The Magi's Guide

Ecce, inquit, magi ab Oriente venerunt Hierosolymam dicentes: Ubi est qui natus est rex Judaeorum? In magis ergo istis jam fides gentium, velut primitiae, Domino consecrantur; qui per fidem in Oriente sidus cernentes, matutinam stellam, quae Christus est, feliciter sunt secuti. Nisi enim lucifer matutinus primum eorum cordibus oriretur, nequaquam, stella praevia, regem Judaeorum tam constanter inquirerent. Fuerunt autem, ut aiunt, de genere Balaam, successoresque doctrinarum ejus, et ideo ex prophetia illius evidentius cognoverunt, quod etiam in doctrina studiose recolentes, experiri secundum disciplinam ipsius artis meditabantur. Nam magi idem sunt qui postea mathematici sunt vocati, quorum est in stellis nascentium ortus inspicere, et ex mathesi rerum probare eventus. Sed de istis magis fatendum potius quod ex prophetia, vel certe Spiritu scanto eos excitante, crediderint, quam aliqua inimici fraude substitutos ad fidem esse, praesertim cum praeceptoris eorum vaticinium cunctis in signum esset futurae promissionis. Orietur, inquit, stella ex Jacob, et consurget homo vel virga de Israel, et percutiet duces Moab, vastabitque omnes filios Seth, eritque Idumaea possessio ejus. Sanctus Paschasius Radbertus Corbeiensis, Expositio In Evangelium Matthaei, Lib II Cap II Source: Migne PL 120.126b-c

Behold, he says, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he who is born the king of the Jews?' 1 In these Magi there is already the faith of the Gentiles, as the first ones who are consecrated to the Lord, who happily followed through faith, seeing the star in the east, the morning star which is Christ. For unless the morning light bearer had first arose in their hearts, they would not, with the star leading, have so insistantly sought out the king of the Jews. They were, as they say, the descendants of Balaam, and successors to his teachings, and therefore they obviously knew about his prophecy, whence studiously cultivating his teaching, they would meditate on proving it according to his art. For the Magi are the same as those who were later called astrologers, who study stars and birthdays, from which learning they make recommendations of things to come. But regarding these Magi one must rather say that they believed by prophecy, or indeed the stirring of the Holy Spirit, which, replacing any deceit of the enemy, brought them to faith, certainly when in the prophecy of their teacher there was the sign of the future promise for all. He said: 'A star shall arise from Jacob, and a man from the shoot of Israel, and he shall strike the princes of Moab, and lay waste all the sons of Seth, and Idumaea shall be his possession.' 2 Saint Paschasius Radbertus, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Book 2, Chap 2 1 Mt 2.2 2 Num 24.17-18