As we trace along the stream of time, we see this faint promise oft renewed, brightening with every repetition. When Jehovah had destroyed the world by a flood, on account of its wickedness, preserving only the family of Noah to repeople it, and had scattered the builders of Babel, confounding their language, he said to faithful Abram: "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Jacob, on his way to Padan-Aram, slept, and saw in the night-visions, a ladder, with its foot upon the earth, and its top reaching to heaven, and lo! angels were ascending and descending upon it. And he heard the voice of the Lord from the top of the ladder, saying unto him: "I _am_ the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; and thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth; and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." [Illustration: Bethlehem--Birthplace of Jesus.] Thus from time to time was the promise of a coming Saviour renewed, until, on the plains of Bethlehem, a glorious light burst upon the watching shepherds, and an angel appeared, saying; "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." And when the angels had departed, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen. Eight days after, at the circumcision of the child, he was called Jesus, which signifies Saviour, a name given before he was born: "for" said the angel, "He shall save his people from their sins." CHAPTER II. THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS.