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now born; and this Star directed us to Judea to feek for him, and we are come to pay him Homage.

3. Upon this Enquiry made by the wife Men, King Herod, who was a Foreigner,

and had been cruel and arbitrary, and feared that he fhould lose his Kingdom, if that great Prince, of whom he knew the Nation had a general Expectation, were now born; was extreamly troubled and difturbed. And all Jerufalem likewise, was greatly moved at the ftrangenefs of the Enquiry.

4. But Herod to fatisfie himself more fully, calls for the Chief Priests and Teachers of the People, and enquires of them, Where the Meffiah, whom they expected, was to be born.

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5. They told him, in Bethlehema Town of Judea 3 For fo the Prophet Micah had foretold,in these words, (Micah 5.2.)

6. And thou Bethlehem in in the Land of Juda, though thou beeft but a small City, yet art thou by no means the leaft bonourable among the Principalities of Judah; for out of thee shall arife a Governour, that fhall rule my people Ifrael.

7. Herod at this answer being now more confirmed in his Sufpicion, that the Child Jefus was defigned to be Prince and King of the Jews, refolved (if poffible) to prevent it by destroying him; and that this his wicked defign might not miscarry by being discover'd too foon,he contrives Means to conceal the cruel purpose under the pretence of Piety. Calling therefore the wife Men fecretly to him, he enquires of them the exact time of the Stars appearing:

8. And fends them to Bethlehem, faying, Go search carefully for the Young Child; and when you have found him, come and bring

me word

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7 Then Herod,

when he had privily called the wise men, ligently what time the star appeared.

enquired of them di

8 And he fent them to Bethlehem,

and faid, Go, and fearch diligently for the young child, and when ye have found bim, bring me word

again, that I may come and worship

him alfo.

9 When they had

alfo may go and do obeilance to him.

heard the king, they
departed, and lo, the
Atar which they faw
in the eaft, went bey
fore them, till it
came and flood over
where the young

child was,

10 When they faw the ftar, they rejoyced with exceeding great joy.

9. The wife Men,not fufpecting the King's wicked Intentions, went accordingly to feek for the Child: And affoon as they were out of the City, the Star,which they had at firft seen in the Eaft, appeared to them again, and conducted them to the Place where the Child Jefus was.

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10. This appearing of the Star to them again, affured them of the continuance of the divine Affistance and Direction, and filled their Hearts with exceeding great Joy.

11 ¶ And when. Entring therefore the they were come into the house, they faw

the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they prefented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and inyrrhe.

House, to which the Star had guided them, they found the Child with his Mother Mary; and they fell down and worshipped him, and prefented him with the choiceft Products of their Eaftern Country; with Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrhe,

12 When

12. When they had done this, they prepared to re turn again unto Herod; but God, to prevent the cruel Designs of the King, commanded them in a Dream not to go back to him, but to return Home to their own Country by another way. 13. The wife Men being thus fent Home, and Herod disappointed of his expected Information; an Angel appeared to Jofeph in a Dream, to acquaint him with Herod's defign of killing the Child, and to command him to flee with the Child and his Mother into Egypt, and to abide there till he fhould have notice given him when he might fafely return. 1 14. Jofeph, upon this warning, flees into Egypt by Night, with Mary and the Child

15. And there he continued till the death of Herod. Whereby were remarkably accomplished thofe Words of the Prophet Hofea, which under the Type of the

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Egypt have I called

iny fon.

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16 Then He

Children of Ifrael had their
principal refpect to Chrift;
Out of Egypt have I called my
Son, (Hof. 11: 1.)

16. In the mean time

rod, when he faw Herod finding that the wife

that he was mocked

of the wife

men,was

exceeding wroth,and fent forth, and flew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coafts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had

diligently enquired of the wife men.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was fpoken by Jeremy the prophet, faying,

18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and

weeping, and great

.

Men had deceived him, and were gone Home, fell into a great Rage; and to make fure that the Child fhould not escape him, he commanded all the Children under two Years old, that were in Bethlehem and the neigh bouring Villages,to be flain; having gathered from his Conference with the wife Men, that Jefus could not yet be arrived at that Age. 17. Then were accomplifhed thofe Words of the Prophet Jeremy (Jer. 31. 15.)

18. In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and great mourning; mourning, Rachel Rachel weeping for her Chilu weeping for her children, and would not be comdren, and would not forted, because they are not.

be comforted, be

cause they are not.

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19. Not

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