Mary's parents barren. MARY.

An angel appears, and

4 One of which they devoted 10 He further said, that he to the temple and officers of ought first to be free from that the temple; another they dis- curse by begetting some issue, tributed among strangers, and and then come with his offerpersons in poor circumstances; ings into the presence of God. and the third they reserved for 11 But Joachim being much themselves and the uses of their confounded with the shame of own family. such reproach, retired to the shepherds who were with the cattle in their pastures;

5 In this manner they lived for about twenty years chastely,

in the favour of God, and the 12 For he was not inclined esteem of men, without any children.

to return home, lest his neighbours, who were present and 6 But they vowed, if God heard all this from the highshould favour them with any is- priest,should publicly reproach sue, they would devote it to the him in the same manner. service of the Lord; on which account they went at every

CHAP. II.

feast in the year to the temple 1 An angel appears to Joa

of the Lord.*

7 And it came to pass, that when the feast of the dedication drew near, Joachim, with some others of his tribe, went up to Jerusalem, and, at

chim, 9 and informs him that Anna shall conceive and bring forth a daughter, who shall be called Mary, 11 be brought up in the temple, 12 and while yet a

that time, Issachar was high-virgin, in a way unparallel

priest;

8 Who, when he saw Joachim along with the rest of his neighbours, bringing his of fering, despised both him and his offerings, and asked him,

no

ed, bring forth the Son of God: 13 gives him a sign, 14 and departs.

B

UT when he had been there for some time, on a certain day when he was alone, the angel of the Lord stood by him with a prodigious light,

9 Why he, who had children, would presume to ap pear among those who had Adding, that his offering could 2 To whom, being troubled never be acceptable to God, at the appearance, the angel who was judged by him un-who had appeared to him, enworthy to have children; the deavouring to compose him, Scripture having said, Cursed said;

is

every one that shall not beget a male in Israel.

1 Sam. i. 6, 7, &c.

3 Be not afraid, Joachim, nor troubled at the sight of me, for I am an angel of the Lord

promises them

MARY.

a child. sent by him to you, that I might| 9. But if reason will not con inform you that your prayers vince you of the truth of my are heard, and your alms as-words, that there are frequent cended in the sight of God.* conceptions in advanced years,

4 For he hath surely seen and that those who were baryour shame, and heard you un-ren have brought forth to their justly reproached for not hav- great surprise; therefore Aning children; for God is the na your wife shall bring you a avenger of sin, and not of na-daughter, and you shall call ture; her name Mary;

11 She shall neither eat nor drink any thing which is unclean, nor shall her conversa

5 And so when he shuts the 10 She shall, according to womb of any person, he does your vow, be devoted to the it for this reason, that he may Lord from her infancy, and be in a more wonderful manner filled with the Holy Ghost again open it, and that which from her mother's womb;* is born appear to be not the prod ct of lust, but the gift of God. 6 For the first mother of tion be without among the comyour nation, Sarah, was she not barren 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.†

mon people, but in the temple of the Lord; that so she may not fall under any slander 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 7 Rachel also, so much in that was barren, so she shall, favour with God, and beloved while yet a virgin, in a way so much by holy Jacob, contin- unparalleled, bring forth the ued 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.‡

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.†

13 And this shall be a sign 8 Who, among the judges, to you of the things which I was more valiant than Samp-declare, namely, when you son, or more holy than Sam-come to the golden gate of Jeuel? And yet both their moth-rusalem, you shall there meet ers were barren.|| your wife Anna, who being

*Act. x 4 Gen. xvi.2 &c.and xviii. very much troubled that you 10,&c. Gen xxx. 1-22, and x 1 &c. dg. xiii. 2. and 1 Sam.i. 6, &c.

*Luke, i. 15.

Matth. i. 21.

Anna conceives.

MARY.

Mary born. returned no sooner, shall then the temple, till she arrives to

rejoice to see you.

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

CHAP. III.

years of discretion.

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

1 The angel appears to Anna; 2 tells her a daughter 5 But, being an unparallelshall be born unto her 3 de- ed instance without any polluvoted to the service of the tion or defilement, and a virgin Lord in the temple, 5 who, not knowing any man, shall being a virgin, and not bring forth a son, and a maid knowing man, shall bring shall bring forth the Lord, forth the Lord, 6 and gives who both by his grace and her a sign thereof. 8 Joa- name and works, shall be the chim and Anna meet, and Saviour of the world. rejoice, 10 and praise the 6 Arise therefore, and go up Lord. 11 Anna conceives, to Jerusalem, and when you and brings forth a daugh- shall come to that which is calter called Mary. led the golden gate (because it FTERWARDS the an-is gilt with gold,) as a sign of gel appeared to Anna what I have told you, you shall his wife, saying; Fear not, meet your husband, for whose neither think that which you safety you have been so much see is a spirit ;*

A

concerned.

2 For I am that angel who 7 When therefore you find hath offered up your prayers these things thus accomplished, and alms before God, and am believe that all the rest which now sent to you, that I may I have told you, shall also uninform you, that a daughter doubtedly be accomplished. will be born unto you, who 8 According therefore to shall be called Mary, and shall the command of the angel, both be blessed above all women.t of them left the places where

3 She shall be, immediate- they were, and when they ly upon her birth, full of the came to the place specified in grace of the Lord, and shall the angel's prediction, they continue during the three years met each other.

of her weaning in her father's 9 Then, rejoicing at each house, and afterwards, being other's vision, and being fully devoted to the service of the satisfied in the promise of a Lord, shall not depart from child, they gave due thanks to

*Matth. xiv. 26,

Luke, i. 28.

the Lord, who exalts the hum*Luke. ii. 37.

ble.

Ministered unto

MARY.

by angels

10 After having praised the 6 In the mean time the VirLord, they returned home, and gin of the Lord in such a manlived in a cheerful and assur-ner went up all the stairs one ed expectation of the promise after another, without the help of God. of ary to lead her or lift her, that any one would have judged from hence, that she was of perfect age.

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

home.

CHAP. IV.

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.

1 Mary brought to the temple at three years old. 6 Ascends the stairs of the tem- 8 But the parents having ple by miracle, 8 Her par- offered up their sacrifice, accorents sacrifice and return ding to the custom of the law, and perfected their vow, left ND when three years were the Virgin with other virgins expired, and the time of in the apartments of the temher weaning complete, they ple, who were to be brought brought the Virgin to the tem-up there, and they returned ple of the Lord with offerings. home.

A

2 And there were about

CHAP. V.

the temple, according to the 2 Mary ministered unto by fifteen Psalms of Degrees,* fifteen stairs to ascend.

3 For the temple being built in a mountain, the altar of burnt-offering, 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. *Those Psalms are from the 120th to the 134th, including both.

angels. 4 The high-priest orders all virgins of fourteen years old to quit the temple and endeavor to be married. 5 Mary refuses, 6 having vowed her virginity to the Lord. 7 The highpriest commands a meeting of the chief persons of Jerusalem, 11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter. 13 A voice from the mercy-seat. 16 The highpriest obeys it by ordering all the unmarried men of the house of David to bring their rods to the altar, 17

1

Her vow of virginity. MARY. The high-priest in difficulty.

that his rod which should that both she and her parents Aower, and on which the had devoted her to the service Spirit of God should sit, of the Lord; and besides, that should betroth the Virgin. she had vowed virginity to the UT the Virgin of the Lord, which vow she was reLord, as she advanced solved never to break through in years, increased also in perby lying with a man. fections, and according to the saying of the Psalmist, her fa

B

7 The high-priest being hereby brought into a difficulty, 8 Seeing he durst neither on

ther and mother forsook her, the one hand dissolve the vow,

but the Lord took care of her.

2 For she every day had and disobey the Scripture, says, Vow and pay,*

which

9 Nor on the other hand introduce a custom, to which the people were strangers, com

manded

the conversation of angels, and every day received visions 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 10 That at the approaching arrived to her fourteenth year, both of Jerusalem and the feast all the principal persons as the wicked could not lay any thing to her charge worthy meet together, that he might neighbouring places should of reproof, so all good persons, have their advice, how he had who were acquainted with her, best proceed in so difficult a

admired her life and conver

sation.

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,

case.

11 When they were accordingly met, they unanimously agreed to seek the Lord, and

ask counsel from him on this matter.t

12 And when they were all engaged in prayer, the highshould, according to the custom priest, according to the usual

of their country, endeavor to be married.

5 To which command, tho' all the other virgins readily yielded obedience, Mary the Virgin of the Lord alone answered, that she could not comply with it,

6 Assigning these reasons,

way, went to consult God,

13 And immediately there was a voice from the ark, and the mercy-seat, which all present heard, that it must be enquired or sought out by a pro

*Eccles. v. 4, 5, 6, and Psalm lxxvi. 11. Numb. xxvii. 21. compared with Exod. xxviii. 30 Lev. viii. 8. Deut.

xxxiii. 8, Ezra, ii, 63. Nehem. vii. 65.