Heathens and Gentiles, but there were some good people, among them who worshipped the LORD; and the prophets had foretold that a Holy Child should be born, in whom all the families of the Earth should be blessed, by his being a Saviour to them all. And just at the time of Christ's birth, GOD had made known to some wise men in the eastern part of the world, who were also good men, though they were of a Gentile nation, that if they would follow a star, which they should see move before them in the heavens, it should lead them to a King of the Jews, to whom they were to pay homage. The wise men did as they were commanded, and took a long journey; at length, being arrived in Judea, they made inquiry, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen his Star in the East, and are come to worship him. When Herod the King heard this, he was troubled, lest the kingdom should be taken from him; so he sent for the Priests and asked them, where the Prophets had foretold that Christ should be born: they told him he would be born in Bethlehem of Judea.* On this, Herod, deceitfully, sent the wise men to Bethlehem to seek for him, saying, When ye have found the young child, bring me Map of Caan, 1 A. word, that I may go and worship him also; but he had no such design. As soon as the wise men set out from Herod, the Star appeared before them, and they followed it till it stopped directly over the house where the infant JESUS was, and they rejoiced exceedingly and though they found the Holy Child in a mean habitation, they fell down and worshipped him, and presented unto him kingly gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh; but being warned by GOD not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. Then Herod sent in a fury, and had all the young children in Bethlehem, who were under two years of age put to death, hoping amongst them to destroy the new-born King of the Jews. But Joseph had been commanded of GOD, to rise by night and depart from Bethlehem, and go into the land of Egypt,* and there abide till they were dead who sought the young Child's life. And when Herod was dead, the LORD commanded Joseph to go back to the land of Israel; and he returned with the Holy Child and his mother, and they abode in the city of Nazareth.+ * Map of Canaan, P. + Map of Canaan, 3 H. |