the priest, and had faluted her coufin Elizabeth, she perceiving the child to spring in her womb, was filled with the Holy Ghoft, and declared that Mary was bleffed which believed, and confirmed that thofe things fhould be performed that were told her of the Lord : to whom for an answer the bleffed virgin (imitating that fong of Hannah, 1 Sam. ii. 1.) rehearsed that divine hymn, My foul doth magnify the Lord, &c. After which Mary tarried with her about three months, Luke i. 39-56.

Not long after, Jofeph finding his betrothed wife Mary, with child, was willing to put her away privily; but being warned of God in a dream, and informed that he had conceived by the Holy Ghost, and fhould bring forth her fon Jefus, who fhould fave bis people from their fins, he taketh his wife, Matt. i. 18, 24.

When the time of Mary's delivery drew near, there came forth a command from Auguftus, that all the Roman world thould be taxed, which taxing was first made, when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, Luke ii. 1. whereupon Jofeph went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, into Judea into the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the houfe and lineage of David, that he might be taxed, with Mary his wife, being great with child, Luke ii. 4, 5.

During their abade there, Jefus Chrift the Son of God, in the fulness of time, was born of the most bleffed virgin Mary, at Bethlehem, Matth. i. 25. and ii. 1, 5. Gal. iv. 4. in the four thousandth year of the world, faith the learned Primate of Ireland, Doctor Usher, whom Mary rolled in fwaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn, Luke ii. 7.

Chrift being thus born, his nativity was revealed

· by

by an angel of the Lord, to shepherds that were keeping their flock by night in the neighbouring fieids, which word, a multitude of the heavenly hoft receiving, prayed for glory to God, peace to the earth, and good will to men. When they were departed, the fhepherds making hafte to Bethlehem, found Mary and Jofeph, and the child lying in the manger; and they published that which was told them concerning the child, and fo returned, praifing and glorifying God, Luke ii. 8, 20.

The eighth day after his nativity the child was cir. cumcifed, and his name was called Jefus, which was fo appointed by the angel Gabriel, before he was con ceived in the womb, Luke ii. 21.

Presently after, the wife men from the east, being guided by a new and extraordinary ftar, came to Herod to Jerufalem, and there, having learned that the birth place of Chrift was Bethlehem of Judea, they went thither, and entering into the house which was pointed out to them by the ftar that ftood over it, they found the little child, and Mary his mother, and falling down they worshipped him, and opening their treasures, they offered unto him, gold, frankincenfe, and myrrh. Then being warned of God in a dream, that they fhould not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way, Matth. ii. 1

-12.

The fortieth day after her delivery, Mary went up to Jerufalem to the temple, both that he might prefent him to the Lord according to the law of the first.. born; and alfo that the might offer for herself a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons, (the being fo poor that he could not offer a lamb) according to the law, concerning women that had lain in, Luke ii. 22, 23, 24, 27. with Lev. xii. 2, 3, 4, 6, 8.

When his parents, Jofeph and Mary, brought the child Jefus into the temple, to do for him according

to the custom of the law, there came in at the fame time, Simeon of Jerufalem, to whom it was revealed by God, that he should not die before he had seen the anointed of the Lord, whom he took in his arms, and praised the Lord, adding prophefies, both concerning Chrift and his mother. At the fame inftant alfo came Anna, a prophetefs, the daughter of Phanuel, who alfo acknowledged the Lord openly, and spake of him to all that looked for redemption in Jerufalem, Luke iii. 25-38.

Thus when Jofeph and Mary had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth, Luke ii. 39.

Some time after, the angel of the Lord appeared unto Jofeph in a dream, warning him to fly into Egypt, thereby to provide for the life of the child, and to escape the malicious defigns of Herod, who having by the wife men, heard that one was born king of the Jews, fought to deftroy him: and accordingly Joseph when he awaked, took the young child and his mother by night, and went into Egypt, where he remained until the death of Herod, Matt. ii. 13—15.

But Herod thinking that the young child had been ftill at Bethlehem, (being further provoked by the wife mens not returning to him) that he might deftroy him amongst the reft, fent forth some of his foldiers, who killed all the children which were in Bethlehem, and in all the coaft thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time of the ftar first feen in the east, concerning which he had enquired of the wife men, Matt. ii. 16.

After the death of Herod, who had fought the life of the young child Jefus, the angel of the Lord appeared again to Jofeph in a dream, whilft he was in Egypt, commanding him that he should return with the young child and his mother, into the land of

Ifrael,

Ifrael, for he that fought his life was dead: and accordingly when Jofeph awaked, he performed what was by the angel enjoined him, Matth. ii, 19,

20, 21.

But when he was come back into the land of Ifrael, he heard that Archilaus reigned in Judea, in the room of his father Herod; he therefore feared to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he departed into the parts of Galilee, (which tetrarchy Herod had given by will to Antipas) and there dwelt in the city of Nazareth, from whence Jefus took the name of Nazarene, Matt. ii. 22, 23. and the primitive Chriftians of Nazarenes, Acts xxiv. 5.

When Jefus was twelve years old, at the feast of the paffover, he was brought to Jerufalem by his parents, Jofeph and Mary; and when the feven days of unleavened bread were ended, his parents returning home, Jefus ftaid behind them. But fo foon as they miffed him, they fought him three days, and at laft found him in the temple, fitting in the midft of the doctors, hearing them, and afking them queftions, fo that all that heard him were aftonifhed at his un derstanding and anfwers, Luke ii. 41-47.

Then went Jefus down with his parents to Nazareth, and was obedient to them, Luke ii. 51. and during his minority, followed his father's trade of a carpenter, eating his bread in the fweat of his brow, as appears by the speeches of his fellow citizens. Is not this the carpenter, the fon of Mary? Mark vi. 3.

The thirtieth and the laft jubilee, falling in the thirtieth year of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and in the beginning of his gospel, John, his forerunner, proclaimed in the wildernefs, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths ftraight, Mark i. 12. and opening the acceptable year of the Lord, or the time of his divine pleasure, in which our good God vouchfafed to manifeft that great One to the world, Ifa. lxi.

2.

2. Luke ix. 19. For in the 13th year of the reign of Tiberias Cæfar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod Antipas tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea, and the region of Tracho. nitis, and Lyfanias tetrarch of Abilene, under the priesthoods of Annas and Caiaphas, came the word of the Lord unto John the fon of Zacharias in the defert, Luke iii. 12. according unto whose command this Nazarite, both priest and prophet of the Lord, did baptize in the defert of Judah (in which there were many cities which are mentioned, Jofh. xv. 16.) preaching the baptifm of repentance for the remiffion of fins, Matt. iii. 1. Mark i. 4. Luke iii. 3. endeavouring, that Chrift that came after him might be made known to Ifrael, John i. 7, 8, 13. which that he might more certainly know, this fign was given him of God, that upon who he should fee the Holy Ghoft defcending and remaining, he fhould thereby know that it was he that should baptize others with the Holy Ghoft, John i. 33. It is moft probable (faith the learned Doctor Uther) that this his miniftry began on that most convenient day, the 10th of the feventh month (about the 19th day of our October) which was both penitential, being joined with a folemn faft, in which whofoever did not afflict his foul, fhould be cut off from his people, and also expiatory, in which the high priest went into the holy of holies to expiate the fins of the people with blood that was offered: and that fame day in which, by the found of trumpet, the jubilee was commanded to be proclaimed over all the land, Lev. xxv. 9.

So John Baptift, the preacher of repentance and remiffion of fins, to be attained by the blood of Christ that was to come, paffing through every region round about Jordan, lifted up his voice like a trumpet, faying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: whereupon there went out to him Jerufalem, and all Judea,