a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel," that is to say, God our Saviour.

and he sent them to Bethlehem, go, said he, make an exact enquiry about the young child, and when ye have found him, let me know it, that I too may come and pay my adorations to him.

When they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the infant and his mother, flee into Egypt, and don't stir thence till I order you, for Herod will endeavour to have the child destroy'd. Joseph therefore arose,

saying, arise, take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they who attempted the life of the infant are dead.

then he arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

Jesus replied, it is likewise written, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Then said Jesus to him, get thee hence Satan: for it it written, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve ."

I assure you, heaven and earth may as well cease to be, as that one jot or one tittle of the law should fail of its completion.

Ye have heard that it has been said to the antients, "Thou shalt not kill: and whosoever shall kill, shall be punish'd by the tribunal."

Ye have heard that it was said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery,"

If your right eye insnare you, it is better to pull it out, and to suffer the loss of that single part, than that thy whole body should be cast into Gehenna.

and if thy right hand insnare thee, it is better to saw it off, and to suffer the loss of that single part, than that thy whole body should be thrown into Gehenna.

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said to the antients, "Thou shalt not for swear thy self, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths."

neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

but if your eye be bad, your whole body will be dark: if therefore that, which should be light to you, be dark; how great is that darkness?

And as for rayment, why should that give you pain? consider the lillies of the field how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.

Let your actions be such, with regard to others, as you should think reasonable with regard to yourselves, for this is the substance of the law and the prophets.

only it was fit you should know that the son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins: arise, then, said he, to the paralytic, take up thy bed, and march home.

neither do men put new wine into old skins: if they should, the bottles will burst, so that the wine will be lost and the skins be spoil'd: but they put new wine into new skins, whereby both are preserved.

if they should not receive you, nor mind your instructions: when ye depart out of that house, or city, shake off the pagan dust from your feet.

then the brother shall betray his brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against their parents, and be the instruments of their death.

and thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought to destruction: for if the miracles which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have subsisted even to this day.

and he answer'd, which of you all that should have one of his sheep fall into a pit on the sabbath-day, would not bestir himself, and lift it out?

for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Then certain of the Scribes and of the Pharisees said, master, we should be glad you would shew us some miracle.

for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

no, said he, lest in pulling up the tares, you should root

that he promised her upon oath, to give whatever she should ask;

and I will give you the keys of the gospel-kingdom: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

from that time began Jesus to let his disciples know that he should go to Jerusalem, there suffer many indignities from the senators, chief priests, and scribes, be put to death, and be raised again the third day.

then Peter taking him aside, began to expostulate with him, saying, God forbid, Sir, this should ever happen to you.

bring him hither to me. and Jesus rebuked the demon, and he departed out of him: so that the child was cured from that very hour.

because of your incredulity, said Jesus: for I tell you truly, if ye had ever so little faith, ye might say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it should remove; and nothing would be too difficult for you.

however, lest we should give offence, go you to the sea, throw in a book, and take the first fish that strikes: then open its jaws, and you will find a piece of money: that take, and give it to them for me and thee.

and Jesus called a child to him, set him in the midst of them,

he therefore who shall become as void of ambition as this child, he shall be greatest in the kingdom of the Messiah.

and whoever shall receive one that is like such a child, in my name, receiveth me.

wo unto the world, because of such scandals: tho' it cannot be, but that such occasions of relapsing should happen: yet wo to that man by whom the scandal cometh.

If a man has an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray, do you think he would not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and go in search for that which was gone astray?

in like manner your heavenly father would not that any person of such humility should be lost.

but being insolvent, his lord gave orders that he, with his wife, and children, and all that he had, should be sold for payment.

which he would not allow: but immediately threw him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

should not you then have had the like compassion for thy fellow servant as I had for thee?

so that his lord in great displeasure delivered him to the jayler till he should pay the whole debt.

he reply'd, which? Jesus said, "thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness,

honour thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Jesus answered them, I declare to you, if ye have a full assurance of faith, ye shall not only be able to do this to a fig-tree, but if ye should even say to this mountain, be thou removed, and cast into the sea; it should be done.

Jesus said to him, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

and the second has an affinity with it, "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self."

unhappy will they be that are with child, and they that give suck in those days.

but the wise answered, for fear there should not be enough for us and you, go rather to those that sell; and buy for your selves.

should not you then have lodged my money at the banker's, and so at my return I should have received my own with interest.

Peter thereupon said, tho' all the rest should abandon you, I never will.

Jesus replied, I tell you for certain, that this night before the time of cock-crowing, thou shalt abjure me thrice.

but Peter said, though it should cost me my life, I never will disown you. and so said all the disciples.

do you think my father, if I should now desire it of him, would not instantly send me more than twelve legions of angels?

when Peter remembred what Jesus had said to him, "before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice." and he went out, and wept bitterly.

Now it was customary at that feast for the governor to release a prisoner, such as the people should nominate.

pray therefore order a guard to be posted at the sepulchre till the third day, for fear his disciples should come and steal him away, and then tell the people, "he is risen from the dead:" for this last imposture would be of worse consequence than the first.

but he strictly charged them not to mention it to any one, and order'd something should be given her to eat.

when the sabbath was come, he preach'd in the synagogue, to the great astonishment of many, who upon hearing his discourse, said, how came he by all this? what strange endowment of knowledge is this, that he should work such miracles?

for a woman, whose child was possess'd with an impure spirit, having heard of him, found him out, and throwing herself at his feet,

At length he began to inform them, that the son of man should suffer many indignities, be rejected by the chief priests, Scribes, and senators, be even put to death, and after three days should rise again.

it is true, said he, that Elias must come beforehand to establish every thing, and that it was predicted of him, as well as of the son of man, that he should suffer very much, and be treated with contempt.

which no sooner comes on him, but it throws him down: then the child foams, gnashes his teeth, and grows meager.

immediately the child's father cryed out with tears, I do believe, oh supply the defect of my faith.

Jesus observing the people came crowding to him, rebuked the evil spirit, saying, thou dumb and deaf spirit come out of the child, never to enter more, it is I command it.

then taking a little child, he set him down before them; and embracing him in his arms, he said to them,

whoever receives such a child as this upon my account, receives me; and he that receiveth me, does not so properly receive me, as the commands of him that sent me.

if even thy hand should make thee transgress, saw it off, and cast it away, it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than to have both hands and go into Gehenna, the unextinguishable fire:

I declare unto you, he that shall pretend to be admitted into the kingdom of God, and has not the temper of a little child, shall not enter therein.

When they were on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus led the way, and they followed behind full of apprehension and fear. then Jesus calling the twelve apostles to him again, acquainted them with what should befal him.

if any one should ask you, why you do so? tell him, the Lord has occasion for it, and immediately he will send it hither.

answer me that. upon this they reasoned thus with themselves; if we should say, it was divine, he will urge, why then did you not believe him?

if we should say, it was a human institution, we run a risk from the people. (for they all believed John was a true prophet.)

when they were come, they said to him, master, we know that you are sincere, that you are not influenced by any one, for you have no regard to the person of men: but teach us the way of God according to truth. now should we pay tribute to Cesar, or no? shall we pay, or shall we not pay?

saying, master, Moses has left it us in writing, that if a man dies, and leaves his wife without any children, his brother should marry his widow, in order to perpetuate his name.

so that if the Lord should suffer it to last, no man could escape: but he will not suffer the time to last long, out of regard to his elect.

for fear by his sudden return he should surprize you sleeping.

upon which Peter said to him, tho' all should stagger, yet I will not.

but he urg'd it with more vehemence, tho' I should die with you, I will not renounce you. and all the rest affirm'd the same.

and the cock crowed for the second time. then Peter calling to mind that expression of Jesus, "before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice," he cover'd his head and wept.

after they had crucified him, they shared his garments, by casting lots for them: to determine what each of them should take.

Pilate surpriz'd that he should be dead so soon, sent for the Centurion, and ask'd him, if he had been dead any time.

Mary was surpriz'd at the voice of such an appearance, and wonder'd what the meaning of this salutation should be.

"Blessed mother of the most blessed offspring! what an honour is this, that I should be visited by the mother of our Lord!

and on the eighth day were present at the circumcision of the child. but upon their proposing to call him by his father's name, Zacharias: his mother objected to it,

and made an impression upon all that heard of them. what a child will this be? said they, for the divine influence does attend him.

that we should be delivered from the power of our enemies, and serve him with security,

Now the child continued to grow, and greatly improv'd in sense; and was in the desarts till the time, when he was to be manifested to Israel.

in order to be registred with Mary, his espoused wife, who was then big with child.

when they had seen him, they divulged what the angel had told them concerning this child.

The eighth day, when the child was to be circumcised, being come, he was named Jesus, the name, which the angel had given before his conception.

"every first born male-child shall be consecrated to the Lord."

to him it was revealed by the holy spirit, that he should not die till he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.

by the divine direction he came into the temple, just as the parents of Jesus were bringing in the child to perform what the law required in his behalf.

then Simeon gave them his benediction, and said to Mary his mother, "the child you now see, shall occasion many in Israel to fall and rise again; he will be the Object of calumny,

and the child grew in stature and in all the improvements of the mind; he was stor'd with wisdom, and was the object of divine favour.

but Jesus answered him, avant, satan, for it is written, "thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

and they shall bear you up in their hands, for fear your foot should hit against a stone."