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cerning such matter, she obviously could not venture to seek in her home or of her betrothed, Mary remembered the hint given by the angel of a like case with her kinswoman. Keeping the sacred secret, she hurriedly arranged to make her a visit. It is seventy-four miles in direct line from Nazareth southward to Hebron, and of course more, if measured on the travelled way. But Mary arrived speedily and safely, and saluted the aged Elisabeth, who instantly reversed their usual relations, taking a lower rank with homage to the young girl, and cried aloud by inspiration, saying:

For behold,

"Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? when the voice of thy salutation came into the babe leaped in my womb for joy. she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord." "

mine ears, And blessed is

To this first beatitude of the Gospel, the root of all others, Mary replied with a burst of holy enthusiasm and inspired confidence:

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My soul doth magnify the Lord,

And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath looked upon the low estate of his handmaiden;

For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."

In this exalted strain she continued throughout the poetical Magnificat, so named from its first word in the Latin Vulgate, the first line reading, Magnificat anima mea Dominum. It recalls the song of Hannah, and is full of expanding reminiscences of the psalms which she had by heart. Her prediction that, From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed, has been marvellously ful

filled, and even to-day, around the globe, she is known as The Blessed Virgin.

The tendency of the world to offer divine honors to a virgin is remarkable. Witness, among many others, the grand temple of Athena Parthenos, the virgin, at Athens, and the wondrous temple of Artemis Parthenos, the chaste, at Ephesus; also the constellation Virgo of the zodiac. Perhaps because a virgin best represents innocence, purity, and holy love. But with the virginity of Mary is singularly combined the ineffable grace of maternal devotion to a divine son. Hardly then should we wonder that for ages, before innumerable shrines, men have bowed with the prayer, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners.

“O sanctissima, O purissina,

Virgo Maria dulcis!
Mater amata intemperata,
Ora, ora pro nobis."

In violent reaction against Romanism, Protestants protest against Mariolatry, objecting even to the title Blessed. But the world will have grown gray and imbecile before it ceases the adoration of pure, sweet girlhood, and tender, devoted motherhood.

"Ave Maria! thou whose name
All but adoring love may claim,
Yet may we reach thy shrine;
For he thy son and Saviour, vows
To crown all lowly lofty brows

With love and joy like thine.

"Bless'd is the womb that bare him, bless'd
The bosom where his lips were press'd;

But rather bless'd are they

Who hear his word and keep it well,

The living homes where Christ shall dwell,

And never pass away."

The visit to her kinswoman was prolonged for about three months. Considerations of propriety and delicacy, and indeed certain pathological reasons, forbade her presence on the impending occasion, and so Mary returned to her home.

Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. Her wondering friends rejoiced with her. On the eighth day, according to the law, they came together to circumcise and name the child. Usually, in preparation for this rite, a chair is placed for Elijah, and he invoked to come according to prophecy, at that time. These knew not as yet that this babe was himself the expected Elijah. The rite was performed, and the friends proposed to name him after his father. But the mother said:

"Not so; he shall be called John."

They offered the remonstrance:

"There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name."

So they enquired by signs of his father, what he would have him called. Zacharias wrote on a tablet:

"His name is John."7

Immediately upon this compliance with the direction of the angel, his tongue was loosed, and he who had been dumb for many months, spake freely the inspired Benedictus, Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel. As his last words were words of doubt and unbelief, so now his first are words of assurance and praise. In accord with the angelic message, he addresses the child as a prophet and a herald of the dawn, the dayspring from on high.

While Mary's Magnificat is widely Cosmical, this Benedictus is closely Judaical; and fitly so, for the mission of

John was to his people only. The predictions of the priestly father were noised abroad throughout Judea, filling the people with wonder and fear. And all they that heard them pondered in their hearts the question, What then shall this child be?

And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit. In due time, possibly soon after the death of his aged parents, of whom we hear no more, he took up his abode as a Nazirite and anchorite, as an ascetic and recluse, in the lone Wilderness of Judea.

III

THE INCARNATION

ARY is now in Nazareth again at her home in the family of her relatives. Three months

have passed since the annunciation and immaculate conception. Probably another three months were passed in the usual quiet life, outwardly; but inwardly, what were her anxious forebodings, mingled with secret exultation. Then the time came when her condition could no longer be concealed. It became known to Joseph. Did Mary, advised by Elisabeth, tell him herself? Hardly, for her story he surely would not believe, and so would judge her doubly false. Rather it was a whispered rumor that reached his ear, and when it was confirmed, there was for Joseph but one explanation. Naturally he was indignant and greatly troubled.

What was to be done? The law accounted betrothal as marriage, and its violation adultery. The penalty was stoning. Thus was the life of Mary in jeopardy, and the Lord of Life himself threatened with violent death even before he was born. Doubtless they were safe, for the air was swarming with invisible angels.

But Joseph had no legal proof, either exonerating himself or detailing incidents of her long absence from home. Moreover, as a just man of mature years, he was sorrowfully considerate of the state of the unhappy young girl, his near relative, whom he had loved and hopefully cher

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