THE

HISTORY

Of our Saviour

JESUS CHRIST,

Related in the

Words of the Scriptures.

SECT. I

INTRODUCTION.

F

Orafmuch as many have taken Luke i in hand to fet forth in order a declaration of those things which are moft furely believed amongst us, even as they deliver'd them 2. unto us, which from the beginning were Eye-witneffes and Minifters of the word. It feemed good to me alfo, having had 3. perfect understanding of all things from the very firft, to write unto thee in order, moft excellent Theophilus, that thou 4. mightest know the certainty of thofe things wherein thou haft been inftructed.

Temple.
Luke i.

SECT. II.

The conception of John the Baptift foretold by an Angel.

5. T

Here was in the days of Herod the King of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the (a) courfe of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and 7. ordinances of the Lord, blameless. And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well ftricken in Years.

8. And it came to pafs, that while he executed the Prieft's office before God in 9. order of his courfe, according to the custom of the Prieft's office, his lott was to burn incenfe when he went into the temple of the Lord.

And the whole multitude of people were praying without at the time of 11. incenfe, and there appeared unto him

an Angel of the Lord ftanding on the right 12. fide of the altar of incenfe. And when Zacharias faw him he was troubled. 13. and fear fell upon him. But the Angel faid unto him, Fear not, Zacharias, for

10.

(a) Courfe of Abia. There were 24 Courses of the Priefts which officiated in their turns, whereof that of Abiah was the eighth. How the distribu tion was made, and what were the name and or der of each may be feen 1 Chron. xxiv.

thy

thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Eliza- Temple. beth shall bear thee a Son, and thou shalt Luke i; call his name Fobn. And thou shalt have 14: joy and gladness, and many shall rejoyce at his Birth. For be shall be great in 1 the fight of the Lord, and fhall drink neither wine nor firong drink, and he Shall be filled with the Holy Ghoft, even from his mothers womb, and many of 16: the children of Ifrael fhall be turn to the Lord their God; and he shall go be- 17; fore him in the Spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the difobedient to the wifedom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

And Zacharias faid unto the Angel, 18. whereby fhall I know this? For I am an old Man, and my wife well ftricken in years.

And the Angel anfwering faid unto 191⁄2 him, I am Gabriel that stand in the prefence of God, and am fent to Speak unto thee, and to fhew thee thefe glad tidings. And behold thou shalt be dumb, 201 and not able to speak, until the day that thefe things fhall be performed, becaufe thou believeft not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their feafon.

And the people waited for Zacharias, 216 and marvelled that he tarried fo long in the Temple, and when he came out, 22: he could not fpeak unto them: and they perceived that he had feen a vifion in the Temple: for he beckned unto them, and remained fpeechless. B 2 And

And it came to pafs, that as foon as the days of his ministration were accom23. plished, he departed to his own house. And after thofe days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, 25. faying, thus hath the Lord dealt with me, to take away my reproach among men.

24.

SECT. III.

The conception and birth of Chrift declared to Mary by the Angel.

26.

[of Eli

zabeth's being with Child] the Angel Gabriel was fent from God, unto a 27. City of Galilee, named Nazareth. To a virgin efpoufed to a man whofe name was Jofeph, of the houfe of David, and

28. the virgins name was Mary.. And the Angel came in unto her, and faid, Hail thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: bleffed art thou among

women.

And when she faw him, fhe was troubled at his faying, and caft in her mind what manner of falutation this fhould be. And the Angel faid unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou haft found favour with 31. God. And behold, thou shalt conceive

30.

in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and 32.fhalt call his Name Fefus. He fhall be

great, and fhall be called the Son of the Higheft, and the Lord God fhall give unto him the throne of his father David. 33 And he fhall reign over the house of Facob

29.