24. When the Angel had thus said, 24 Then Joseph Joseph awaked : and being fully satis- being raised from fied of his Wife's Innocence and Vir- Neep, did as the antue, he obeys the Command of God gel of the Lord had

bidden him,and took delivered by the Angel, and received

unto him his wife : her chearfully

25 And knew her 25. Yet, looking upon her to be till she had hereby consecrated to God, he conti- brought forth her nues to abstain from her. And she first-born fon : and brought forth her only Son, and called he called his name his Name Jesus.

Jesus.

not

CHA P. II.
The History of the Magi, or IVise Men, coming to worship

Christ; And of Herod’s Cruelty and Death.

1. YEfus being thus born in Bethlehem

I NOW when Jeof Judæa, in the Reign of King

sus was born Herod; it was not long, before his com

in Bethlehem of Juing into the World was made known, Herod the king, bé

dea, in the days of not only to those devouter Jews, who hold, there came wise waited for the appearing of the Messias men from the east to and the Redemption of Israel, but even Jerusalem. to the Gentiles also For at this time certain Astronomers, or Philosophers, came from the Eastern Part of the World, as far as to Jerusalem.

2. And there they made enquiry, 2 Saying, Where saying; Where is the great King that is he that is born is born in Judea ? For when we were king of the Jews ? afar off in our own Country, we saw for we have seen his a new Star ; from the appearance of star in the east

, and which, we assuredly collected that That are come to worship

him. great Prince, whom the World both from Traditions and Prople'ies expcéts 3

3

When

1

about this time, is now born; and this Star directed us to Judea to seek for him, and we are come to pay him

Homage. 3 When Herod

3. Upon this Enquiry made by the the King had heard wise Men ; King Herod, who was a these things, he was Foreigner, and had been cruel and arbitroubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

and feared that he should lose his trary ; Kingdom, if that great Prince, of whom he knew the Nation had a general Expectation, were now born ; was extreamly troubled and disturbed. And all Jerufalem likewise, was greatly moved at the strangeness of the En

quiry. 4 And when he 4. But Herod, to satisfy himself more had gathered all the fully, calls for the Chief Priests and chief Priests and

Teachers of the People, and enquires scribes of the people of them, Where the Meffiah, whom together,he demanded of them where they expected, was to be born. Chrift should be born. 5. They told him, in Bethlehem a

5 And, they said Town of Judea ; For fo the Prophet unto him, In Beth; Micha had foretold, in these Words, lehem of Judea ; for (Mic. v. 2.) thus it is written by

6. And thou Bethlehem in the Land the Prophet;

6 And thou Beth- of Judea, though thou beest but a small lehem in the land of City, yet art thou by no means the least Juda, art not the honourable among the Principalities of least

among the Juda; for out of thee fall arise a GoPrinces of Juda: for vernour, that fall rule my people out of thee shall come Ifrael. a Governour that

7. Herod at this Answer being now shall rule my people

more confirmed in his Suspicion, that Israel. 7 Then Herod,

the Child Jesus was designed to be when he had privily Prince and King of the Jews, resolved called the wise men, (if possible) to prevent iť by destroying enquired of them di- him; And that this his wicked Design ligently what time might not miscarry by being discovered the star appeared. too soon, he contrives Means to con

ceal the cruel purpose under the pretense of Piety. Calling therefore the wise Men secretly to him, be enVov, I.

B

quires

quires of them the exact time of the Star's appearing :

8. And sends them to Bethlehem, 8 And he sent saying; Go search carefully for the young them to Bethlehem, Child; and when you have found him, and said, Go, and come and bring me word ; that I my

search diligently for

the young child, and self also may go and do Obeisance to

when

ye

have found him.

him, bring me word
again, that I may

come and worship
9. The Wise Men, not suspecting him also.
the King's wicked Intentions, went ac-

9 When they had cordingly to seek for the Child: And heard the king, they as foon as they were out of the City, star which they faw

departed, and lo, the the Star, which they had at first seen

in the east, went be' in the Eaft, appeared to them again, and fore them, till it conducted them to the Place where the came and stood over Child Fesus was.

where the young 10. This appearing of the Star to them child was.

10 When they again, assured them of the continuance of the Divine Adistance and Direction, rejoyced with ex

saw the star, they and filled their Hearts with exceeding ceeding great Joy. great Joy.

u And when 11. Entring therefore the House, to they were come into which the Star had guided them, they the house, they faw found the Child with his Mother Mary; the young child with and they fell down and worshipped him, Mary his mother ; and presented him with the choiceft Pro- and fell down, and ducts of their Eastern Country; with worshipped him; and

when they had openGold, Frankincense, and Myrrhe. ed their treasures,

they presented unto
him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and

myrrhe.
12. When they had done this, they

And being prepared to return again unto Herod ;

warned of God in a but God, to prevent the cruel Designs should not return to

dream, that they of the King, commanded them in a Herod, they departDream not to go back to him, but to ed into their own return Home to their own Country by country another way, another Way.

12

13 And when

13. The Wise Men being thus sent they were departed, Home, and Herod disappointed of his behold, the angel of expected Information ; an Angel apthe Lord appeareth to Jofeph in a dream, peared to Joseph in a Dream, to acfaying, Arise, and quaint him with Herod's Design of take the young child, killing the Child, and to command and his mother, and him to flee with the Child and his Moflee into Egypt, and ther into Egypt, and to abide there till be thou there until I he should have notice given him when bring thee word: he might safely return. for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young into 'Egypt by Night, with Mary and

14. Joseph, upon this warning, fees child and his mother

the Child; by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there

15. And there he continued till the until the death of

death of Herod. Whereby were Herod : that it might markably accomplished those Words of be fulfilled which

the Prophet Hosea, which, under the was spoken of the Lord by the pro

Type of the Children of Ifrael, had phet, saying, Out their principal respect to Cáritt: Out of Egypt have I of Egypt have I called my Son, (Hof.xi. called my fon.

1.) 16 Then Herod,

16. In the mean time Herod finding when he saw that he that the wise Men had deceived him, was mocked of the

and were gone Home, fell into a great wise men, was exceeding wroth, and Rage; and to make sure that the Child sent forth, and few should not escape him, he commanded all the children that all the Children under two Years old, were in Bethlehem, that were in Bethlehem and the neighand in all the coasts bouring Villages, to be slain ; having thereof, from two gathered from his Conference with the years old and under, wife Men, that Jesus could not yet be according the

arrived at that age. time which he had diligently enquired of the wise-men.

re

to

WUS

a

17. Then were accomplished these 17 Then was fulWords of the Prophet Jeremy; (Jer. filled that which was xxxi. 15.)

spoken by Jeremy
the prophet, fay-

ing, 18. In Ramah there voice

18 In Rama was heard, lamentation and weeping and there a voice heard, great mourning; Rachel weeping for lamentation and weeher children, and would not be com- ping

COM- ping , and

great forted, because they are not.

mourning, Rachel
weeping for her chil-
dren, and would not
be comforted,

be

cause they are not. 19. Not long after this, Herod died :

19 But when And then the Angel which had com- Herod was dead, bemanded Joseph to flee into Egypt, ap- hold, an angel of the peared to him again in a Dream Lord appeareth in a there:

dream to Joseph in

Egypt. 20. And commanded him to 20 Saying, Arise, turn with the Child and his Mother and take the young

child and his mointo the Land of Israel ; for that Herod,

ther, and who had designed to kill the Child, was

go

into the

land of Israel: for now dead himself.

they are dead which
fought the young

childs life.
21. Accordingly Jofeph, in Obedi- 21 And he arose
ence to the Divine Command, retur-

and took the young ned with the Child and his Mother in- child and his moto the Land of Israel.

ther, and came into
the land of Israel,

re

22. Nevertheless, hearing Archelaus 22 But when he fucceeded his Father Herod in the King- heard that Archelaus dom of Judea, and fearing left this new

did reign in Judea, Prince should imitate his Father's Cru- in the room of his

Father Herod , he elty; he durst not venture to dwell in Judea, but by the divine Direction re