a People prepared for the Lord. 17 which appeared fo remarkable in that cele- SECT.3. And Zacharias then faid to the Angel, By 18 And the Angel anfwering, faid unto him, 19 GOD, (8) To convert the Hearts of the Fathers, with thofe of the Children; Eisgefaι nagSias WaTepav ETTI Terra ] Here is a plain Allusion to Mal. iv. 6. where it is faid, (as we render it,) that Elijah fhall turn the Heart of the Fathers to the Children, and the Heart of the Children to their Fathers: by masa, which the Seventy render, xapSixv walpos wpos vov; in which Words it is quoted Ecclus. xlviii. 10. but St. Luke's Verfion feems as agreeable to the Hebrew. I thought Sir Norton Knatchbull's Reason fufficient to justify my rendering it as I have done; which is juft as our Tranflators have rendered the like Phrafe, judith ix. IO. δελον επ' αρχοντι, και αρχοντα επι θεραπούλι, the Servant with the Prince, and the Prince with the Servant. But as Mr. L'Enfant, and others, not without fome Probability, render it, to reconcile Fathers and Children, supposing it may relate to domestick Diffentions, infeparable from the Variety of Religious Sects then amongst the fews; I was willing to comprehend that Senfe in my Paraphrafe.-Sir Norton Knatchbull's Manner of Pointing the laft Claufe of the Verfe, appeared to me fo elegant, that I could not but follow it. Elfner would render it nearly in the fame Senfe, By the Wisdom of the Juft, to prepare the Difobedient as a People furnished for the Lord, or formed for him. (Compare Ifai. xlii. 7. Septuag.) See Elfner. Obferv. vol. i. pag. 170,–173. Elfiner. Obferv. VOL. I. C (b) From 18 SECT. 3. GOD, and near the Throne of his Majefty, as one of the chief Officers in his celeftial Luke 1.19. Court; of whofe Appearance to Daniel, thou haft fo frequently read: (Dan. viii. 16. ix. 21.) and it is by a peculiar Favour, that I am now fent to speak to thee, in this Form of unusual Condefcenfion, and to tell thee thefe joyful Tidings. My very Appearance ought therefore to have been owned, as a fufficient Confirmation of the Truth of my Message; especially by thee, who canst not but know, how frequently in Ifrael, the most illuftrious Perfons have been raised up from Parents, who 20 had long been barren (b). And fince thou doft not acquiefce in this, GoD will give thee a Sign; which, while it confirms thy Faith, fhall also intimate his Difpleasure against this finful Mixture of Unbelief: For behold, thou shalt from this Moment be filent, and unable to speak any more, till the Day in which thefe Things shall be accomplished, even till the Day in which the Child fhall be born; because thou haft not immediately believed my Words, which yet, thro' the Divine Indulgence and Favour to thee, Shall be affuredly fulfilled in their Season, that is, as foon as thou canft reasonably expect, after thy Return Home. Zacharias should be dumb, till the Birth of his Son. Prefence of GOD; and am fent to speak unto thee, and to fhew thee these glad Tidings. 20 And behold, thou fhalt be dumb, and not able to thefe Things fhall be perspeak, until the Day that formed, because thou believest not my Words, which fhall be fulfilled in their Sea fon. 21 And the People waited for Zacharias, and marin the Temple. velled that he tarried fo long (b) From Parents, who had long been barren.] Zacharias, being fo pious a Priest, could not but often have read the Account, which the Scripture gives, of the Birth of Ifaac, Jacob, Jofeph, Samfon, Samuel, &c. who were all defcended from Mothers that had been long barren. The Refemblance in Circumftances might well have produced a peculiar Regard to them; and one would have imagined, he muft immediately have recollected the Story of the Angel's Appearance to Manoah in particular, when the fame Scene was acted over before his own Eyes, and fome of the fame Expresfions used by the celeftial Meffenger. Compare Judges xiii. 2,-14. (i) So long in the Temple.] All that is here recorded, might have pafs'd in 'a few Mi nutes: Elizabeth's Conception, and Retirement. 22 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 beckened unto them, and remained fpeechless. 23 And it came to pass, that as foon as the Days of. complished, he departed to his Miniftration were ac his own House. 24 And after these Days his Wife Elizabeth con Months, faying, 19 yond the usual Time: For he ftaid a while SECT. 3. as this extraordinary Circumftance required. And after this Appearance of the Angel 23 And quickly after these Days were ended, 24 ceived, and hid herself five Elizabeth his Wife conceived, according to the Prediction of the Angel; and apprehending her Condition, the concealed herself five Months in an obscure Retirement; not only that her Conception might more certainly appear, but chiefly, that the might enjoy Opportunity for those extraordinary Devotions, which this wonderful Favour of Providence demanded: Nor could fhe, under fuch a Circumstance, refrain from faying, 25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the Days wherein he looked on me, to The most solemn Acknowledgments well 25 looked nutes: It feems probable therefore, that, fince the People took Notice of his continuing fo much longer than ordinary in the Holy Place, he spent fome Time in fecret Devotion, where, in a Mixture of holy Affections rifing on fo great and extraordinary an Occafion, he might easily forget how faft the Moments pafs'd away. (k) Deaf and dumb.] As xwoos fignifies deaf, (Mat. xi. 5. Mark vii. 32, 37. ix. 25.. and Luke vii. 22.) as well as dumb, (Mat. ix. 33. xii. 22. xv. 31. and Luke xi. 14.) fo it is plain from ver. 62. that Zacharias loft his Hearing, with his Speech, during this Interval. C 2 (1) My 20 SECT. 3. Reflections on the Appearance looked down upon me, to take away my Re- to take away my Reproach proach of Barrennefs among Men (1). For among Men. Luke I. 25. Barrennefs was accounted a peculiar Re proach among the Jews, who looked upon ว Ver. 6. Ver. 13. Ver. 12. Ho IMPROVEMENT. W amiable is the Character of this pious Pair, who were found walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, blameless! May our Behaviour be thus unblameable, and our Obedience thus fincere, and univerfal! And let those, whose Office leads them nearer to GoD than others, remember their peculiar Obligation to imitate fuch an Example. Let us obferve with Pleasure, that the Prayers, which fuch Worshippers offer, come up with Acceptance before GOD; to whom no coftly Perfume is fo fweet, as the Fragrancy of a Character like this. An Anfwer of Peace was here returned, when the Cafe feemed to be most helpless. Let us learn to wait patiently for the Lord, and leave it to his own infinite Wisdom to chufe the Time, and Manner, in which he shall appear for us. Zacharias, accuftomed as he was to converfe with the GoD of Heaven, was nevertheless, as we fee, thrown into great Confternation, at the Appearance of his Angelic Meffenger. And may we notregard (1) My Reproach among Men.] That Barrenness was fo amongst the Jews, appears froni Gen. xxx. 23. 1 Sam. i. 11. Isa. iv. 1. liv. 1, 4. and many other Paffages. That a Branch of the Family of Aaron fhould fail, would also be looked upon as a particular Calamity, and might, by ignorant and uncharitable People, be interpreted as a Judgment; and fo much the rather, confidering the many Promifes GOD had made, to increase the Families of his obedient People. Exod. xxxii. 13. Lev. xxvi. 9. Deut. vii. 13. and Pfal. cxxvii. 3, 4, 5.—I will here digrefs fo far as to obferve, that confidering how the whole Jewish Policy was interwoven with thofe Acts of Religion which were to be performed by the Priests alone, it might feem wonderful, that no Provision at all should be made for intailing the Priesthood on any other Family, if that of Aaron fhould happen to be extinct. Leaving this Contingency unprovided for, was in Effect putting the whole Credit of the Jewish Religion upon the perpetual. Continuance of the Male Branches of that Family: An Iffue, on which no Man of Mofes's Prudence, nor indeed of common Sense, would have refted his Legiflation, if he had not been truly conscious of its Divine Original; especially after Two of Aaron's Four Sons, had been cut off in one Day, for a rash Act in the Execution of their Offices. as foon as they were initiated into it, and died without any Children. Numb. iii. 4. of the Angel to Zacharias. 21 regard it therefore, as an Inftance of the Goodness, as well as Wif- SECT. 3. dom of GOD, that he determines, that the Services, which these Heavenly Spirits render us, fhould be generally invifible ?-It is delightful to obferve that amiable Condefcenfion, with which Gabriel, Ver. 13, 19. the Courtier of Heaven, behaved on this Occafion. Let it teach us, with Pleasure to pursue the humbleft Offices of Duty, and Love, which God may affign us, towards any of our Fellow-Servants, even in the lowest Stations. Happy was the holy Baptist, in being employed in this blessed Ver. 17.Work, of preparing Men's Hearts to receive a Saviour, and reducing the Difobedient to the Wisdom of the Just. May we be infpired with fome Degree of Zeal like his, in our proper Sphere, to pursue so noble a Defign! We fee, in the Inftance of Zacharias, that fome Remainders of Ver. 18, 20. Unbelief may be found, even in a faithful Heart: Let us guard against them, as remembering, they will be displeasing to God, and hurtful to ourfelves.-And to conclude; when Providence favours us with any peculiarly gracious Interpofitions, let us attentively remark the Hand of GOD in them; and let religious Retirement leave Ver. 24Room, for ferious Recollection, and devout Acknowledgments. SECT. IV. The Angel Gabriel is fent to the Virgin Mary, to inform her of the Conception of CHRIST by her, in which fshe humbly acquiefces. Luke L. 26,--38. LUKE I. 26. AND in the fixth Month, the Angel Gabriel was fent from GOD, unto a City of Galilee, named Nazareth, LUKE I. 26. IN the fixth Month after Elizabeth had SECT. 4. conceived, the fame Angel Gabriel, who had been the Meffenger of fuch good News Luke I. 26. to Zacharias, was fent from GOD, to a small and inconfiderable City of Galilee, which was 27 To.a Virgin, espoused called Nazareth (a); Being charged with an important Commiffion to a Virgin, who to was (a) Nazareth.] A City in the Tribe of Zabulon, which was reduced to fo low and: contemptible a Condition, that no good Thing was expected from thence. John i. 46. 2 (b) She 27 |