II

THE ANNUNCIATION

T was ordained that the coming prince should have

Ian

an immediate forerunner to serve as a reformer

and a herald, with his parentage the story begins.

An aged priest, Zacharias, whose home was in middle Judea, with his aged wife Elisabeth, was childless. Their lives were blameless, but sorrowful. With devout piety they had often prayed that the void in their hearts might be filled, and the reproach of barrenness taken away. But now, in normal order, they could no longer hope. All this is natural, simply human, nothing could be more homely.'

And now the gospel story opens as is fitting, in the holy City, in the holy Temple, in the Holy Place.

In September of the year 6 B. c., Zacharias went up to Jerusalem to take his turn in the priestly office. One morning it was allotted to him, which could occur only once in a lifetime, to offer incense on the altar in the Sanctuary, while the people stood praying without. Immediately the story leads us into the realm of the supernatural; for, as Zacharias was burning incense, an angel appeared standing on the right of the altar. The natural dread of the supernatural fell upon the priest, and he trembled.

"Fear not, Zacharias," said the angel.

are granted.

"Thy prayers Thou shalt have a son whose name is John

(gift of Jehovah). He shall be great in the sight of the

Lord, and like Elijah, he shall prepare the way of the Lord."

But Zacharias, who believed in natural order as firmly as a modern scientist, and who, as a Jew, wanted a sign, replied:

"Whereby shall I know this? Both I and my wife are very old."

The angel, indignant at the doubt, answered severely : "I am Gabriel (hero of God), that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to bring thee good news. A sign? Thou shalt have it. Be thou dumb until my words are fulfilled."

When Zacharias (remembered of the Lord) came out of the Sanctuary, he could not speak to the waiting people, but by gestures made known that he had seen a vision. His persistent dumbness was evidence that the vision was not an hallucination; accordingly, on returning to his home at Hebron, twenty miles south of Jerusalem, he made known to Elisabeth (worshipper of God), doubtless by writing, what he had seen and heard. In a similar case, Abraham believed, but Sarah laughed incredulously. Here the reverse; Zacharias doubted, but Elisabeth believed, saying joyfully:

"The Lord hath taken away my reproach."

About fifty-four miles north of Jerusalem, nestled in the bosom of the hills of lower Galilee, is the village of Nazareth. A valley, only a mile or so long, leads up from the plain of Esdraelon, and widens at its head into a basin, on whose western slope lies the village. The broad area in its shelter of hills enjoys a mild climate, is fertile and cultivated, abounding in grain-fields, gardens and orchards, all the fruits of the region, as the pome

granate, orange, fig and olive, ripening early and attaining high perfection. From the surrounding heights are seen, towards the north, the ridges of Lebanon and the snowy crown of Hermon; eastward, Tabor and Gilboa; southward, the plain of Esdraelon and the mountains of Samaria; on the west, Carmel, the bay of Akra and the blue Mediterranean beyond.

In the secluded village in those days dwelt Joseph, a carpenter by trade. He was a middle-aged man, and unmarried, but betrothed to his cousin german, a simple village maiden named Mariam, or as we now call her Mary. She was about sixteen, or perhaps eighteen years of age, and being an orphan, her home in Nazareth was with another Mary, the wife of Clopas who was probably a brother of Joseph. Well versed in the Hebrew scriptures, she lived a blameless life in the practice of unassuming piety."

On a certain spring morning, March 25th, Lady Day, six months after the vision of Zacharias, while Mary in her private chamber was kneeling in humble devotion, the angel Gabriel sent from God, his wings still redolent with the airs of heaven, came in unto her and said:

"Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee."

Mary was greatly troubled, and full of wonder at this strange salutation. Then said the angel:

"Fear not, Mariam, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold thou shalt conceive, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the most High; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob unto the ages; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

But Mary, not understanding this dignified, royal wooing of her Sovereign through an ambassador, in perfect simplicity and maidenly purity, exclaimed:

"How shall this be, seeing I know not a man ?”

The angel answering said unto her:

"The power of the Most High shall overshadow thee; wherefore the holy one that is to be born shall be called the Son of God."

But, though the will of a sovereign was hereby announced, her free consent was sought. In order to give her confidence and assure her of sympathy, the angel told her also of what had befallen her kinswoman Elisabeth. Then Mary, with hands folded on her bosom and a bowed head, with a gentle and humble submission whose beauty is unparalleled, replied:

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

Now when the angel departed from her, how did the innocent heart of the young girl flutter! First in consternation, then more strongly in presentiment of celestial honor. To Eve it was promised that her seed should bruise the serpent's head, and over her first-born she cried out exultingly, I have gotten the man, even Jehovah. Her error left the hope, cherished for ages by every godly woman, especially by every Hebrew woman enlightened by clearer messianic prophecy, the hope of being the mother of the promised seed. And now the word had come to this humble village girl. Could it be possible! She knew that the prophet had said, Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us. Can it be, this divine gift, for me!

Longing for sympathy and wise counsel, which, con