Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

come fhall destroy the city and the fanctuary; and the end thereof fhall be with a flood, and to the end of the war defolations are determined; and he fhall confirm the covenant with many for one week, and in the midft of the week he fhall caufe the facrifice and the oblation to ceafe, and for the overfpreading of abo`minations he fhall make it defolate, even until the confummation, and that determined, fhall be poured upon the defolate.

Boy. Before Chrift 520 years. In the feventh month, in the one and twentieth day (fecond year of Darius) came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, faying, Speak now to Zerubbabel, fon of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jofhua, the fon of Jofedech, the high-prieft, and to the refidue of the people, faying, Who is left among you that faw this house in her firft glory? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? yet, now be ftrong, O Zerubbabel, faith the Lord; and be ftrong, O Joshua, fon of Jofedech, the highprieft; and be ftrong, all ye people of the land, faith the Lord, and work; for I am with you, faith the Lord of Hofts, according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt; fo my fpirit remaineth among you, fear ye not. For thus faith the Lord of Hosts, Yet once, it is a little while, and I will fhake the heavens and the earth, and the fun, and the dry land; and I will fhake all nations, and the defire of all nations fhall come; and I will fill this house with glory, faith the Lord of Holts. The Silver is mine, and the gold is

mine, faith the Lord of Hofts. The glory of this latter houfe fhall be greater than of the former, faith the Lord of Holts; and in this place will I give peace, faith the Lord of Hofts. Ezra 6th chapter. Thefe are your words, O Lord; your temple was built and finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the fixth year of Darius the king, and facrifice was offered for the space of five hundred years, until it was deftroyed by the Romans under Titus. In this temple, O my God, you fulfilled and accomplished your determined decree, promised man at the fall of our first parents, made fure to Abraham that in his feed all the nations of the earth fhould be bleffed, you were pleased, my Lord, to tranfmit your bleffing to Ifaac, and after him to Jacob, you then continued it in the tribe of Judah, until David him you appointed (a poor fheep boy) king over all Ifrael, feated him on the throne of majefty, and crowned him with the diadem, placing in his hand the royal fceptre, and with him confirmed an everlafting covenant ordered in all things and fure. O my Lord, you not only crowned him with royalty by making him king, but you have raised and dignified him with the exalted title of royal prophet. His pfalms are the ineftimable treasure of your goodness, in them the prophecies are fet forth, what was to be accomplished one thousand years after, your divinity, humanity, abjection, fufferings, rejection, death, refurrrection, afcenfion, triumphantly feated on the right-hand of the infinite Majefty, reprobation of your enemies, and eterZ 4

nal

248

nal felicity of the Elect. The Pfalmift prophe, cies alfo of the chriftian facrifice and office of priesthood in the new covenant, after the fimilitude of Melchifedech, whofe offering was bread and wine. From this æra, the prophets, heralds, of thee, O Great King and Lord of the Universe, proclaim the great day of falvation, in which you. would manifeft yourself in human fish taken from a virgin. (Before Christ 742.) 17th chapter of faiah. "Behold, a virgin fhall conceive and bear a fon, and fhall call his name Immanuel, that is, God with us." gth chap. 9th chap. "For unto us a child is born, a fon is given; and the government fhall be upon his fhoulder; and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everiafting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with juftice, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform this." St. Luke 1ft. ́ chapter. And in the fixth month from the conception of St. John the Baptift, the angel Gabriel was fent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin efpoufed to a man whofe name was Jofeph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel being come in, faid to her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; bleffed art thou among women. And when fhe had heard, fhe was troubled at his faying, and thought with herfelf, what manner of falutation this fhould be. And the angel faid to her: Fear not,

Mary,

Mary, for thou haft found grace with God. Be hold, thou shall conceive in thy womb, and fhall bring forth a fon; and thou fhalt call his name Jefus. He fhall be great, and fhall be called the fon of the Moft High; and the Lord God fhall give unto Him the throne of David his father; and he fhall reign in the houfe of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there fhall be no end. And Mary faid to the angel: How fhall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her; The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High fhall over-fhadow thee; and therefore the Holy' which fhall be born of thee, fhall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy coufin Elizabeth fhe hath alfo conceived a fon in her old age; and this is the fixth month with her that is called barren, because no word fhall be impoffible with God. And Mary faid; Behold the hand-maid of the Lord, be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Ifaiah 40th chap. "Comfort ve, comfort ye my people, faith your God; fpeak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for he hath received of the Lord's hand, double for all her fins.. The voice of him that crieth in the wildernefs, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make ftraight in the defart a high way for our God. Every valley fhall be exalted, and every mountain and hill fhall be made low; and the crooked fhall be made ftraight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the Lord fhall be re

[ocr errors]

vealed,

vealed, and all flefh fhall fee the falvation of God; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Luke the 3d chapter. "Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæfar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and Philip his brother tetrarch of Iturca, and the country of Trachonitis, Lyfanias tetrarch of Abilina, under the high priefts Annas and Caiphas; the word of the Lord came to John, the son of Zachary, in the defart; and he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptifm of penance for the remiffion of fins; as it is written in the book of the words of Ifaiah the prophet; a voice of one crying in the wilderness; Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths ftraight. Every valley fhall be filled; and every mountain and hill fhall be brought low; and the crooked fhall be made ftraight, and the rough ways plain; and all flesh fhall fee the falvation of God. He faid therefore to the multitudes that came to be baptized by him; Ye offspring of vipers, who hath fhewed you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance, and do not begin to fay,

We have Abraham for our father.' For I fay to you, that God is able of thefe ftones to raise up children to Abraham. For now the axe is laid to the roots of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and caft into the fire. The office and character of St. John was by the angel Gabriel announced to Zachary, as you will fee in the ift chapter of the fame Evangelift. But the angel

« ZurückWeiter »