1959-12-23 — Page 6

WI

7ITHIN a few days, Mary asked,

casually as possible, for permission to visit her Aunt Elizabeth.

Her mother thought of it as a touching sign of devotion, and sent her off with a family travel- ling south to Judea.

+

Sametime before the visit of

nad angel Gabriel Mary, the appeared before the old lady and sold her that God had an- She would swered her prayers give birth to a sou in June, and she must cult him: John Setar thug in the distant futur } i would be called the Baptist, and he would po ahead of the

evel preaching messiah. Frey and baptising as he went.

The young

virgin said nothing to anyone about secret; some of her

the time she

her seemed to friends to be jost in frowning reverie.

Elizabeth

0

spent

tel wikkel, and she

of arany years in the balcony the synagogam asking God for a chill. Her husband, Zachery, small n priest, Was town lencher who had

once great berz led by the prints of Jerusalem to be the one to enter the Holy of Holies, He tel sorrier for his Eltzabalh than he did for himself in

matter

childlessness. D{ understood the natural maternal feelings of Elizabeth and, un known to her, he had prayed again and again for a child.

Merry

Cheristimas

the

c

Happy

The angel feld Elizabeth incen Much more,

Elizabeth was standing in her doorway as Mary came up the walk. It was ILS though she Mary. had expected. the visit.

typical teen-ager of her Lime, shouted a happy greeting before she reached the door.

Elizabeth felt her baby move within her and, in raising her

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1959.

A Prophecy Fulfilled

hand in greeting suddenly burst "Blessed are you." into tears:

all women, she said. "beyond And blessed is the fruit of your womb!"

Mary stopped, part way to the doo". Her mouth hung open. She could not sponk. Elizabeth

know knew! Elizabeth

Live

secret!

her Elizabeth wiped eyes and tried to smile.

"He privileged am 1." she said to her niece, "to have the mother of my Lord come

THE

Angel Gabriel han visited Mary with the

news wirpin, or

be the mother of the Saviour,

Sensing that the girl needed more proof, however, Gabriel added: "Your relative, Elizabeth, in her old age has also conceived a son and is now in her sixth month he who was called 'The Barren. Nothing is impossible with God."

Mary bowed her head. mured: "May all that you m0," When she looked up from sight... ..

She understood, and war- have said be fulfilled in again, the vision had faded

PART THREE,

THE NATIVITY

OF JESUS

Sam By JIM BISHOP

She but

Mary had not doubted, had belleved the words, she could not convince herself that she was the one, of all wonten on earth, selceted to bear the baby. Now she was convinced.

is arm achieves the mastery: He rouss the haughty and prond

of heart;

He put slown princes from

their thrones, and exalts the lowly:

SEM the blessings,

He She no longer tried

10 divorce her person from the prophecy, She had told no one of the secret, and here Aunt Elizabeth not only know pbout it but was pregnant exactly as the angel said the would be.

Exultation

A wave of exultation ed the heart of Mary. The young girl to lengst wondered and worried about her part in God's will. She became lyrical and the slood before her aunt, arms Cutstretched, eyes dimmed and half-closed with tears of joy sun she uttered words which Ind

the engraved heart of Elizabeth for all her

وتاه

OR

"My sout extols the Lord; and my spirit leaps for joy In

God my saviour. How graciously ile looked upon

this lowly maid! ON.

from this behold. onward

hour

ne

sir me. Hrar me na; as tac sound of yONT

fell greeting in my cars, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. Happy is she who beliened that what was told her on behalf of the Lord tromld be fulfilled."

Last The

pentence was 3

for the young quasi-warning Jiri to crase all doubt from her mind, and become reconciled to. From age to sro He ́visita thone the greatest duty of all ages, who worship him in reverrnot.

A

GIFT TIME

VACHERON STANTIN

COMIT

SOLE AGENTS

WILL

EVER

RECALL

will call aro blessed! How sublime is what He has

done for me---

the Mighly One, whose name is

*Hoty

VÁCHERON

ET

CONSTANTIN

*

IN GENEVA SINCE (1755

**

SWISS IMPORT EXPORT TRADING 00.LTD.

hungry with

and send away the righ with

empty hands.

He has taken by the hand le

servant Israel.

and mercifully kept is faith - He had prombed our

fash

with Abraham and his posterity forever and evermore."

The women embraced and Mary wondered what made her thick ot thusc words, The youn! girl remained with cliff, the people arm themselves Elizabeth undi June, a week with stones, and watch. If she prior to the birth of John, Mary moves. they throw the stones. If was three months pregnant and she doesn't, they go home. The her parents had sent word that body is left where it is for the sho should be a home prepar- birds and the animals. Ing for her wedding. Yes, the wedding. Elizabeth now enjoy- ed Mary's complete candidence test. and the two wondered if Joseph die. He loved her. He could, It war Important that under the law, pay money to knew. he know what was about to put her away, to have her sent There, hagen, and to understand to some remote place. because, as a husband, he would she could have her aby and

connubial remain. rights lo have no

kvation at all,

Shock

Joseph was being put to the He did not want Mary to

be born in Nazareth, place over 90 miles Bethlehern.

a little north. of

sunmer

She

Intention of had no travelling anywhere, Mary sold. She was going to remain here

In the in Nazareth, A third possibility would months, and the early autumn, be for Joseph to swallow his the older women of the town pride, proceed with the wedding, notleed that she was pregnant, and hope that there would not and they had counselled her to be too much comment

She in the remain close to her home. town over a six months baby, would not even go to me Eliza-

He was dwelling upon the pos- sibilities one night in bed. Suddenly the carpenter made up

When Mary arrived home, she now her husband-to-be, He was not happy that she had chosen to be away from him for three munths and, if he knew the secret, he hit it well. He had his mind. He would put Mary heard from Mary's mother that Elizabeth was to baur child,

away privately. It would break his heart, and he know that he

but surely there were others in could not love anyone else, but could have it would be just and, at the same

her town

Who

attended her, The young girl time, merciful.

did not dispute Joseph. She decided, froin hle attitude, that be knew nothing of the great secret. She would not marry hin without telling him some- thing of it.

"I'm going to have a baby." she said. The shock to Joseph was beyond measure.

Throughout the courtship, his intended bride had

WOIT) an

aura of innbecnee; he was pain

Relaxed

Within a few moments after the decision was reached, 1- laxation came to Joseph, and he skpl.

In sleep, be was vistied by an angel. The spirit said to him: "Joseph, son of David, do not scruple to take Mary, your wife, into your home. Her con- fully conscious of her lack of ception w34 Wrought by the knowledge. She had gone away Holy Spirit. She will bear a three months ago, and now she von and you are to name him returned to my that she was 'pregnant.

Jesus: for he will save his people from their sizes,"

It is impossible to read the

When Joseph awakened, he depths of scrow in both hearts, remembered the dream and he He looked at her tenderly and wondered if his forlorn hopes she offered no word of explana. were reaching for plous un- tion. She looked away from him realities. A dream was nothing arul wished that she might tell more than a dream. His un- everything. The baby was conscious wishes might be ful- going to need a foster father med in sleep. san, if this who better than the man she were co, he would never dream loved, e kenile and plous and A blasphemy in which the pre-

pationt Josepa?

grancy was excused by attri

The thought crossed, her buting it to God, mind that he had been Bestdes De dream fulfilled an old prophecy to the letter: "Behold, the virgin will be pregnant and give bir Bon, who will be called 'Em-

manuel,' which means 'God with us."

selected for the TDIC for these very reasons. He would be an ical Cardion for infant.

Tragedy

tho

to a

Joseph felt refreshed. He Then why, why had he felt happy. The more he dwelt not been told? Why wrench upon the dream, the more clear- two young hearts with tragedy ly he saw the hand of God re- when the truth was 'ne bright vealing a

hun.

great truth

as the sun and as warming? I required restraint to go to work, making stalls and tables On the tip of her

tongue, and wooden hangars for uten- Mary had the greatest secret of sils and closets for garments.

alt history. She could not un-

lock her tongue. Joseph went away from her to think. Of the

two, he was the more pitiable. He loved this girl with all his

heart and he had had visions of

Prophecy

His impulse was to hurry to

a long and fruitful life with her. Mary's house. velling: "I know! Now, he felt, aho had betrayed 1 know!" Hir patience manifest- him and he could not understand ed taelf, and he waited untit the betrayal, nor evea force the proper time, after supper, Himself to believe that it was and when

true.

she saw

his first glance, Mary knew that he knew before he took her for an Joseph kept his awful secret. evening walk to explain. He could divorce her pubilely. If he did this, he would be im pelled to tell the elders the rea- 2001.

God had tried both of these young people, and they had not falled Him. Bull, Joseph was worried because he did not that case, they would ask Mary If she was with child, understand what part he was to If she said yes, Joseph would play, nor how best to interpret the will of God. The following have to wear that he WOR "without knowledge of her week, they were married and The priests would adfudge her Joseph took Mary to his home.

to be an adultcreas.

Cao of his worries, he confided

to Mary, was that it the old There

only Wes

ono prophecy of a messiah was to be penalty far 1hla

crime: fulfilled, then something was storing. The guilty person is led wrong becasure everyone knew by townsmen to a high cliff and that the sacred scriptures sald ordered to jump. It the adul- that the King of Kings would Seress "refumNER, she is pushed. be born in Bethlehemthe City As she lies at the bottom of the. of David. Phair Endant wotald

beth's baby, so why would she

travelling 10 Bethlehem? Jooph nodded.

consider

That was the way he fell He had never been to Bethlehem and he had no intention of ing there

TOMORROW:

THE SAVIOUR

Many

Who the heck's going to bring me a present?

Bith__ KEANG

*1 had a počka, and Daddy had a drink of water with an

alive in li