William Wake

“ The Lord is with thee, and thou
shalt conceive:
12 To which she replied, What!
shall I conceive by the living God
and bring forth as all other
women do?
13 But the angel returned
answer, Not so, O Mary, but the
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee;
14 Wherefore that which shall
be born of thee shall be holy,
and shall be called the Son of the
Living God, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus; for he shall save his
people from their sins.
15 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,
she also hath conceived a son in her
old age. ”

“ Simon followed after her, and
arrived at Bethlehem within three
miles.
6 Then Joseph turning about
saw Mary sorrowful, and said
within himself, Perhaps she is in
pain through that which is within
her.
7 But when he turned about
again, he saw her laughing, and
said to her,
8 Mary, how happens it, that I
sometimes see sorrow, and sometimes
laughter and joy in thy countenance?
9 And Mary replied to him,
I see two people with mine eyes,
the one weeping and mourning,
the other laughing and rejoicing. ”

“ God.
7 Only in the name of Jesus
Christ, I undergo all, to suffer
together with him; he who was
made a perfect man strengthening,
me.
8 Whom some not knowing, do
deny; or rather have been denied
by him, being the advocates of
death, rather than of the truth.
Whom neither the prophecies, nor
the law of Moses have persuaded;
nor the Gospel itself, even to this
day; nor the sufferings of every
one of us.
9 For they think also the same
things of us. For what does a
man profit me, if he shall praise
me, and blaspheme my Lord; not
confessing that he was truly made
man? ”

“ Lord should come unto me?
21 For lo! as soon as the voice
of thy salutation reached my ears,
that which is in me leaped and
blessed thee.
22 But Mary, being ignorant of
all those mysterious things which
the archangel Gabriel had spoken
to her, lifted up her eyes to heaven,
and said, Lord! What am I, that
all the generations of the earth
should call me blessed?
23 But perceiving herself daily
to grow big, and being afraid, she
went home, and hid herself from
the children of Israel ”

“ Make
it thy endeavour to preserve unity,
than which nothing is better.
Bear with all men even as the
Lord with thee.
5 Support all in love, as also
thou dost. Pray without ceasing
ask more understanding than what
thou already hast. Be watchful,
having thy spirit always awake.
6 Speak to every one according
as God shall enable thee. Bear
the infirmities of all, as a
perfect combatant; where the
labour is great, the gain is
the more. ”

“ O Jesus, son of the living
God, who wast my helper before
the governor, my helper in the
fire, and my helper among the
beasts; thou alone art God for
ever and ever, Amen.
8 Thecla now (on her return)
found Thamyris dead, but her
mother living. So calling her
mother, she said to her: Theoclia,
my mother, is it possible for you
to be brought to a belief, that
there is but one Lord God, who
dwells in the heavens? ”

“ Zacharias spoke again.
6 But Mary took the true purple;
and did spin it.
7 And she took a pot, and
went out to draw water, and heard
a voice saying unto her, Hail thou
who art full of grace, the Lord
is with thee; thou art blessed
among women. ”

“ Caiphas, Who are the proselytes?
They answered, They are those
who are the children of Pagans,
and are not become Jews, but
followers of him.
12 Then replied Eleazer, and
Asterius, and Antonius, and James,
Caras and Samuel, Isaac and Phinees,
Crispus and Agrippa, Annas and Judas,
We are not proselytes, but children
of Jews, and speak the truth,
and were present when Mary was
betrothed. ”

“ CHAPTER V.
1 Joseph and Mary leave Egypt.
3 Go to the Haunts of robbers,
4 Who hearing a mighty noise,
as of a great army flee away.
NOW Joseph and Mary when
they heard that the idol was
fallen down and destroyed, were
seized with fear and, trembling,
and said, When we Were in the
land of Israel, Herod, intending
to kill Jesus, slew for that purpose
all the infants at Bethlehem, and
that neighbourhood.
2 And there is no doubt but
the Egyptians if they come to
hear that this idol is broken and
fallen down, will burn us with fire. ”

“ And now he is come, and hath
enlightened us who sat in death.
7 And while we were all rejoicing
in the light which shone upon us,
our father Simeon came among us,
and congratulating all the company,
said, Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ
the Son of God.
8 Whom I took up in my arms when
an infant in the temple, and
being moved by the Holy Ghost,
said to him, and acknowledged,
That now mine eyes have seen thy
salvation, which thou hast prepared
before the face of all people; a
light to enlighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of thy people Israel. ”

“ AFTERWARDS the angel appeared
to Anna his wife, saying;
Fear not, neither think that
which you see is a spirit;
2 For I am that angel who hath
offered up your prayers and alms
before God, and am now sent to
you, that I may inform you, that
a daughter will be born unto you,
who shall be called Mary, and
shall be blessed above all women. ”

“ Lord Jesus Christ, the bishop of
us all.
7 It will therefore behove you
with all sincerity, to obey your
bishop; in honour of him whose
pleasure it is that ye should do so.
8 Because he that does not do
so, deceives not the bishop whom
he sees, but affronts him that is
invisible. For whatsoever of this
kind is done, it reflects not upon
man, but upon God, who knows
the secrets of our hearts.
9 It is therefore fitting,
that we should not only be called
christians, but be so.
10 As some call indeed their
governor, bishop; but yet do all
things without him. ”

“ Moses, go
down quickly, for thy people which
thou hast brought forth out of
Egypt, have corrupted themselves,
and turned aside from the way
which I commanded them. And
Moses cast the two tables out of
his hands; and their covenant was
broken; that the love of Jesus
might be sealed in your hearts,
unto the hope of his faith.
10 Wherefore let us give heed
unto the last times. For all the
time past of our life and our faith,
will profit us nothing; unless we
continue to hate what is evil, and
to withstand the future temptations. ”

“ Is this possessed girl thy daughter?
She moaning and bewailing said,
Yes madam I bore her.
9 The prince's daughter answered,
Disclose the secret of her case to me,
for I confess to you that I was leprous,
but the Lady Mary, the mother of
Jesus Christ, healed me.
10 And if you desire your
daughter to be restored to her
former state, take her to Bethlehem,
and inquire for Mary the mother
of Jesus, and doubt not but your
daughter will be cured; for I do
not question but you will come
home with great joy at your
daughter's recovery. ”

“ Where is my Thecla?
6 Theoclia replied, Thamyris,
I have something very strange to
tell you; for Thecla, for the space
of three days, will not move from
the window, not so much as to eat
or drink, but is so intent in
hearing the artful and delusive
discourses of a certain foreigner,
that I perfectly wonder Thamyris,
that a young woman of her known
modesty, will suffer herself to be
so prevailed upon.
7 For that man has disturbed
the whole city of Iconium, and
even your Thecla, among others.
All the women and young men
flock to him to receive his
doctrine ”

“ THE EPISTLE OF
IGNATIUS TO THE TRALLIANS.
CHAPTER 1.
1 Acknowledges the coming of their bishop.
5 Commends them for their subjection to their bishop,
priests, and deacons; and exhorts them to continue in it:
15 is afraid even of his over-great desire to suffer,
lest it should be prejudicial to him.
IGNATTUS, who is also called
Theophorus, to the holy church
which is at Tralles in Asia:
beloved of God, the Father of Jesus
Christ; elect and worthy of God,
having peace through the flesh and
blood, and passion of Jesus Christ
our hope ”

“ Jerusalem, labouring under a great
infirmity, and waiting for a cure
which should be wrought by the
coming of an angel, who at a
certain time troubled the water: and
whosoever first after the troubling
of the water stepped in, was made
whole of whatsoever disease he had.
15 And when Jesus saw me languishing
there, he said to me, Wilt thou be
made whole? And I answered, Sir,
I have no man, when the water is
troubled, to put me into the pool.
16 And he said unto me, Rise,
take up thy bed and walk. ”

“ Behold Joachim thy husband is
coming with his shepherds.
4 For an angel of the Lord
hath also come down to him, and
said, The Lord God hath heard
thy prayer, make haste and go
hence, for behold Anna thy wife
shall conceive.
5 And Joachim went down and
called his shepherds, saying, Bring
me hither ten she-lambs without
spot or blemish, and they shall
be for the Lord my God.
6 And bring me twelve calves
without blemish, and the twelve
calves shall be for the priests and
the elders.
7 Bring me also a hundred
goats, and the hundred goats shall
be for the whole people. ”

“ Mary, and lifting the child
upon their heads, they kissed him,
and said, Blessed is thy mother,
O Jesus, O Saviour of the world!
Blessed are the eyes which are
so happy to see thee.
28 Then both the sisters told
their mother, saying, Of a truth,
our brother is restored to his former
shape by the help of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and the kindness
of that girl who told us of Mary
and her son.
29 And inasmuch as our brother
is unmarried, it is fit that we
marry him to this girl their
servant. ”

“ I received, therefore,
in the name of God, your whole
multitude in Onesimus;
5 Who by: inexpressible love is
ours, but according to the flesh
is our bishop; whom I beseech you,
pray Jesus Christ, to love: and that
you would all strive to be like unto
him. And blessed be God, who
has granted unto you, who are so
worthy of him, to enjoy such an
excellent bishop. ”

“ But we know that thou wilt not be
thought worthy of a burial; but
we will give thy flesh to the birds
of the air, and the beasts of the
earth.
9 Joseph answered, That speech
is like the speech of proud Goliath,
who reproached the living God in
speaking against David. ”