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THE

NATIVITY

OF

JOHN the BAPTIST,

AND

OUR SAVIOUR,

WITH THE

Several Circumftances relating thereto.

Luke

i. I.

F

Orafmuch as many have taken in hand to
fet forth in Order a Declaration of thofe
Things which are most SURELY BELIEV-
ED among us,

2. Even as they delivered them unto us, who from the Beginning were EYE-WITNESSES, and Minifters of the Word :

3. It feemed good to me alfo, having had perfect Understanding of all Things from the very firft, to write unto thee in Order, most excellent Theophilus,

4. That thou mightest know the CERTAINTY of those Things wherein thou haft been inftructed.

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HERE was in the Days of Herod the King of Judea, a certain Prieft named Zacharias, of the Courfe of Abia and his Wife was of the Daughters of Aaron, and her Name was Elifabeth.

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6. And they were both RIGHTEOUS before God, walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, blameless.

7. And they had no Child, becaufe that Elifabeth 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 the Order of his Course,

9. According to the Cuftom of the Priefts Office, his Lot was to burn Incenfe when he went into the Temple of the LORD.

10. And the whole Multitude of the People were praying without, at the Time of Incense.

11. And there appeared unto him an ANGEL of the Lord, ftanding on the right Side of the Altar of Incense. 12. And when Zacharias faw him, he was troubled, and Fear fell upon him.

13. But the Angel faid unto him, Fear not Zacharias: for thy Prayer is heard; and thy Wife Elifabeth fhall bear thee a Son, and thou fhalt call his Name John.

14. And thou fhalt have Joy and GLADNESS, and many fhall REJOICE at his Birth.

15. For he fhall be great in the Sight of the Lord, and fhall drink neither Wine nor ftrong Drink; and he fhall be filled with the HOLY GHOST, even from his Mother's Womb.

16. And many of the Children of Ifrael fhall he turn to the Lord their God.

17. And he fhall go before him in the Spirit and Power of Elias, to turn the Hearts of the Fathers to the Children, and the Difobedient to the Wisdom of the Juft, to make ready a People prepared for the Lord.

Mal. iv. 5. Behold, I will fend
you Elijah the Prophet, before the
DAY of the LORD.
Coming of the great and dreadful

6. And he fhall turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children, and the Heart of the Children to their

Fathers, left I come and fmite the
Earth with a Curfe.

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

19. And the Angel anfwering, faid unto him, I am Gabriel, that ftand in the Prefence of God: and am fent to fpeak unto thee, and to fhew thee thefe glad Tidings.

20. And behold, thou fhalt be dumb, and not able to fpeak, until the Day that thefe Things fhall be performed, because thou believeft not my Words, which fhall be fulfilled in their Seafon.

21. And

21. And the People waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried fo long in the Temple.

22. And when he came out, 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 Speech

lefs.

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23. And it came to pass, that as foon as the Days of his Miniftration, were accomplished, he departed to his own House.

24. And after thofe Days his Wife Elifabeth conceived, and hid her felf five Months, faying,

25. Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the Days wherein he looked on me, to take away my Reproach among Men.

26. And in the fixth Month, the Angel Gabriel was fent from GOD, unto a City of Galilee, named Nazareth. 27. To a VIRGIN efpoufed to a Man whofe Name was Jofeph, of the House of David; and the Virgin's Name

was Mary.

28. 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.

29. And when the faw him, fhe was troubled at his Saying, and caft in her Mind what manner of Salutation this fhould be.

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

31. And behold, thou fhalt conceive in thy Womb, and bring forth a Son, and fhalt call his Name JESUS. 32. He fhall be Great, and fhall be called the Son of the HIGHEST; and the Lord God fhall give unto him the THRONE of his Father David.

33. And he fhall REIGN over the Houfe of Jacob for EVER, and of his KINGDOM there fhall be NO END.

34. Then faid Mary unto the Angel, How fhall this be, feeing I know not a Man?

35. And the Angel anfwered and faid unto her, The HOLY GHOST fhall come upon thee, and the POWER of the HIGHEST fhall overfhadow

Pfalm xlv. 6. Thy THRONE, O SCEPTRE of thy KINGDOM is a GOD, is for ever and ever: The right Sceptre.

Pfal. xciii. 2. Thy THRONE is eftablifhed of OLD, thou art from EVERLASTING.

Pfal. cxlv. 11. They shall speak of the GLORY of thy KINGDOM, and talk of thy POWER.

12. To make known to the Sons of Men his mighty Acts, and the glorious MAJESTY of his KINGDOM.

13. Thy

fhadow thee: Therefore alfo that Holy Thing which fhall be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of GOD.

36. And behold, thy Coufin Elifabeth, fhe hath alfo conceived a Son in her old Age: and this is the fixth Month with her, who was called Barren.

13. Thy KINGDOM is an EVERLASTING KINGDOM, and thy DoMINION endureth throughout all

Generations.

Rev. xi. 15. And there were great Voices in Heaven, faying, The KINGDOMS of this World are become the KINGDOMS of our Lord, and of his Chrift; and he fhall REIGN for ever and ever.

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 Ahgel departed from her.

39. And Mary arofe in thofe Days, and went into the Hill-Country with hafte, into a City of Juda,

40. And entred into the Houfe of Zacharias, and faluted Elifabeth.

41. And it came to pafs, that when Elifabeth heard the Salutation of Mary, the Babe leaped in her Womb : and Elifabeth was filled with the HOLY GHOST.

42. And fhe fpake 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?

44. For lo, as foon as the Voice of thy Salutation founded in mine Ears, the Babe leaped in my Womb for Joy. 49. And blessed is fhe that BELIEVED: for there fhall be a Performance of thofe Things which were told her from the Lord.

46. And Mary faid, My Soul doth MAGNIFY the Lord, 47. And my Spirit hath REJOICED in GOD my Sa

VIOUR.

48. For he hath regarded the low Eftate of his Handmaiden: For behold, from henceforth all Generations fball call me BLESSED.

49. For be that is Mighty hath done to me great Things, and HOLY is bis Name.

50. And bis MERCY is on them that FEAR him, from Generation to Generation.

51. He bath fhewed Strength with his Arm, he hath fcattered the Proud in the Imagination of their Hearts.

52. He

52. He hath put down the Mighty from their Seats, and exalted them of low Degree.

53. He bath filled the Hungry with good Things, and the Rich he bath fent empty away.

54. He hath HOLPEN his Servant Ifrael, in remembrance of his MERCY,

55. As he spake to our Fathers, to Abraham, and to bis Seed for ever.

56. And Mary abode with her about three Months, and returned to her own Houfe.

57. Now Elifabeth's full Time came, that fhe fhould be delivered; and fhe brought forth a Son.

58. And her Neighbours and her Coufins heard how the Lord had fhewed great Mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

59. And it came to pafs, that on the eighth Day they came to circumcife the Child; and they called him Zacharias, after the Name of his Father.

60. And his Mother anfwered and faid, Not fo; but he fhall be called John.

61. And they faid unto her, There is none of thy Kindred that is called by this Name.

62. And they made Signs to his Father, how he would have him called.

63. And he asked for a Writing-Table, and wrote, faying, His Name is John. And they marvelled all.

64. And his Mouth was opened immediately, and his Tongue loofed, and he fpake, and praifed God.

65. And Fear came on all that dwelt round about them and all thefe Sayings were noised abroad throughout all the Hill-Country of Judea.

66. And all they that heard them, laid them up in their Hearts, faying, What manner of Child fhall this be? And the Hand of the Lord was with him.

67. And his Father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghoft, and prophefied, faying,

68. Bleffed be the Lord God of Ifrael, for he hath VISITED and REDEEMED his People,

69.And (a) hath raifed up an HORN OF SALVATION for

us,

in

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