Page 78 - Third Book of Reading Lessons

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Joseph, to whom she had been espoused, were both of the royal house of David. Scarcely had our Lord been born, when he showed that he came not to reign amidst earthly wealth and magni cence, although it was I e, to whom every knee should bend. For when God " bringeth his rst-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God adore .him."­
( b. i. 6.)
3. This happy event was rst announced to shep­ herds, who were keeping their night-watches at Beth­ lehem; and to them-the poor-the Gospel was rst preached. From the poor also were they chosen, who were sent rth to bear to the nations the tidings of salvation; that all, who had eyes to see, might see, that God chooses the weak ones of this world r his mighty works, and that not om human prudence or human labour, but om him, come all wisdom, all power, and all grace.
4. According to the Mosaic law, the divine In nt was cfrcumcised on the eighth day after his birth, and was named Jesus. And when the days of puri­ cation were ended, and his mother appeared in the temple with her Son, a venerable and devout man, named Simeon, prophesied, that he should be placed r the resurrection of many, and as a sign to be contradicted. Then came kings om distant lands in the east, and inquired in Jerusalem r the new­
born King of the Jews. Hereupon, Herod trembled, and all Jerusalem with him, and, to free himself om his ars, he resolved upon the murder of the innocents. All the male children of two ears of age and under, in Bethlehem, and around it, were
slain. But Jesus was taken, by the command of God, into Egypt, where he remained until the death
READING LESSONS.
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