is born, 14-—3. An Ange! appearing to the | {0 them his Birth ; for which the Arzels praiſe God with a Tint, g9—1$g. Tye Shepherds go to Bety/:m to fre Chrilt, and faving found him , they make thu buown, 15—19., The Syepherds rotarn: ing, glorifie, 20. The Circurcifion of the Child, he is catle! }2- ſus, 21. and us preſented to God. 22—2g Simem tabins rim nt his Arms, bleſſeth him, and Propi*/ieth concerning hum, 26-—28. likewiſe Anna, 35—39. Hs Parents g:i1; up to jerajaſen, carr;
him with chem, being twelve years ola, 45- -qz. fe dilpm oth witis the Doftors in the Temple. 45—33. Returneth to XNitaret 7, and
is ſubjet to his Parents, and increaſeth in #ijanm, St tur? und Grace, 5l, 52. : ; I ND it came to paſs in thote days, that there went out a decree from Grzſar Auguſtus, that all the world ſhould be taxed ||. : Or, exrol: 2 And this taxing was firſt made when Cyrenius was j,4 *
governour of Syria.
3 Andall went to be taxed, every one into his own City.
Ofavins Caſar, (called Auguſtus, for his proſperous atchieve-
ments,) was the firſt Roman Emperor properly fo called, (for 7:47:15 Ceſar had but the Title of Perpetual Difator) in the forty f-cond year of whoſe Reign Chriſt was Born. Fijephus fzith, in 142 0: and thirtieth year, Antiq. Cap. 10. Herod the Great being ar 11150 tine King of Fudea (being ſo declared by the Senate of Rome near torty years before.) It was the Cuſtom of the Romans to talre 2. particu lar account of the Numbers, and Qualities of ail Perions, 1n1491t- ing Countries under their juriſdiction, in order to the Jaying 0! Taxes upon them, About the time of the Birth of Chritt, there wi 2 Decree ifſued from the Roman Emperor for furh a Cerſrte, Or 4cr count tobe taken of the Jews {who fore think are here only vu deritood by the Term, all the World ) others think, that 1% was 3 Decree which reached all that part of the Worid wiiich was inject to the Roman Emperor. This truſt -it ſecmet!i was mire Cyrenius Governour of Syria ; whether he was 3t Tat time GUIT nour, or afterwards made Governour, and at tits time only a Comn- miſſioner for this buſineſs, is not agreeu. Fhat this Cyrenzys Was the ſame whom the Roman Eiſtorians call Ns ine, 15 pretty Welt
: nent. tes 5 al fot home agreed, Great indeavours are uſed t9 recorctic what Luke faith gre;
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ed as to thoſe tings,
ina Manger. God (by this) teaching all Chriſtians ro deſpiſe the highand gay things of this Worid, he who, tho he was in the form of God, and thought it no Robbery to he equal with the Father thus ma- ling himſelf of no Reputation—and being found in faſhion of a Man, thus humbling himſelf, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Phil. 2.6, 7, 8.
- 'hepherd, Jon, 1G, x, © _
I, ye. L ©
at this timc the Preſident of Syria : (Thoſe who d:fire to be ſatisfi-
may read Mr, Pool's Sympſts Criticoruu upon *iis Text, 77c. ) Where Civil Hiltortans differ from whayi we have 1 Bcly Writ, we are obijged to believe them miſtaken, not the Pon vn of Holy Writ, who were guided by an infallible Spirit Leaving th.reforethoſe Diſputes,and in what ſenſe this Cenſ#s is cal-
1c the firſt, or is faid to be firſt begun, when Cyrenizs or Quirin!#s
was retident { as being of no great Concern, for other H:ſtorians Eraii ririnis at this time a Commiſſioner with Cairns Ceſar, and \ithio fen Years after Preſident, in Succettfion to Varys.)lct us rather liezein obſerve the wonderful Providence of God in the ordering of things for the fu filling of his Word, while we think of no ſuch things, to which purp ſe doubtleſs this is premiſed by the Evangeliſt, Ac: cording to tize Counfelof God deciared by his Prophets, Micah. 542. Chriſt was to be Þ rn at Berhlehem, a City of Judea ; ſo the Citof Prieits and Scribes tell Herod, Matth. 2. 5. Maiy his Mother. and Fyeph his ſuppoſed Father, lived at a great diſtance from Bethle- kemin Nazaieth a Ciry of Galilee. God fo crdereth 1t, that tic Riman Empoinur (urder whoſe Power the Jews were at this time } orders a numbering of all his Subjects, cirher in all ins Domimons 4t tac {7,40 time, or at leaſt in Jud2a, and an Account to be taken of tEcir Perſons and Qaaiities, 11 order tothe laying Taxcs upon tem, to defray the Charges of the Empire. The Account of the Jews be- ing to be taken according to their Trives, thoſe who belonged to ea: h Tribe, were ordered io convene 1n the chicf City belonging to the Tribe of which ;hey were. Joſepb and Mary wer. bot of tie Tribe of 'n4ah, This Occaſion brings them both to Betalehem, being the chief City of thcir Tribe, to meet the Emperor's Commitione 's. So Chriſt came to be born in Bethlehem, according to the Word of the Lore.from which a Titfle ſhall not fail ; and /atile Bethlehem becomes not the leaſt amongſt the thouſands of Jadah, one coming out of it to be a Ruler in Tjrael, whoſe goings were of 0d even 'irom everlaſting.
4 And Joleph alſo went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of *Tob. 7. 42. * David, which is called Bethlchem, beeauſe he was 1Sam. 16.4+
of the houſe and linage of David,
5 Tobe taxed with Mary his eſpouſed wife, being
great with child.
6 Ai:d fo it was, that while they were there, the
days were accompliſhed that ſhe ſhould be delivered.
This was th- Orcation of Jofeph's coming to Bethlehem, who either
ſor fear of #94, or for the convenience of his Trade, (tho he be-