Jerome, on Matt 1:24

“And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.”

“(cont. Helvid. 8.) Lastly, I would ask, Why then did Joseph abstain at all up to the day of birth? He will surely answer, Because of the Angel’s words, That which is born in her, &c. He then who gave so much heed to a vision as not to dare to touch his wife, would he, after he had heard the shepherds, seen the Magi, and known so many miracles, dare to approach the temple of God, the seat of the Holy Ghost, the Mother of his Lord?”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.