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It could be no easy task to remedy such crying evils; and the appearance of Jesus under such an unexpected form, using persuasion, not force, teaching mildness and gentleness, instead of the bitterness and hatred which prevailed so much at that time, was a most formidable obstacle to his being received and acknowledged as the Messiah. His doctrines were so completely new and astounding to men puffed up with their own importance, that they for some time only scoffed at his teaching. His setting the poor and the weak on an equality with the rich and strong, was necessarily unpalatable to the latter. His loving-kindness and charity for the humble, the wretched, and the suffering, had to be long witnessed and felt, before they could make a deep impression. Then his bold preaching against the pride, arrogance, and hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees, would merely enrage those whom it did not convince, and explains their increasing eagerness to get rid of so powerful and dangerous an

enemy.

Christ had a tender love for young children: he would not allow his disciples to send them away, when they were brought to him in crowds, but said

"Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Not only little children, but men and women of all ages, are blessed in having such an example and teacher as Christ. Although he is no longer with us on earth, he has left us very full instructions as to what he would wish us to become; and the more we study his life and sufferings, and the more we strive to become like him, the happier we shall be, and the fitter to give an account of every word and action, when the time shall come at which we shall be called upon to do so.

The birth of Christ was in every way miraculous. The event which immediately preceded it, was the birth of John the Baptist. There was a certain old priest named Zacharias, to whom, whilst performing the duties of his office in the temple of God-burning incense and praying—an angel of God appeared and said "Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear 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: He shall make ready a people

prepared for the Lord." As Zacharias had never had any children, it seemed so unlikely that he should have one, now that he and his wife were both quite old, that he could not believe the words of the angel. Then the angel said to him "I am the angel Gabriel, 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."

Six months after this, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary a virgin, betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The angel came to her and said "Hail! thou that art highly favoured; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women." He then told her that she should bring forth a son and call his name Jesus: "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever: And of his kingdom there shall be no end." Mary enquired of the angel how this could be, seeing that her marriage with Joseph was not yet completed. The angel answered her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the

power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God."

Soon after this promise to Mary, Elizabeth (who was Mary's cousin) was delivered of a son, and the neighbours wished him to be called Zacharias, after the name of his father, but his mother said his name should be called John. They then asked Zacharias what he should wish him to be called: Zacharias wrote down" His name is John," and immediately he recovered the use of his speech and began to prophesy of the future life of his child: he said, "Thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways: To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

These great events took place in Syria, a large country of Asia, which stretches all along the eastern side of the Mediterranean sea. The southern half

of Syria is called Palestine; and the three principal divisions of Palestine are, Galilee to the north (on the eastern side of which lies the lake of Genesereth or sea of Tiberias, through which flows the river Jordan in a southerly direction); Samaria in the centre, and Judæa to the south, in which last is situated the city of Jerusalem, containing the magnificent temple of God built by King Solomon, and rebuilt by the Jews after their return from captivity. To this city it was customary for the Jews to crowd from all parts of the country at certain times of the year, to perform their religious ceremonies. Syria had been conquered by the Romans, and was governed by a Roman governor appointed by the Emperor of Rome. At the time of Christ's birth Augustus Cæsar was emperor, and Cyrenius governor of Syria. Cæsar gave orders at this time, that all his people should pay a tax, and every one was obliged to go to the city to which he belonged, to be taxed. Joseph therefore left the city of Nazareth in Galilee, where he was living, and went with his wife Mary into Judæa, to a city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of David.

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