by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these things were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the power of the Lord was with him.

:

Psalm of Zacharias.

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up the glory of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us. He performs the mercy promised to our fathers, and remembers his holy covenant: the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation, unto his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God. By this the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

And the child grew, and became strong in the Spirit, and was in the solitudes till the day of his manifestation unto Israel.

SECTION VII.

An Angel appears to Joseph.-MATT. i. 18, to the end. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this manner:

When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary to be thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS [or Saviour]; for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, so that it was fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son and he called his name JESUS [the Saviour].

SECTION VIII.

Birth of Christ at Bethlehem.

LUKE ii. 1-8.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the Roman empire should be enrolled. (And this enrolment was first executed when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be enrolled, or registered, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be registered with Mary his espoused wife, being with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

SECTION IX.

THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST,

Traced through the Lines of Joseph and Mary.

MATT. i. 1-17.

LUKE iii. 23, to the end.

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

THE GENEALOGY OF JOSEPH AND MARY.

The Lines of Joseph and Mary are the same till King David, and the succession of Names is thus stated :—

GOD, the father of Adam, the father of Seth, the father of Enos, the father of Cainan, the father of Maleleel, the father of Jared, the father of Enoch, the father of Mathusala, the father of Lamech, the father of Noe, the father of Sem, the father of Arphaxad, the father of Cainan, the father of Sala, the father of Heber, the father of Phalec, the father of Ragau, the father of Saruch, the father of Nachor, the father of Thara, the father of Abraham. ABRAHAM begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; and Judas begat Phares, and Zara of Thamar; Phares begat Esrom; Esrom begat Aram; and Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Naasson; Naasson begat Salmon; Salmon begat Booz by Rahab; Booz begat Obed, by Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; and Jesse begat David, the king.

Genealogy of Joseph.

DAVID the king begat
Solomon by her that had
been the wife of Urias;
Solomon begat Roboam;
Roboam begat Abia;
Abia begat Asa;
Asa begat Josaphat;
Josaphat begat Joram;
Joram begat (Ochozias;
Ochozias begat Jonan;
Jonan begat Amasias ;

Genealogy of Mary.

DAVID, who begat
Nathan, who begat
Mattatha, who begat
Menan, who begat
Melea, who begat
Eliakim, who begat
Jonan, who begat
Joseph, who begat
Juda, who begat
Simeon, who begat
Levi, who begat

So all the generations from Abraham to David include fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon include fourteen generations; and

from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ include fourteen generations.

SECTION X.

The Angels appear to the Shepherds.

LUKE ii. 8-20.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping the watches of the night over their flock. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about 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 the Lord, the Messiah, or Christ. And this shall be the 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 has 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, 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 they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

* In these genealogies of Christ I have followed the arrangement of Archbishop Newcome. By arranging them on the same descending scale, the reader is enabled to gain a clearer idea of the double series, in which the omitted names in Italics are supplied from the Old Testament.