Once only is the great silence, which lies on the history of Christ's early life, broken. It is

to record what took place on His first visit to the Temple. What this meant, even to an

ordinary devout Jew, may easily be imagined. W here life and religion were so

intertwined, and both in such organic connection with the Temple and the people of

Israel, every thoughtful Israelite must have felt as if his real life were not in what was

around, but ran up into the grand unity of the peop le of God, and were compassed by the

halo of its sanctity. To him it would be true in the deepest sense, that, so to speak, each

Israelite was born in Zion, as, assuredly, all the well-springs of his life were there.1 It

was, therefore, not merely the natural eagerness to see the City of their God and of their

fathers, glorious Jerusalem; nor yet the lawful enthusiasm, national or religious, which

would kindle at the thought of 'our feet' standing within those gates, through which

priests, prophets, and kings had passed; but far deeper feelings which would make glad,

when it was said: 'Let us go into the house of Jehovah.' They were not ruins to which

precious memories clung, nor did the great hope seem to lie afar off, behind the evening-

mist. But 'glorious things were spoken of Zion, the City of God' - in the past, and in the

near future 'the thrones of David' were to be set within her walls, and amidst her palaces.2

In strict law, personal observance of the ordinances, and hence attendance on the feasts at

Jerusalem, devolved on a youth only when he was of age, that is, at thirteen years. Then

he became what was called 'a son of the Commandment,' or 'of the Torah.'3 But, as a

matter of fact, the legal age was in this respect anticipated by two years, or at least by

one.4 It was in accordance with this custom, that,5 on the first Pascha after Jesus had

passed His twelfth year, His Parents took Him with them in the 'company' of the

Nazarenes to Jerusalem. The text seems to indicate, that it was their wont6 to go up to the

Temple; and we mark that, although women were not bound to make such personal

appearance,7 Mary gladly availed herself of what seems to have been the direction of

Hillel (followed also by other re ligious women, mentioned in Rabbinic writings), to go

up to the solemn services of the Sanctuary. Politically, times had changed. The weak and

wicked rule of Archelaus had lasted only nine years,8 when, in consequence of the