but while he was revolving this in his mind, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, the off-spring of David, don't make any difficulty of taking Mary for thy wife: for her pregnancy is from the holy Spirit.

and she shall be deliver'd of a son, to whom you shall give the name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Where is this king of the Jews who is now born? for we have seen his rising star, and are come to pay him homage.

they answered him, in Bethlehem of Judea: for these are the words of 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 having privately sent for the Magi, enquired of them the exact time when the star appeared.

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,

"In Rama was a cry heard, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

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.

and saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of the Messiah draws nigh."

for it is of John the prophet Esaias spoke, when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths clear."

and don't pretend to say within your selves, We have Abraham for our father: for I tell you, that God is able out of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham:

the ax is already laid to the root of the trees: every tree then which does not produce good fruit, will be hewn down, and cast into the fire.

I indeed baptize you with water to lead you to repentance; but he that cometh after me, is my superiour, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry: he shall baptize you with the effusion of the holy Ghost, in the appearance of fire:

and with the fan in his hand, he will throughly cleanse his floor, and gather the wheat into his grainery, but the chaff will he burn with unquenchable fire."

and Jesus answer'd, Let it be so for the present, for it becometh us to do whatever is right. then John consented.

if you are the Son of God, throw your self down: for it is written, "he will charge his angels to take care of you, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest you bruise your foot against a stone."

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 ."

from that time Jesus began to preach, "Repent, said he, for the kingdom of the Messiah draws nigh."

Now as Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting their net into the sea: for they were fishermen.

Blessed are they, that are of an humble spirit, for of such is the kingdom of the Messias.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the pacific: for they shall be the children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted upon the account of righteousness: for their's is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed shall you be when men shall revile and persecute you, and falsely charge you with all manner of evil for your attachment to me.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great will be your reward in heaven: for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Ye are the salt of the earth; but if the salt become insipid, how shall it recover its savour? it is no longer fit for any thing, but to be cast out and trod under foot.

for I declare to you, that except your righteousness shall exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the heavenly kingdom.

but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be punish'd by the tribunal: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be punish'd by the Sanhedrim: but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be punish'd by the fire of 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."

but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne:

nor by the earth, for it is his footstool: nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

but let your communication be, yes, yes; no, no: for whatever goes beyond this, is evil.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."

but I say unto you, don't return evil for evil; on the contrary, if any one strike thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other likewise.

but I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who traduce you, and persecute you:

that ye may be the children of your father who is in heaven, for he causes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

therefore, when you give alms, do not make a proclamation of it as the hypocrites do, in their publick assemblies by sound of trumpet, that they may have the applause of men. for I assure you, they have their reward.

And when you pray, be not as the hypocrites are: for they chuse to stand praying in publick places, and at the corners of the streets, to be observ'd by men. I assure you, they have their reward.

When you pray, be not verbose, as the heathen are: for they think they shall be heard for their loquaciousness.

don't therefore imitate them: for your father knows what you want, before you ask him.

for if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you.

Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven, where there is neither moth, nor rust, nor corruption, nor thieves, nor violence to molest you.

for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

no man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or he will be attach'd to the one, and neglectful of the other. ye cannot serve God and Mamon.

consider the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor lay up any stores; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much greater value than they?

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.

now if God thus adorns the flower of the field, which thriving to day, is to morrow thrown into the oven, how much more shall he provide for you, if you have any degree of faith?

therefore sollicitous about the morrow: for the morrow shall be taken up with the cares of the morrow, the trouble of the day is sufficient for one day.

for according as ye judge others, ye shall be judged yourselves: the measure you mete, shall be measured to you again.

for every one that asks, does receive: he that seeks, does find: and he that knocks at the door, is admitted.

is there any of you that would offer his son a stone when he ask'd for bread?

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.

every tree that doth not yield good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire.

the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon that house: but it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

for he taught them, as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

for I am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command: I bid this man, go, and he's gone: another, come, and he's here: and to my servant, do this, and it is done.

and Jesus said to the centurion, go thy way, what you believed could be done, is effected for you. and his servant was healed in that very hour.

When he was arrived on the other side, in the country of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs met him starting out of the tombs with such fury, it was not safe for any body to pass that way.

for is it not as easy to say, thy sins are forgiven? as to say, arise, and walk?

at this the multitude were amazed, and glorified God, for having communicated such power to men.

go then and learn the meaning of that expression, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice:" for I am not come to call saints, but sinners.

new cloth is never patch'd upon an old garment: for the patch will draw the garment, and rend it still worse.

for she said within her self, if I do but touch his garment, I shall be cured:

and he said to them, withdraw, for the maid is not dead, but asleep. and they treated him with contemptuous laughter.

nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, nor shoes, nor staves: for the workman deserves his maintenance.

be upon your guard with such men, for they will deliver you up to their tribunals, and scourge you in their synagogues.

but when they take you. into custody, be not sollicitous, how or what ye shall speak, for at the very instant you shall be inspir'd what to say.

for it is not properly you that speak, but the spirit of your father that speaketh by you.

and ye shall be hated by all the world for professing my name: but he that perseveres unto the end, shall escape.

Then if they persecute you in one city, fly to another: for I assure you, before you have preach'd thro' all the cities of the Jews, the son of man will come.

if the disciple fare as well as his master, and the servant as his lord, is not that sufficient? if they style the master of the house Beelzebub, much more will they call his domestics so.

fear them not therefore: for there is nothing hid that shall not be revealed; or secret that shall not be made known.

fear not those who can only kill the body, but cannot hurt the soul: rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.

are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? yet not one of them shall lose its life independently of your father,

he that would preserve his life, shall lose it: and he that exposeth his life for my sake, shall save it.

and whoever shall give only a cup of cold water to the meanest of you, considering him as my disciple, shall most assuredly be far from losing his reward.

for it is he that is meant in that passage, "behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee."

Messiah is greater than he.) for ever since the appearance of John the Baptist the gospel kingdom is as it were invaded, and people of the most violent passions enter into it with zeal.

for all the prophets and the law were your guides, till the coming of John.

"if we play a merry tune, you are not for dancing; if we act a mournful part, you are not in the humour."

Then he began to upbraid the towns where most of his miracles were wrought, for their not being converts.

wo unto thee, Chorazin, wo unto thee, Bethsaida: for if the miracles which were done among you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

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.

At the same time Jesus, continuing his discourses, said, "I thank thee, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, for having revealed unto babes what thou hast hid from the wise and prudent.

even so it is, father, for such has been thy will.

for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

how he entred into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which it was not lawful either for him or his company to eat, but only for the priests?

for the sabbath is subservient to men.

"He that is not for me, is against me: and he that is not active for me, is a Deserter."

Either allow the tree to be good, and its fruit good; or else say the tree is corrupt, and its fruit corrrupt: for a tree is distinguished by its fruit.

O degenerate race, how can ye, wicked as ye are, utter any thing that is good? for "'tis the overflowing of the heart that the mouth dischargeth."

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

for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

the queen of the south shall rise up at the day of judgement against this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the remote parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now a greater than Solomon is here.