in her father's house, and afterwards,
being devoted to the service of the Lord,
shall not depart from the temple,
till she arrive to years of discretion.
4 In a word, she shall there
serve the Lord night and day in
fasting and prayer, shall abstain
from every unclean thing, and
never know any man;
5 But, being an unparalleled instance
without any pollution or defilement,
and a virgin not knowing any man,
shall ring forth a son, and a maid
shall bring forth the Lord, who
both by his grace and name and works,
shall be the Saviour of the world.
6 Arise therefore, and go up to
Jerusalem, and when you shall
come to that which is called the
golden gate (because it is gilt with
gold), as a sign of what I have told
you, you shall meet your husband,
for whose safety you have been so
much concerned.
7 When therefore you find these
things thus accomplished, believe
that all the rest which I have told
you, shall also undoubtedly be
accomplished.
8 According therefore to the
command of the angel, both of
them left the places where they
were, and when they came to the
place specified in the angels
prediction, they met each other.
9 Then, rejoicing at each other's
vision, and being fully satisfied in
the promise of a child, they gave
due thanks to the Lord, who exalts
the humble.
10 After having praised the
Lord, they returned home, and
lived in a cheerful and assured
expectation of the promise of God.
11 So Anna conceived, and
brought forth a daughter, and,
according to the angel's command,
the parents did call her name Mary.
CHAPTER IV.
1 Mary brought to the temple at three years old.
6 Ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle.
8 Her parents sacrifice and return home.
AND when three years were
expired, and the time of her
weaning complete, they brought
the Virgin to the temple of the
Lord with offerings.
2 And there were about the
temple, according to the fifteen
Psalms of degrees, fifteen stairs
to ascend.
3 For the temple being built in
a mountain, the altar of burnt-
offering, which was without, could
not be come near but by stairs;
4 The parents of the blessed
Virgin and infant Mary put her
upon one of these stairs;
5 But while they were putting
off their clothes, in which they had
travelled, and according to custom
putting on some that were more
neat and clean,
6 In the mean time the Virgin
of the Lord in such a manner went
up all the stairs one after another,
without the help of any to lead her
or lift her, that any one would have
judged from hence, that she was of
perfect age.
7 Thus the Lord did, in the
infancy of his Virgin, work this
extraordinary work, and evidence by
this miracle how great she was like
to be hereafter.
8 But the parents having offered
up their sacrifice, according to the
custom of the law, and perfected
their vow, left the Virgin with
other virgins in the apartments of
the temple, who were to be brought
up there, and they returned home.
CHAPTER V.
2 Mary ministered unto by angels.
4 The high priest orders all virgins of fourteen
years old to quit the temple and endeavour to be married.
5 Mary refuses,
6 having vowed her virginity to the Lord.
7 The high-priest commands a meeting of the chief persons
of Jerusalem,
11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter.
13 A voice from the mercy-seat.
15 The high-priest obeys it by ordering all the unmarried
men of the house of David to bring their rods to the altar,
17 that his rod which should flower, and on which the
Spirit of God should sit, should betroth the Virgin.
BUT the Virgin of the Lord, as
she advanced in years, increased
also in perfections, and according
to the saying of the Psalmist,
her father and mother forsook her,
but the Lord took care of her.
2 For she every day had the
conversation of angels, and every
day received visitors from God,
which preserved her from all sorts
of evil, and caused her to abound
with all good things;
3 So that when at length she
arrived to her fourteenth year, as
the wicked could not lay any thing
to her charge worthy of reproof,
so all good persons, who were
acquainted with her, admired her
life and conversation.
4 At