INTRODUCTION. Luke 1. 1-4. FORA ORASMUCH as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.3 THE GOSPEL HISTORY. CHAPTER I. The Divinity of Jesus Christ. HE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.2 TH And the Mark 1. 1. 16_18. 4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the John 1.1-5,9-14, Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.4 He5" was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the That. world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." CHAPTER II. The Birth of John the Baptist and the Birth of Jesus foretold, and the meeting of Mary and Elisabeth. THERE John 1. 6-8, 15. HERE was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same Luke 1. 5-6. came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, "This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred "before me: for he was before me."4 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord3 2 Luke 1. 6-28. " Elias. 3 ZACHARIAS.-GABRIEL. blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, "Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth "shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name 'John.'. And thou "shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For "he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from "his mother's womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn "to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of3 Elijah,5" to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and "the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people pre"pared for the Lord." And Zacharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well "stricken in years." And the angel answering said unto him, "I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak "unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou "shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things "shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall "be fulfilled in their season." And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak unto them and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless. And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, "Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on "me, to take away my reproach among men. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed "art thou women." among |