WHEN THE KING CAME

The King had long been expected. Men of God had written of Him and had foretold His coming. All these years, pious people had been waiting and watching for the Prince of Peace. They longed for the time when Christ, the King, should come to rule the world.

Far away in the East there were wise men who, also, had heard about the King. When they saw the wonderful star, they knew that He had come. Then they set out on the long journey to find Him, and they followed the star until they came to Jerusalem.

There they stopped at the city gates and asked, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen His star in the East and are come to adore Him?"

Now the king of the Jews at this time was Herod, a very cruel, wicked king. When he heard that wise men were asking about another king, he was greatly troubled. He feared that this King would come and take the kingdom away from him.

Herod could not answer this question of the wise men. But he thought the priests and learned doctors in the temple would surely know what had been foretold about the King. These he called to him, and asked them where Christ was to be born. And they said in Bethlehem of Juda.

Then the wise men went on to Bethlehem, and as they went, they rejoiced to see the star again leading them on their way. When they found the Child with Mary, His mother, they fell down and adored Him. And opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts; gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Now Herod had told them to bring Him word when they had found the Child, so that he, too, might go and adore Him. The wicked, deceitful king did not intend to adore Him. He intended to send cruel men who should put Him to death. But God told the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod, so they went quietly to their own homes another way.

When Herod heard of this, he was very angry. He ordered that all the baby boys in Bethlehem and in the country around, who were not yet two years old, should be put to death. The wicked,

wicked king, how could he do so cruel, so dreadful a deed!

God had "Arise,"

But Jesus, the Holy Child, was safe. sent an angel to warn Joseph in his sleep. said he, "take the Child and His mother and flee into Egypt, and there remain until I tell thee."

Then Joseph and Mary took the Holy Child and set out in the night on the long, toilsome journey to Egypt. How hard and wearisome that journey must have been! And how hard it was for them to

go so far away from their home and to live among people who were strangers!

But they were willing to do anything that God told them to do. They knew they must save the Child's life, for He had come to do a glorious work on earth. He had come to save the world. So they journeyed to Egypt and there they lived until Herod, the cruel king, was dead.

Then an angel came once more to Joseph in his sleep. He told him to go back home now with the Child and His mother, for the king who had sought the Child's life was dead.

Joseph was afraid to go to Bethlehem, for Herod's son, who was a bad, cruel man like his father,