LORD and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST. 15 he was not willing to proceed to the feve- rity of the law ; which, in this, cafe, was no lets than her being floned to death at the door of her father's houfe. But as he had jufl reafon to fuppofe that her ho- nour could not be vindicated, and being a -flrif obferver of the law, he was not willing. to take her to his bed ; but flood determined to break the marriage contrail asprivately as poffible. While, with great vexation and trouble, he was ruminating on thefe things, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and informed him of the nature of his wife's pregnancy ; giving him at the fame time full fatisfaç- don concerning her innocency. Fear not, faid the heavenly vifion, fofeph, thoufon of David, to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy GAO. And fie flail bring forth a Son, and thoufhalt call his name JEsus, for he "hall Ave his people from their fins. It was with unfpeakable joy, that the good man received this informa- tion ; and, not hefitating a moment re- fpeiing the truth of the heavenly mef fage, he took the lovely maid home to his houfe. But the evangelift informs us, that he knew her not, tillfhe had brought forth herfirft-borñfon. While thefe things were in agitation at Nazareth, Elizabeth, the wife of Zacha- rias the prieft, and relative ofthe favoured Virgin, having completed the full time of her pregnancy, was delivered of a fon. The reproach of her barrennefs being thus removed, her neighbours and friends rejoiced with her the whole family fmiled at the event, and every heart was glad. On the eighth day, when they attended on the facred rite of circumcifion, therela- tions propofed that he fhould be named Zacharias, after his father; but the mo- ther informed them that his name muff be John. All the guefls wondered at this, becaufe it was a name never known in the family, and for the decifion of the affair, they applied to the father. The good man being dumb fince the appearance of the angel who prediiled the birth of the child, could not inform them, but madefigns for a writing table, and wrote His name is John. The relations wondered at this, but more at obferving the old man's dumb= nefs to ceafe from that moment, whofe voice, riling clearer and ftronger for ha- ving been fa long fuppreffed, raifed loud firains of joy and gladnefs, and lofty praifes to the God of Ifrael for his great goodnefs, in remembering and vifiting his people ; and, full of prophetic_ rapture, turning to his infant, fon, And thou child, Paid he, fiat be called the prophet of the Hight : for thoufhalt go before theface of the Lord, to prepare his ways ; to give knowledge offalvation unto his people, by the remi bon of their fins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the Dayfpring from on high bath vifbted us, to give light to' them that fit in dark- nefs, and in the fhadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Such were the circumflances which attended the birth of the forerunner of our great Re- deemer ; the report of which foon fpread through the hill country of Judea: and various were the conceptions of the people concerning the future greatnefs of the child. The infant foon grew flrong and robuff, he was remarkably fimple and ab- ftetnious in his diet, plain and carelefs in his drefs, and addihled to folitude and con- templation. Sacred hiftory gives us no information what afterwards became of his parents ; but there is a tradition that the mother fled into the deferts with her infant fon, to preferve him from the rage of Herod ; and that the father was flain in the outer court of the temple, br the or- ders of that tyrant ; . and is that Zacharias which Chrift mentions, whofe blood was fhed between the temple and the altar. CHAPTER
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