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26 And in the fixth month, the angel Gabriel was fent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Jofeph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary.

28 And the angel came in unto her, and faid, Hail thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou aniong women.

29 And when she saw him,' fhe was troubled at his saying, and caft in her mind what manner of falutation this fhould -be.

30 And the Angel faid unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou haft found favour with God.

CHA P. II.

JOHN.

The Birth of Chrift predicted by an Angel. The converfation of Mary and Elizabeth about it. The Birth of John the Baptift, and the Difcourfe of his Father Zacharias upon the recovery of bis Speech.

SIX months after Elizabeth was with child, God fent the fame Angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a City of Galilee, to declare the like tidings to a Virgin whose name was Mary: fhe was engag'd by Contract to one Jofeph a man of a mean condition, but defcended from the Family of King David. The Angel appear'd fuddenly in the Room where Mary was, and thus faluted her: O happy Virgin whom God highly favors, on whom he will beftow fingular Bleffings, and whom all Nations fhall call the happiest of Women! Mary being very much furpriz'd with thefe words, made no Reply, but filently revolv'd in her mind what fuch a Salutation as this fhould mean, having never heard any thing before like it. The Angel goes on: Be not afraid Mary, for God is gracious to thee; and be affur'd thou

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34 Then faid Mary unto the angel, How fhall this be, feeing I know not a man?

35 And the angel answered, and faid unto her, The holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Higheft fhall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which fhall be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of God.

36 And behold, thy coufin Elizabeth, the hath alfo con-ceived a fon in her old age: and this is the fixth month with her,who was called barren..

fhalt conceive immediately, and bring forth a Son whom thou shalt name JESUS.. He fhall receive great Power from God, and be call'd his Son on a moft peculiar account. He fhall poffefs the Throne of David, from whofe Family he derives his Birth. He hall reign over the Ifraelites, as his Ancestors have done, but there fhall be no end of his Empire; whereas the Kingdom of David and his Succeffors endur'd only for a few Ages. Mary upon hearing this made anfwer, that she did not comprehend how the fhould immediately become with Child, feeing fhe was as yet a Virgin. But, fays the Angel, thou shalt be impregnated by the Divine Power,.. without the concourfe of a Man; and therefore that moft Holy Son thou shalt bear, fhall defervedly be call'd the Son of God, by them that come to understand this matter. And that thou mayeft know that what I tell thee fhall come to pass, I am to acquaint, thee that thy Coufm Elizabeth, who (as thou very well knoweft) has long been old, and deftitute of all hope of having Children, has alfo by the power of God been made to conceive fix months ago; nor can any thing be fuppos'd too

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CHAP. I.

37 For with God nothing fhall be impoffible.

38 And Mary faid, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hillcountrey with haste, into a city of Juda,

40 And entred into the houfe of Zacharias, and faluted Elizabeth.

41 And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the falutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the holy Ghost.

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and faid, Bleffed art thou among women, and bleffed is the fruit of thy womb.

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord fhould come to me?

Јони.

hard for God to do if he pleafes. When the Angel had faid this, Mary replied, that he was ready to fubmit to the Divine Commands whatever they were, and that fhe did not doubt of the accomplishment of what he had predicted to her. Upon which the Angel difappear'd.

Soon after this, Mary went in great hafte from Nazareth towards a City of the Hill Country of Judea, where Elizabeth dwelt, to give her a Vifit, who was now big with Child, as the Angel had declar'd to her. She was no fooner arriv'd, and had faluted Elizabeth as the enter'd into the houfe of Zacharias, but the Child Elizabeth went with began to fpring in her Womb after an unusual manner; and immediately the Mother, infpir'd and inftructed by the Holy Spirit of what had happen'd to Mary, broke forth into thefe Expreffions: O thou moft bleffed of all Women! and O incomparably happy Son whom thou carrieft in thy Womb! But how comes it to pass that I fhould be fo highly honour'd to have the Mother of Chrift my Lord come first to vifit me? for no fooner did the Voice of thy Sa

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44 For lo, affoon as the voice of thy falutation founded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 And bleffed is the that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

46 And Mary faid, My foul doth magnifie the Lord,

47 And my fpirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour.

48 For he hath regarded the low eftate of his handmaiden for behold, from henceforth all generations fhal call me bleffed.

49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to generation.

51 He hath fhewed ftrength with his arm, he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

lutation ftrike my ears, but my Child leap'd within me, as if he too had know that the Mother of the Mefliah, big with that happy Burden, was prefent. Bleffed art thou who haft believ'd in God! for whatever has been foretold thee fhall be accomplish'd; nor fhalt thou fuffer any punishment as my Husband doth for his doubting, having been ftruck dumb for feveral months. To which Mary with a pious emotion of Mind thus replied: I have reafon to extol the Power and Goodnefs of God with the highest praises I can offer, and to conceive the greatest joy imaginable on the account of thofe uncommon favors I have receiv'd from the hand of God, who has continually deliver'd me from all Evils. He has not defpis'd my low Condition, fince he does not difdain that Chrift shall be born of me. For this all Generations to come fhall call me bleffed. Thefe are great and wonderful Bleffings indeed, which God has confer'd on me, who as he is moft holy, fo his Merey and Bounty will never fail to manifeft their Effects on them who strictly obferve his Laws. His Power performs the greatest things by Perfons of a low and abject Condition, and fruftrates the attempts of the Proud and Mighty, tho never fo prudently concerted. He throws down Princes when he d

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52 He hath put down the mighty from their feats, and exalted them of low degree.

53 He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.

54 He hath holpen his fervant Ifrael, in remembrance of his mercy;

55 As he fpake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his feed for ever.

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

57 Now Elizabeths full time came, that she should be delivered; and fhe brought forth a fon.

58 And her neighbours and her coufins heard how the Lord had fhewed great mercy upon her, and they rejoyced with her.

59 And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcife the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

JOHN.

pleafes from their Thrones, and makes the Poor and Mean fucceed 'em. He heaps Plenty upon the Indigent, and fpoils the Rich of the Wealth that made 'em proud. He always defends the Ifraelites who are devoted to his Worship, and renews to them thofe former Bleffings with which he promis'd to favor Abraham and his Pofterity.

Thus Mary at that time exprefs'd her felf; and continued three months with her. Coufin, after which the time of Elizabeth's Travel approaching, the return'd home. When Elizabeth's time was come, he was deliver'd of a Son, as the Angel had promis'd. Her Neighbors and Kindred hearing how gracious God had been to her, came to congratulate her Happiness, and vifited her efpecially on the eighth day, when the Child was to be circumcis'd according to the Cuftom of the Jews. This being perform'd, they call'd him after his Father's name, Zacharias; and

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