them and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,

Fear not for, behold, I bring you good tidings Of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David A Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.*

And this shall be a sign unto you;

Ye shall find the babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel A multitude of the heavenly host,

Praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, Good will toward men.

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. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen,

as it was told unto them.

And when eight days were accomplished for the

Every time we read or hear this message of the angel of the Lord, we should remember that it is the voice of God proclaiming in our ears, that unto us is born a Saviour, who hath also died for our sins and risen again for our justification.

PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE.

11

circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

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; (as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord ;) and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms,

And blessed God, and said,*

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation †,
Which thou hast prepared

before the face of all people;

A light to lighten the Gentiles,

And the glory of thy people Israel.

And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those

things which were spoken of him.

* Nunc dimittis.

And Simeon

Those, and those only, can look death in the face with hope instead of terror, and can depart in peace, who have seen, like Simeon, with the eye of faith, the salvation of God, through trust in Christ Jesus.

blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against. (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also *,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

THANKSGIVING.

Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God; but chiefly are we bound to praise Thee, because Thou didst give Jesus Christ thine only Son to be born for us who by the operation of the Holy Ghost was made very man of the substance of the Virgin Mary his mother; and that without spot of sin, to make us clean from all sin. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praising Thee and saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory: Glory be to thee, O Lord most High. Amen.

Because Christ was to be a man of sorrows. When Mary stood by his cross and saw him dying, we may well think that the sword of the Spirit pierced her own soul for the son of her love.

What was the message of Gabriel to Zacharias?
What was the message of Gabriel to Mary?
How was his message received by the one,

and how by the other?

On what occasion was the Magnificat,

or song of the Blessed Virgin, composed by Mary? On what occasion was the Benedictus,

or hymn of Zacharias, composed?

How many generations from Abraham unto Christ? Where and under what circumstances was Christ born ? What were the good tidings of the angel to the shepherds? What was the hymn of the heavenly host?

On what occasion was the Nunc dimittis, or Song of Simeon, composed?

Who was Anna?

SECTION II.

From the Offering of the Wise Men of the East, to the End of the Temptation of Christ.

PRAYER.

O God, who, by the leading of a star, didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; mercifully grant, that we which know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they