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even till her eightieth year: And yet even in the end of her old age brought forth Isaac, in whom the promise was made of a blessing to all nations.'

7 Rachel also, so much in favour with God, and beloved so much by holy Jacob, continued barren for a long time, yet afterwards was the mother of Joseph, who was not only governor of Egypt, but delivered many nations from perishing with hunger.'

8 Who among the judges was more valiant than Samson, or more holy than Samuel? And yet both their mothers were barren.'

9 But if reason will not convince you of the truth of my words, that there are frequent conceptions in advanced years, and that those who were barren have brought forth to their great surprise; therefore Anna your wife shall bring you a daughter, and you shall call her name Mary; 10 She shall, according to your be devoted to the Lord from her infancy, and be filled with the Holy Ghost from her mother's womb;'

vow,

11 She shall neither eat nor drink anything which is unclean, nor shall her conversation be without among the common people, but in the temple of the Lord; that so she may not fall under any alander or suspicion of what is bad.

12 So in the process of her years, as she shall be in a miraculous manner born of one that was barren, so she shall, while yet ■ virgin, in a way unparalleled, bring forth the Son of the most High God, who shall, be called Jesus, and, according to the signification of his name, be the Saviour of all nations."

1 Gen. xvi. 2, &c. and xviii. 10, &c. 'Judg. xiii. 2. and 1. Sam. 6, &c. xiv. 28 7 Luke i. 28. Luke ii.

Anna conceives.

13 And this shall be a sign to you of the things which I declare, namely, when you come to the golden gate of Jerusalem, you shall there meet your wife Anna, who being very much troubled that you returned no sooner, shall then rejoice to see you.

14 When the angel had said this he departed from him.

CHAP. III.

1 The angel appears to Anna ; 2 tells her a daughter shall be born unto her, 3 devoted to the service of the Lord in the temple, 5, who, being a virgin and not knowing man, shall bring forth the Lord, 6 and gives her a sign therefore. 8 Joachim and Anna meet and rejoice, 10 and praise the Lord. 11 Anna conceives, and brings forth a daughter called Mary.

A

FTERWARDS the angel ap

peared to Anna his wife saying; Fear not, neither think that which you see is a spirit :"

2 For I am that angel who hath offered up your prayers and alms before God, and am now sent to you, that I may inform you, that a daughter will be born unto you, who shall be called Mary, and shall be blessed above all women.'

3 She shall be, immediately upon her birth, full of the grace of the Lord, and shall continue during the three years of her weaning in her father's house, and afterwards, being devoted to the service of the Lord, shall not depart from the temple, till she arrive to years of discretion.

4 In a word, she shall there serve the Lord night and day in fasting and prayer, shall abstain from every unclean thing, and never know any man;

5 But, being an unparalleled instance without any pollution or

Gen. xxx. 1-22. and xli. 1, &c.
Matth. i. 21. Matth.

4 Luke i. 15.

37.

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defilement, and a virgin not knowing any man, shall bring forth a son, and a maid shall bring forth the Lord, who both by his grace and name and works, shall be the Saviour of the world.

6 Arise therefore, and go up to Jerusalem, and when you shall some to that which is called the golden gate (because it is gilt with gold), as a sign of what I have told you, you shall meet your husband, for whose safety you have been so much concerned.

7 When therefore you find these things thus accomplished, believe that all the rest which I have told you, shall also undoubtedly be accomplished.

8 According therefore to the command of the angel, both of them left the places where they were, and when they came to the place specified in the angel's prediction, they met each other.

9 Then, rejoicing at each other's vision, and being fully satisfied in the promise of a child, they gave due thanks to the Lord, who exalts the humble.

10 After having praised the Lord, they returned home, and lived in a cheerful and assured expectation of the promise of God.

11 So Anna conceived, and brought forth a daughter, and, according to the angel's command, the parents did call her name Mary.

CHAP. IV.

1 Mary brought to the temple at three 6 years old. Ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle. 8 ller parents sacrifice and return home.

A

ND when three years were expired, and the time of her weaning complete, they brought the Virgin to the temple of the Lord with offerings.

Ministered unto by Angels.

2 And there were about the temple, according to the fifteen Psalms of degrees,' fifteen stairs to ascend.

3 For the temple being built in a mountain, the altar of burntoffering, which was without, could not be come near but by stairs;

4 The parents of the blessed Virgin and infant Mary put her upon one of these stairs;

5 But while they were putting off their clothes, in which they had travelled, and according to custom putting on some that were more neat and clean,

6 In the mean time the Virgin of the Lord in such a manner went up all the stairs one after another, without the help of any to lead or lift her, that any one would have judged from hence that she was of perfect age.

7 Thus the Lord did, in the infancy of his Virgin, work this extraordinary work, and evidence by this miracle how great she was like to be hereafter.

8 But the parents having offered up their sacrifice, according to the custom of the law, and perfected their vow, left the Virgin with other virgins in the apartments of the temple, who were to be brought up there, and they returned home.

CHAP. V.

5

2 Mary ministered unto by angels. The high-priest orders all virgins of fourteen years old to quit the temple and endeavour to be married. Mary refuses, 6 haring vowed her virginity to the Lord. 7 The high priest commands a meeting of the chief persons of Jerusalem, 11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter. 13 A voice from the merey

Those Psalms are from the 120th to the 134th, including both.

Her vow of virginity.

MARY.

The high-priest in dificulty.

man.

seat. 15 The high-priest obeys it by, to break through by lying with a ordering all the unmarried men of the house of David to bring their rods to the altar, 17 that his rod which should flower, and on which the Spirit of God should sit, should betroth the Virgin.

BUT

UT the Virgin of the Lord, as she advanced in years, in creased also in perfections, and according to the saying of the Psalmist, her father and mother forsook her, but the Lord took care of her.

2 For she every day had the conversation of angels, and every day received visitors from God, which preserved her from all sorts of evil, and caused her to abound with all good things;

3 So that when at length she arrived to her fourteenth year, as the wicked could not lay any thing to her charge worthy of reproof, so all good persons, who were acquainted with her, admired her life and conversation,

4 At that time the high-priest made a public order. That all the virgins who had public settlements in the temple, and were come to this age, should return home, and, as they were now of a proper maturity, should, according to the customoftheir country, endeavou to be married.

5 To which command, though alltheother vi gi sreadily yielded obedience, Mary the Virgin of te Lord alone answered, that she could not comply with it.

7 The high priest being hereby brought into a difficulty,

8 Seeing he durst neither on the one hand dissolve the vow, and disobey the Scripture, which ways, Vow and pay,'

9 Nor on the other hand introduce a custom, to which the people were strangers, commanded, 10 That at the approaching feast all the principal persons both of Jerusalem and the neighbouring places should meet to gether, that he might have their advice, how he had best proceed in so difficult a case.

11 When they were accordingly met, they unanimously agreed to seek the Lord, and ask counsel from him on this matter.'

12 And when they were all engaged in prayer, the high-priest, according to the usual way, went to consult God.

a

13 And immediately there was voice from the ark, and the mercy seat, which all present heard, that it must be enquired or sought out by a prophecy of Isaiah to whom the Virgin should be given and be betrothed;

14 For Isaiah saith, there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a flower shall spring out of its root,

15 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and l'iety, and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill him.

6 Assigui g these reasons, that both s..e and her parents had devoted her to the service of the Lord; and besides, that she had 16 Then, according to this pro Vowed virginity to the Lo d phecy, he appointed, that all the which vow she was resolved never men of the house and family of

1 Eccles. v. 4, 5, 6; and Psalm lxxvi. 11.

2 Num. xxvii. 21, compared with Exod. xxviii. 30; Lev. viii. 8; Deut. xxxiii. 8; Ezra ii. 63; Nehem. vii. 65.

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1 Joseph draws back his rod. 5 The

dove pitches on it. He betroths Mary and returns to Bethlehem. 7 Mary returns to her parents' house at

Galilee.

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MONG the rest there was a man named Joseph, of the house and family of David, and a person very far advanced in years, who drew back his rod, when every one besides presented his.

2 So that when nothing appeared agreeable to the heavenly voice, the high-priest judged it proper to consult God again,

3 Who answered that he to whom the Virgin was to be betrothed was the only person of those who were brought together, who had not brought his rod.

4 Joseph therefore was botrayed.

5 For, when he did bring his rod, and a dove coming from Heaven pitched upon the top of it, every one plainly saw, that the Virgin was to be betrothed to him :

6 Accordingly, the usual ceremonies of betrothing being over, he returned to his own city of Bethlehem, to set his house in order, and make the needful provisions for the marriage.

7 But the Virgin of the Lord, Mary, with seven other virgins of Luke i 28

the

Angel Gabriel salutes Mary

same age, who had been weaned at the same time, and

who had been appointed to attend her by the priest, returned to her parents' house in Galilee.

CHAP. VII.

7 The salutation of the Virgin by Gabriel, who explains to her that she shall conceive, without lying with a man, while a Virgin, 19 by the Holy Ghost coming upon her without the heats of lust. 21 She submits.

OW at this time of her first

Now

coming into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to her from God, to declare to her the conception of our Saviour, and the manner and way of her conceiving him.

2 Accordingly going into her, he filled the chamber where she was with a prodigious light, and in 8 most courteous manner saluting her, he said,

3 Hail, Mary! Virgin of the Lord most acceptable! O Virgin full of Grace! The Lord is with you, you are blessed above all women, you are blessed above all men, that have been hitherto born.'

4 But the Virgin, who had before been well acquainted with the countenances of angels, and to whom such light from heaven was no uncommon thing,

5 Was neither terrified with the vision of the angel, nor astonished at the greatness of the light, but only troubled about the angel's words:

6 And began to consider what so extraordinary a salutation should mean, what it did portend, or what sort of end it would have.'

7 To this thought the angel, divinely inspired, replies;

8 Fear not, Mary, as though I intended anything inconsistent

Luke i. 29.

And tells her she shall conceive. MARY.

with your chastity in this salutation;

9 For you have found favour with the Lord, because you made virginity your choice.

10 Therefore while you are a Virgin, you shall conceive without sin, and bring forth a son.

11 He shall be great, because he shall reign from sea to sea, and from the rivers even to the ends of the earth.'

12 And he shall be called the Son of the Highest ; for he who is born in a mean state on earth reigns in an exalted one in heaven.

13 And the Lord shall give him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of

She is married to Joseph

it only is conceived without sin and being born, shall be called the Son of God.

21 Then Mary stretching forth her hands, and lifting her eyes to heaven, said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord! Lut it be unto me according to thy word. '

CHAP. VIII.

1 Joseph returns to Galilee to marry the Virgin he had betrothed. 4 perceives she is with child, 5 is uneasy, 7 purposes to put her away privily, 8 is told by the angel of the Lord it is not the work of man but the Holy Ghost, 12 Marries her, but keeps chuste, 13 removes with her to Bethlehem, 15 where she brings forth Christ.

Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom JOS

there shall be no end.

14 For he is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and his throne is for ever and ever.

15 To this discourse of the angel the Virgin replied not, as though she were unbelieving, but willing to know the manner of it.

16 She said, How can that be? For seeing, according to my vow, I have never known any man, how can I bear a child without the addition of a man's seed.

17 To this the angel replied and said, Think not, Mary, that you shall conceive in the ordinary way.

18 For, without lying with a man, while a Virgin, you shall conceive; while a Virgin, you ahall bring forth; and while a Virgin shall give suck.

19 For the Holy Ghost shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you, without any of the heats of

lust.

20 So that which shall be born af you shall be only holy, because

Luke i. 31, &c.

OSEPH therefore went from Judæa to Galilee, with intention to marry the Virgin who was betrothed to him:

2 For it was now near three months since she was betrothed to him.

3 At length it plainly appeared she was with child, and it could not be hid from Joseph:

4 For going to the Virgin in a free manner, as one espoused, and talking familiarly with her, he perceived her to be with child.

5 And thereupon began to be uneasy and doubtful, not knowing what course it would be best to take;

6 For being a just man, he was not willing to expose her, nor defame her by the suspicion of being a whore, since he was a pious man.

7 He purposed therefore privately to put an end to their agreement, and as privately to send her away.

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8 But while he was meditating these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his

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