CHAP. II.

1 Augustus taxeth all the Roman empire: 6 the nativity of Christ: 8 an angel relateth it to the shepherds: 13 many sing praises to God for it: Christ is circumcised: 22 Mary purified: 28 Simeon and Anne prophesy of Christ: 40 who increaseth in wisdom: 46 questioneth in the temple with the doctors: 51 and is obedient to his parents.

mon account called

Before the com- AND it came to pass in those Anno Domini, the days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.1

fifth year.

2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed,2 every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem ; (“because he was of the house and lineage of David :)

5 To be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.

1 enrolled. Pu. 2 be enrolled. Pu.

ing in the wilderness of Judæa. do. xi. 7: And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind.

CHAP. II.

· ACTS, v. 37: After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing.

1 SAM. xvii. 12: Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-Judah, whose name was Jesse. JOHN, vii.42: Hath not the Scripture said, that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? .1 SAM. XVI. 4: And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. MAT. i. 16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus. LUKE, i. 27: To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

MAT. i. 18: Now the birth of Jesus was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Cher Lexğ, i. 27: See the words under ver. 4.

6 And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.3

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: 'and they were sore afraid.5

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not : for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 'which shall be to all people.

11 For "unto you is born this day in the city of David 'a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

3 the night watches. A. V. *stood by them. Whit. 5 feared with a great fear. Rh.

MAT. i. 25: And knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born son.

f LUKE, i. 12: And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

GEN. xii. 3: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. MAT. xxviii. 19: Go ye therefore and teach all nations. MARK, i. 15: And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel. LUKE, xxiv. 47: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. CoL. i. 23: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

h ISA. ix. 6: Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. MAT. i. 21: And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

MAT. i. 16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. do. xvi. 16:

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a 'multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth "peace, good will toward men.

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. LUKE, i. 43: And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? AcTS, ii. 36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. do. x. 36: And the word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all). PHIL. ii. 11: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

IGEN. xxviii. 12: And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. do. xxxii. 1, 2: And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim. Ps. ciii. 20, 21: Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. do. cxlviii. 2: Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. DAN. vii. 10: A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. HEB. i. 14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? 1 PET. i. 12: Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. REV. v. 11: Ibeheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne; and the beasts, and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.

m LUKE, xix. 38: Blessed be the king that cometh in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. Ep. 6: To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it, wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

6 Gr. the men the shepherds. A. V.

hath made us accepted in the beloved. do. iii. 10, 21: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. REV. v. 13: And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

n See on JOHN, xvi. 33.

JOHN, iii. 16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ЕPH.i. 4, 7: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Jesus Christ. 2 THES. ii. 16: Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. 1 JOHN, iv. 9, 10: In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

P GEN. XXXVii. 11: His father observed the saying. 1 SAM. xxi. 12: David laid up these words in his heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Anno Domini, the

Before the com- 21 And when 'eight days were mon account called accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called 'JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

fourth year.

22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:

23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord ;)

7 come. Co. Cr. Ud.

4 See under LUKE, i. 59.

1 MAT. i. 21, 25: Thou shalt call his name Jesus. And he called his name Jesus.

S

LEV. xii. 2, 3, 4, 6: If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man-child: then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days: She shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest.

EXOD. xiii. 2: Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine. do. xxii. 29: Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors : the first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. do. xxxiv. 19: All that openeth the matrix is mine. NUM. iii. 13: All the first-born are mine; for on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast; mine shall they be : I am the LORD. do. viii. 16, 17: [The Levites] are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of