To a lot of shepherds, who guarded their flocks by night in the pastures near Bethlehem, a choir of angels presented themselves, telling them, with songs of thanksgiving, that the Saviour of Mankind was born into the world. The shepherds ran to the spot where the angels had directed them, and beheld the infant Saviour in the manger. A star, also, at the same time appeared in the heavens, but afar off, standing over Parthia, which guided the magi during a long and tiresome journey, or pilgrimage, of many months, to his presence. During this period the Virgin gave the name of Jesus to the child, as appointed by the Angel of the Lord, at the fortieth day after his birth, as the law required, in the temple. The child was received by an aged, pious old man, at Jerusalem, named Simeon, and it had been revealed to him that he should not die before he had seen Christ the Lord; therefore Christ had been long expected for the redemption of Israel. He saluted the child with a hymn of holy exultation, blessing God, and saying, "Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." And at this period there was a prophetess, a pious woman, who proclaimed to the people at Jerusalem that the Deliverer was born. On the conclusion of the ceremony, Joseph and Mary retired with the child to Bethlehem, for their place of residence. At this time there arrived a considerable number of strangers into the capital at Jerusalem, for the purpose, they declared, of paying homage to a child which had thus been born King of the Jews.

These sayings so astonished the Jews, and also King Herod himself, that St. Matthew says the king

was troubled as well as the whole Jewish people ; and, to save his now tottering throne, he determined on the cruel expedient to put to death every child up to two years old that his band of assassins could find in Bethlehem, and for several miles round it. He kept the assassins at Jerusalem in readiness against the magi, or strangers, should return, to inform him, as they were commanded, and exactly to state where the child was, that he, King Herod, might go and do him homage. Herod was defeated in his wicked design, for it appears that, as soon as the magi had arrived at Mary's dwelling, and had presented their gifts, and paid homage to the child, they were warned of God, in a dream, that they should not return to Herod; and the very meteor that guided them through the city to the spot now changed its course, and conducted them home by a different route. This disappointment so increased the jealousy of Herod, that he dispatched the army of assassins to perpetrate this tragical deed; but before they could arrive at the dwelling of the heaven-born prince in Bethlehem, a vision appeared, and instructed Joseph to leave instantly, and take with him Mary and the child, and flee into Egypt.

JOSEPH AND

MARY'S

FLIGHT

INTO

EGYPT.

O

This execrable massacre was not permitted to pass unpunished, for Herod was in five days smitten with a disease that caused him often the most excruciating sufferings. He died, and left his dominions between his three sons, viz., to his son Archelaus, Judea, Idumea, and Samaria; to Philip, Auronetus, Tracondus, Panea, and Batnea; and to Herod Antipas, Galilee and Petræa.

A. D. 3

Fifty-fourth
Medal.

Joseph and Mary's flight into Egypt.

Joseph, hearing of the will of Herod, that he had demised Judea to Archelaus, and hearing of his cruel disposition, went to reside at his original dwelling-place, Nazareth being now in the dominions of Herod Antipas, where he resided unobserved and unmolested.

In a few years, the Jews revolted against the dissolute conduct of Archelaus, and, to make good the

A. D. 12.

A. D. 14.

dying prophecy of Jacob, that the sceptre should pass from the hands of the Jews, the Roman Emperor Augustus thought this circumstance of revolt an excellent opportunity to reduce Palestine to the condition of a province; he therefore deposed Archelaus, and banished him to Vienne, in Gaul, and placed the dominions under the superintendence of a Roman procurator, which deprived the Jews of even a shadow of independence.

Such was the political state of the country when the child Jesus had been residing with Joseph and his mother at Nazareth nearly twelve years, unobserved.

This year was the great festival of the Passover at Jerusalem, when Jesus went up with Joseph and his mother to attend it, and amid the labyrinths of the building they lost Jesus, and searched for him in the greatest dismay; but at last they found him sitting in the hall of the Sanhedrim, conversing with them in the most learned discourses, and propounding to them problems.

The mother Mary very gently rebuked him for giving them such uneasiness, when he made use of these memorable words :-"Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business."

Jesus followed his mother to Nazareth, and resided with her nine more years, and, it is supposed, worked at the trade of his reputed father.

At this period Marcus Ambivius was appointed the Roman governor of Judea.

This year, to the great grief of the Romans and others, the Emperor Augustus died, and was succeeded by Tiberius, the son of his former or first wife, a prince possessed with very different disposi

tion, and who immediately removed the management of Judea from the hands of Rufus to the charge of Gratius, and afterwards to Pontius Pilate. This did not take place until the year 31 A.D.

Very little of importance occurred during the last sixteen years either in Rome or Judea; but in the year thirty-two, John the Baptist began to preach, and until that period since his birth no particular historical account had been found of him; only St. Luke mentions that the child grew, and was strengthened in spirit; but a bishop of Constantinople, a sound theologian, as well as Jerome, who was a Greek scholar, believed that John was brought up from his infancy in the Wilderness, being clothed with a camel's hair garment, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and at the latter end of the year thirty-one, or the beginning of thirty-two, John began his ministry by preaching the coming of the Messiah and repentance in the country all about and along the river Jordan. In fact, all the information we have concerning John, from the time of his birth to that of his public appearance is contained in the few following words which St. Luke says, And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his showing into Israel. The dispensation of St. John was, like many others with the prophets, quite miraculous; he was there estranged from the lucre of the world, and under the tuition of heaven. He induced numerous of his hearers to confess their sins, and baptized them in the river Jordan, but at the same time exhorting them to believe in Jesus, who was coming after

A.D. 13.