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ab infantia fua Domino confecrata, et Spiritu Sancto replebitur adhuc ex utero matris. Omne immundum neque manducabit neque bibet,

neque inter populares forinfecus turbas, fed in Templo Domini converfatio ejus erit; ne quid de ea finiftrum vel fufpicari faltem poffit, vel dici. Itaque ætate procedente, ficut ipfa mirabiliter ex fterili nafcetur; ita incomparabiliter Virgo generabit Altiffimi filium, qui Jesus vocabitur; secundum nominis etymologiam, Salvator omnium gentium erit. Et hoc tibi eorum quæ annuncio fignum erit; cum perveneris ad auream in Hierofolymis portam, habebis ibi obviam Annam uxorem tuam, quæ de tuæ regreffionis tardatione modo folicita, tunc in afpectu tuo gaudebit. His dictis Angelus difceffit ab eo.

to your vow, be devoted to the Lord from her infancy, and be filled with the Holy Ghost from her mother's womb ; she shall neither eat nor drink any thing which is unclean, nor shall her conversation be without among the common people, but in the Temple of the Lord; that so she may not fall under any flander or fufpicion of what is bad. So in the process of her years, as he shall be in a miraculous manner born of one that was barren, so she shall, while yet a Virgin, in a way unparalleled, bring forth the Son of the most High God, who shall be called Jefus, and, according to the fignification of his name, be the Saviour of all nations. And this fhall be a fign to you of the things which I declare, viz. when you come to the golden gate of Jerufalem, you shall there meet your wife Anna, who being very much troubled

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that you returned no fooner, fhall then rejoice to fee you. When the Angel had faid this, he departed from him.

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fum ad vos, ut annunciem vobis nafcituram filiam, quæ Maria vocata, fuper omnes mulieres erit benedicta. Hæc a nativitate fua ftatim Domini gratia plena, tribus ablactationis fuæ annis in domo paterna permanebit; poftea fervitio Domini mancipata a Templo ufque ad intelligibiles annos discedet; ibi denique jejuniis et orationibus nocte ac die Deo ferviens ab omni immundo se abstinebit; virum nunquam cognofcet, fed fola fine exemplo, fine macula, fine. corruptione, fine virili commixtione, Virgo filium, ancilla Dominum; et gratia et nomine et opere Salvatorem mundi generabit. Itaque furge, afcende Hierufalem, et cum perveneris ad portam, quæ aurea, pro eo quod deaurata eft, vocatur, ibi pro figno virum tuum, pro cujus incolumitatis ftatu folicita es, obviurn habebis. Cum hæc igitur ita evenerint, fcito quod quæ annuncio fine dubio complenda erunt.

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you, that I may inform you, that a daughter will be born unto you, who shall be called Mary, and fhall be blessed above all womena. She fhall be im mediately upon her birth full of the grace of the Lord, and fhall continue during the three years of her weaning in her father's house, afterwards being devoted to the fervice of the Lord, fhall not depart from the. Temple, till he arrives to years of difcretion. In a word, she all there ferve the Lord night and day in faftings and prayers, fhall abstain from every. unclean thing, and never know any man; but being an unparalleled inftance without any pollution or defilement, and a Virgin not knowing any man, hall bring forth a fon, and a' maid fhall bring forth the Lord, who both by his grace and name and works, shall be the Saviour of the world. Arife therefore, and go up to Ferufalem, and when you shall come to that which is called The Golden Gate (because it is gilt with gold), as a fign

(of what I have told you) you shall meet your husband, for whose safety you have been fo much concerned. When therefore you find these things thus accomplished, believe that all the reft which I have told you, shall also undoubtedly be accomplified.

a Luk. i. 28.

Luk. ii. 37.

G 2

V. Ac

V. Igitur juxta Angeli præceptum, uterque de loco in quo erant promoventes, afcenderunt Hierufalem; et cum ad locum perveniffent angelico vaticinio defignatum, ibi fibi invicem obviaverunt. Tunc de mutua fua vifione læti, et promiffæ prolis certitudine fecuri, debitas Domino. humilium exaltatori gratias egerunt. Itaque adorato Domino domum regreffi, divinum promiffum certi et hilares expectabant. Concepit ergo Anna et peperit filiam, et juxta mandatum angelicum parentes vocabant ejus nomen Mariam.

VI. Cumque trium annorum circulus volveretur, et ablactationis tempus completum effet; ad Templum Domini Virginem cum oblationibus adduxerunt. Erant autem circa Templum, juxta quindecim Graduum Pfalmos, quindecim afcenfionis gradus. Nam quia Templum erat in monte conftitutum, altare holocaufti, quod forinfecus erat, adiri nifi gradibus non valebat. In horum itaque uno beatam Virginem Mariam

V. According therefore to the command of the Angel, both of them left the places where they were, and when they came to the place fpecified in the Angel's prediction, they met each other. Then rejoicing at each other's vifion, and being fully fatisfied in the promise of a child, they gave due thanks to the Lord, who exalts the humble. After having praised the Lord, they returned home, and lived in a cheerful and affured expectation of the promise of God.

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

VI. And when three years were expired, and the time of her weaning complete, they brought the Virgin to the Temple of the Lord with offerings.. And there were about the Temple, according to the fifteen Pfalms of Degrees, fifteen ftairs to afcend. For the Temple being built in a mountain, the altar of burnt-offering, which was without, could not be come near but by stairs; the parents of the bleffed Virgin and

Thofe Pfalms are from the 120th to the 134th, including both.

parvulam parentes conftitue- infant Mary put her upon runt. Cumque ipfi vefti- one of these stairs; but while menta, quæ in itinere habue- they were putting off their rant, exuerent, et cultioribus glothes, in which they had ex more veftibus fe et mun- travelled, and according to dioribus induerent; Virgo Do- cuftom putting on fome that mini cunctos figillatim gra- were more neat and clean, in dus fine ducentis et levantis the mean time the Virgin of manu ita afcendit, ut perfectæ the Lord in fuch a manner ætati in hac duntaxat caufa went up all the stairs one after another, without the help of any to lead her or lift her; that any one would have judged from hence, that he was of perfect age. 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. But the parents having offered up their facrifice, according to the cuf tom of the law, and perfected

nihil deeffe putares. Jam quippe Dominus in Virginis fuæ infantia magnum quid operabatur; et quanta futura effet, hujus miraculi indicio præmonftrabat. Igitur facrificio fecundum confuetudinem legis celebrato, et voto fuo perfecto, Virginem intra fepta Templi cum aliis virginibus ibidem educandis dimiferunt; ipfi verò domum regreffi funt.

their vow, left the Virgin with other virgins in the apartments of the Temple, who were to be brought up there, and they returned home.

VII. Virgo autem Domini cum ætatis proceffu et virtutibus proficiebat; et juxta Pfalmiftam, pater et mater et mater dereliquerunt eam, Dominus vero affumpfit eam. Quotidie namque ab Angelis frequentabatur, quotidie divina vifione fruebatur, quæ eam a malis omnibus cuftodiebat, et bonis omnibus redundare fa

VII. But the Virgin of the Lord, as fhe advanced in years, increased alfo in perfections, and according to that of the Pfalmift, Her father and mother forfook her, but the Lord took care of her. For fhe every day had the converfation of Angels, and every day received vifions from God, which preferved her from all forts of evil, and caufed her to G 3

abound

ciebat. Itaque ad quartum decimum annum ufque pervenit, ut non folum nihil de ea mali reprehenfione dignum confingere poffent; fed et boni omnes qui eam noverant, vitam et converfationem ejus admiratione dignam judicarent. Tunc Pontifex publice denunciabat, ut virgines quæ in Templo publice conftituebantur, et hoc ætatis tempus explêffent, domum reverterentur, et nuptiis fecundum morem gentis et ætatis maturitatem operam darent. Cui mandato cum cæteræ pronæ paruiffent, fola Virgo Domini Maria hoc fe facere non poffe refpondit, dicens; fe quidem et parentes fuos Domini fervitio mancipaffe, et infuper fe ipfam Domino virginitatem voviffe, quam nunquam viro aliquo commixtionis more cognito violare vellet. Pontifex vero in anguftia conftitutus animi, cum neque contra Scripturam, quæ dicit, Vovete et reddite, votum infringendum putaret, neque morem genti infuetum introducere au

abound with all good things; fo that when at length she arrived to her fourteenth year, as the wicked could not lay any thing to her charge worthy of reproof, so all good perfons, who were acquainted with her, admired her life and converfation. At that time the High-prieft made a publick order, That all the virgins who had publick settlements in the Temple, and were come to this age, should return home, and, as they were now of a proper maturity, should, according to the custom of their country, endeavour to be married.

To which command, though all the other virgins readily yielded obedience, Mary the Virgin of the Lord alone answered, that she could not comply with it, affigning thefe reasons, that both fhe and her parents had devoted her to the fervice of the Lord; and befides, that he had vowed virginity to the Lord, which vow she was refolved never to break through by lying with a man. The High-prieft being hereby brought into a difficulty,

seeing he durft neither on the one hand diffolve the vow, and disobey the Scripture, which fays, Vow and pay 2, nor on the other hand introduce a custom, to which the people were

2 Ecclef. v. 4, 5, 6. et Pfal. lxxvi. 11.

ftrangers,

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