LIFE OF JESUS.

IN

PART FIRST.

N the reign of Herod, King of Judea, there was a certain priest named Zechariah, of the family of Abijah ;* and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Jewish law. And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were well stricken in years. But as Zechariah executed the priest's office, in the order of his course, it fell to him, by lot, to offer incense in the temple at Jerusalem, according to the custom of the priesthood; and a multitude of people were praying in the courts without, at the time of incense. And, as Zechariah entered the holy place, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right of the altar of incense, and Zechariah was troubled at the sight, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said, "Fear not, Zechariah, for thy prayer is heard. Thy wife, Elizabeth,

* I Chronicles xxiv. 10.

shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name John. He shall give thee joy and gladness, and many will rejoice because of his birth. He will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, but be filled with the holy spirit from his mother's womb; and many of the children of Israel will he turn to the Lord their God. He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, making ready a people fit for the Lord."*

In the order of his course. The priesthood was divided by David into twenty-four courses. The several courses began on the Sabbath, and each served for one week. The course of Abijah was the eighth in order, and its service began in the fourth month of the Jewish year, answering to our July. John, therefore, would seem to have been born about the month of May, and Jesus some six months later; probably in September or October.

It fell to him by lot to offer incense. — The various duties of the priests were divided among them by lot. By the first lot was designated who should cleanse the outside of the altar; by the second, who should sacrifice the lamb, sprinkle the blood, and burn and scatter the incense; and by the third, who should ascend the high altar, and lay upon it the members of the victim. Only the High Priest, who belonged to no particular order, was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and Zechariah, therefore, must have been in the Holy Place, or the Sanctuary, in which incense was burned, and the people in the court without, probably in "the court of the women.”

Nor strong drinh. The common wine of Palestine is not intoxicating, and is drunk freely by all classes of people. The strong drink here referred to, was probably a distillation of

* Malachi iv. 5, 6.

AN ANGEL APPEARS TO ZECHARIAH.

27

And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? I am an old man, and my wife is well stricken in years." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel, who stand in the presence of God, and I am sent to declare to thee these glad tidings; and because thou hast not trusted my words, which will be fulfilled in their season, thou shalt be silent, and not able to speak, till these things are accomplished."

And the people without waited for Zechariah, and wondered that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out he could not speak; but they knew that he had seen a vision; for he made signs to them, though he remained speechless. And when the time. of his ministration at the temple was ended, he returned to his own house, in the hill-country of Judea.

After this his wife Elizabeth conceived, and kept her condition secret for five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, taking away my reproach among men, at the time of his appointment."

corn, apples, honey, or dates, all of which drinks were in use among the Jews at this time. The East Indians have a liquor they call sikkir, which is made by steeping fresh dates in water till it is sweetened; and this is highly intoxicating. From this comes our name cider, and this is supposed to be the strong drink referred to in the text. All fermented liquors were prohibited to the Nazarites and to the Priests during the week they officiated in the temple.

I am Gabriel.—This name denotes, in Hebrew, "The might of the strong God." He was the angel who, five hundred years before, appeared to Daniel, with tidings of the coming Messiah.

My reproach among men. The Jewish women regarded it as a peculiar happiness to be the lawful mother of children, See Isa. iv. 1; xliv. 3, 4; Lev. xxvi. 9.

And in Elizabeth's sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, who was of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel entering in, said to Mary, "Hail, thou who art highly favored! The Lord is with thee. Most blessed art thou among women!" And Mary was troubled at the sight of the angel and at his words, and cast in her mind what the salutation could mean. But the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And, lo! thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."* Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I know not a man?" And the angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon thee, and the power of the Highest will overshadow thee, so that the holy thing which shall be born of thee will be the Son of God. And, lo! Elizabeth, thy kinswoman, she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing is impossible." And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me as thou hast said,” And the angel left her.

Then Mary departed in haste, and went into the hill-country, to a town of Juda, and entering the house

Hill-country-The mountain region near Jerusalem. Rob* Micah iv. 7.

MARY VISITS ELIZABETH.

29

of Zechariah, saluted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard her salutation, the babe leaped in her womb; and being filled with the Holy Spirit she cried out, with a loud voice, "Most blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb! And whence is this that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo! as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believes that what has been told her by the Lord will be accomplished." Then Mary said,*

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.

For he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden and lo! from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

:

For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name.

And His mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to generation.

He has made strong his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.

inson supposes Fuda to be a softened form of Juta, or Juttah, a city of the priests in the neighborhood of Carmel. It is about sixty miles from Nazareth, and still exists under the

same name.

* See Psalm xxxlv, 3. 1 Sam. ii. 2 10 2. Sam. vii, 26.