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24. When the Angel had thus said, Jofeph awaked: and being fully fatiffied of his Wife's Innocence and Virtue, he obeys the Command of God delivered by the Angel, and received her chearfully.

25. Yet, looking upon her to be hereby confecrated to God, he continues to abstain from her. And fhe brought forth her only Son, and called his Name Jefus.

24 Then Jofeph being raised from fleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him,and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till fhe had

brought forth her first-born fon : and he called his name Jefus.

CHAP.

II.

The Hiftory of the Magi, or IVife Men, coming to worship Chrift; And of Herod's Cruelty and Death.

1. Efus being thus born in Bethlehem of Judæa, in the Reign of King Herod; it was not long, before his coming into the World was made known, not only to those devouter Jews, who waited for the appearing of the Meffias and the Redemption of Ifrael, but even to the Gentiles alfo For at this time certain Aftronomers, or Philofophers, came from the Eastern Part of the World, as far as to Jerufalem.

2. And there they made enquiry, faying; Where is the great King that is born in Judæa? For when we were afar off in our own Country, we faw a new Star; from the appearance of which, we affuredly collected that That great Prince, whom the World both from Traditions and Propl.efies expects

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3 When Herod the King had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerufalem with him.

4 And when he had gathered all the

chief Priefts and

scribes of the people together,he demanded of them where Chrift fhould be born.

5 And they faid unto him, In Beth; lehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the Prophet; 6 And thou Bethlehem in the land of Juda, art not the leaft among the Princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governour that

fhall rule my people Ifrael.

7 Then Herod,

when he had privily called the wife men, enquired of them diligently what time the ftar appeared.

about this time, is now born; and this Star directed us to Judea to feek for him, and we are come to pay him Homage.

3. Upon this Enquiry made by the wife Men; King Herod, who was a Foreigner, and had been cruel and arbitrary;

and feared that he fhould lofe his Kingdom, if that great Prince, of whom he knew the Nation had a general Expectation, were now born; was extreamly troubled and difturbed. And all Jerufalem likewife, was greatly moved at the Strangeness of the Enquiry.

4. But Herod, to fatisfy himself more fully, calls for the Chief Priefts and Teachers of the People, and enquires of them, Where the Meffiah, whom they expected, was to be born.

5. They told him, in Bethlehem a Town of Judea; For fo the Prophet Micha had foretold, in thefe Words, (Mic. v. 2.)

6. And thou Bethlehem in the Land

of Judea, though thou beeft but a small
City, yet art thou by no means the least
honourable among the Principalities of
Juda; for out of thee fhall arife a Go-
vernour,
vernour, that fhall rule my people
Ifrael.

7. Herod at this Anfwer being now more confirmed in his Sufpicion, that the Child Jefus was defigned to be Prince and King of the Jews, refolved (if poffible) to prevent it by deftroying him; And that this his wicked Defign might not mifcarry by being difcovered too foon, he contrives Means to conceal the cruel purpofe under the pretenfe of Piety. Calling therefore the wife Men fecretly to him, he enVOL. I. quires

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quires of them the exact time of the Star's appearing:

8. And fends them to Bethlehem, faying; Go fearch carefully for the young Child; and when you have found him, come and bring me word; that I my felf alfo may go and do Obeifance to

him.

9. The Wife Men, not fufpecting the King's wicked Intentions, went accordingly to feek for the Child: And as foon as they were out of the City, the Star, which they had at firft feen in the Eaft, appeared to them again, and

conducted them to the Place where the Child Jefus was.

10. This appearing of the Star to them again, affured them of the continuance of the Divine Affiftance and Direction, and filled their Hearts with exceeding great Joy.

II. Entring therefore the Houfe, to which the Star had guided them, they found the Child with his Mother Mary; and they fell down and worshipped him, and prefented him with the choiceft Products of their Eastern Country; with Gold, Frankincenfe, and Myrrhe.

12. When they had done this, they prepared to return again unto Herod'; but God, to prevent the cruel Designs of the King, commanded them in a Dream not to go back to him, but to return Home to their own Country by another Way.

8 And he fent them to Bethlehem, and faid, Go, and fearch diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

9 When they had heard the king, they ftar which they faw departed, and lo, the in the caft, went before them, till it

came and flood over where the young child was.

to When they rejoyced with exfaw the ftar, they ceeding great Joy.

II And when they were come into the house, they faw the young child with Mary his mother; and fell down, and

worshipped him; and

when they had opened their treasures, they prefented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincenfe, and myrrhe.

warned of God in a

12 And being

fhould not return to dream, that they Herod, they depart― ed into their own country another way. 13 And

13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, faying, Arife, and take the young child, and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will feek the young child to destroy him.

14 When he arose, he took the young

child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

15 And was there until the death of Herod : that it might be fulfilled which was fpoken of the Lord by the prophet, faying, Out of Egypt have I called my fon.

165 Then Herod, when he faw that he was mocked of the wife men, was exceeding wroth, and fent forth, and flew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wife-men.

13. The Wife Men being thus fent Home, and Herod difappointed of his expected Information; an Angel appeared to Jofeph in a Dream, to acquaint him with Herod's Defign of killing the Child, and to command him to flee with the Child and his Mother into Egypt, and to abide there till he fhould have notice given him when he might fafely return.

14. Jofeph, upon this Warning, flees into Egypt by Night, with Mary and the Child;

15. And there he continued till the death of Herod. Whereby were remarkably accomplished thofe Words of the Prophet Hofea, which, under the Type of the Children of Ifrael, had their principal refpect to Chrift: Out of Egypt have I called my Son, (Hof.xi. 1.)

16. In the mean time Herod finding that the wife Men had deceived him, and were gone Home, fell into a great Rage; and to make fure that the Child fhould not escape him, he commanded all the Children under two Years old, that were in Bethlehem and the neighbouring Villages, to be flain; having gathered from his Conference with the wife Men, that Jefus could not yet be arrived at that age.

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18 In Rama was

there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Jofeph in Egypt.

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young

child and his mother, and go into the land of Ifrael: for they are dead which fought the young childs life.

21 And he arofe

and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Ifrael.

22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea, in the room of his Father Herod, he was afraid to go thither notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned afide into the parts of Galilee :

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