but Mary considered these things very attentively, and weigh'd every circumstance in her mind, while the shepherds return'd,

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.

As the people were in suspence, every man imagining in his own mind that John might be the Messiah;

but they were all of a mind in making some excuse: the first said to him, I have bought a piece of ground, which I must needs go and see: therefore pray excuse me.