompense here? Many a labor, many a sorrow, Many a tear."

Yet, I say again, you may be well content to bear it all for His sake,
for you remember what the next verse of the hymn is–

"If I still hold closely to Him, Whathas He atlast? Sorrow vanquished,
labor ended, Jordan past."

35. That the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Christ and His
Cross are the revealers of the thoughts of men's hearts. Men's hearts
can conceal their thoughts until Christ's Cross comes near–then the
old enmity rises up, the heart rebels–and we see what is really in
men's hearts.

36, 37. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel,
of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an
husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about
fourscore and four years, which departed not from the Temple, but
served God with fasts and prayers night and day. It would have been a
pity for Christ to have been received in the Temple only by a man.
There must be a woman there, too, to join in Simeon's swan song, and to
unite her testimony with his.

38. And she coming in that instant.–God knows how to time what we call
our accidental walks–"She coming in that instant."–

38. Gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of Him to all them
that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. So that the song of Simeon was
sweetened by the voice of Anna–and they both rejoiced in God their
Savior! And their joy was shared by "all them that looked for
redemption in Jerusalem." May many of us have a share in that same joy
as, by faith, we lovingly gaze upon "the Lord's Christ."