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 flesh taken from a virgin. (Before Chrift 742.) 17th chapter of Ifaiah." Behold, a virgin fhall conceive and bear a fon, and shall call his name Immanuel, that is, God with us." 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 Everlasting 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 justice, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform this." St. Luke ift. chapter. "And in the fixth month from the conception of St. John the Baptist, the angel Gabriel was fent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused 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 she had heard, fhe was troubled at his faying, and thought with herself, 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 fhall 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 son of the Most High; and the Lord God fhall give unto Him the throne of David his father; and he fhall reign in the house 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, faid to her; The Holy Ghoft fhall come upon thee, and the power of the Moft 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 ye, 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 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 baptism 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 shall be made ftraight, and the rough ways plain; and all flefh 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 say, We have Abraham for our father.' For I fay to you, that God is able of thefe ftones to raife 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 1ft chapter of the fame Evangelift. But the angel faid to him, Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth fhall bear thee a fon, and thou fhalt call his name John; and thou fhalt have joy and gladnefs, and many fhall rejoice at his birth. For he fhall be great before the Lord; and fhall drink no wine, nor ftrong drink; and he fhall be filled with the Holy Ghoft, even from his mother's womb: and he fhall convert many of the children of Ifrael to the Lord their God: and he thali go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, that he may turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the juft, to prepare for the Lord a perfect people." Ifaiah 11th chapter. "And there fhall come forth a rod out of the ftem of Jeffe, and a branch fhall grow out of his roots. And the spirit of the Lord fhall reft upon him, the fpirit of wisdom. and understanding, the fpirit of council and might, the fpirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord; and fhall make him of quick underftanding in the fear of the Lord: and he fhall not judge after the fight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteoufnefs fhall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and hefhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips fhall he flay the wicked. And righteoufnefs fhall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. (Before Chrift 606.) Jeremiah 31ft. chap. "How long wilt thou go about, O thou backfliding daughter? for the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman fhall compafs a man. a man. And in the 33d chapter. Behold the days come faith the Lord, that I will raife unto David a righteous Branch, and a King fhall reign and profper, and fhall execute judgment and juftice in the earth. In thy days Judah fhall be faved, and Ifrael fhall dwell fafely: and this is his name whereby he fhall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. Before Chrift 519. Zachariah 3d chapter. Hear now, O Joshua, the high-prieft, thou, and thy fellows that fit before thee, for they are men wondered at; for, behold, I will bring forth my fervant the Branch: for behold the ftone that I have laid before Joshua, upon one stone fhall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, faith the Lord of Hofts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. Your great law-giver, Mofes, in his book of Numbers, 24th chapter, relates Balaam's prophecy, in which the Meffiah is clearly referred to. I fhall fee him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh; there fhall come a ftar out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Ifrael. This prophecy, with the prophecy of Jeremiah, 21ft chapter. Thus faith the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted. Also, Micah, 5th chapter. Now gather thyfelf in troops, O daughter of troops; he hath laid fiege against us, they fhall fmite the judge of Ifrael with a rod upon the cheek. But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands |