care of especial trust, in either of his three Epistles, or in the Revelation, refer to Mary.

The first occasion on which in the New Testament any reference is made to the Virgin Mary, is the Salutation of the Angel, recorded in the opening chapter of St. Luke's Gospel: the last occasion is when she is mentioned by the same Evangelist as " Mary the mother of Jesus," in conjunction with the brethren of our Lord, and with the Apostles and the women, all continuing in prayer and supplication immediately after the Ascension.* Between these two events the name of Mary occurs under a variety of circumstances, on every one of which we shall do well to reflect.

The first occasion is the Salutation of Mary by the Angel, announcing to her that she should be the mother of the Son of God. Undoubtedly no daughter of Eve was ever so distinguished among women; and well does it become us to cherish her memory with affectionate reverence. The words then addressed to her when on earth, with a slight change of expression, are daily addressed to her by the Roman Catholic Church, now that she is removed to the invisible world: "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, [the Vulgate reads it "full of grace,"] the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women." On the substitution of the phrase "full of grace," for "highly favoured," or, as our margin suggests, "graciously accepted, or much graced," little needs be said. It may be regretted, that since the Greek is different here and in the first chapter of St. John, where the words "full of grace are applied to the only Son of God, a similar distinction had not been preserved in the Roman

*Acts, i. 13, 14.

translation. The other expression, "Blessed art thou among women," is identically the same with the ascription of blessedness made by an inspired tongue to another daughter of Eve, "Blessed above women," or (as both the Septuagint and the Vulgate render the word) "Blessed among women shall Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, be;"* and in such ascription of blessedness we can see no ground of justification for the posthumous worship of the Virgin Mary. The same observation applies with at least equal strictness to that affecting interview between Mary and her cousin, when Elizabeth, enlightened doubtless by an especial revelation, returned the salutation of Mary by addressing her as the Mother of her Lord; and hailing her visit as an instance of most welcome and condescending kindness: "Whence is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me?" Members of the Church of England are taught to refer to this event in Mary's life with feelings of delight and gratitude. It was on this occasion that she uttered that beautiful hymn, "The song of the blessed Virgin Mary," which our Church has selected for daily use at evening prayer. These incidents bring before our minds the image of a pure Virgin, humble, pious, obedient, holy: a chosen servant of God-an exalted pattern for her fellow-creatures; but still a fellowcreature and a fellow-servant: a virgin pronounced by an angel to be blessed. But further than this we cannot go. We read of no power, no authority, neither the office and influence of intercession, nor the authority and right to command,-being ever, even by implication, committed to her; and we dare not of our own minds venture to take for granted a * Judges, v. 24.

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statement of so vast magnitude, involving associations so awful. We reverence her memory as a holy woman, the Virgin-Mother of our Lord. We cannot supplicate any blessing at her hand: we cannot pray to her for her intercession.

The Angel's announcement to Joseph, whether before or after the birth of Christ, the visit of the Magi, the flight into Egypt, and the return thence, in the record of all of which events by St. Matthew the name of Mary occurs, seem to require no especial attention with reference to the immediate subject of our inquiry, however interesting and important in themselves these events are. To Joseph the Angel speaks of the Virgin as "Mary thy wife." In every other of these cases she is called "the young Child's mother," or "his mother."

In relating the circumstances of Christ's birth, the Evangelist employs no words which seem to call for any particular examination. Joseph went up into the city of David to be taxed, with Mary, his espoused wife; and there she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling-clothes and laid him in a manger. And the shepherds found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Between the birth of Christ and the flight into Egypt, St. Luke records an event to have happened by no means unimportant, the presentation of Christ in the Temple.* "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord." And he, Simeon, "came by the * Luke, ii. 22.

Spirit into the Temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God and said, "Lord,'" &c. "And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, 'Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against, (yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.' In this incident it is worthy of remark, that Joseph and Mary are both mentioned by name, that they are both called the parents of the young Child, that both are equally blessed by Simeon, and that the good old Israelite, illumined by the spirit of prophecy, when he addresses himself immediately to Mary, speaks only of her future sorrow, and does not even remotely or faintly allude to any exaltation of her above the other daughters of Abraham.† "A sword shall pierce through thine own soul also; " a prophecy, as many ancient fathers interpret the passage, accomplished when she witnessed the sufferings and death of her Son,‡ and her own faith and stedfastness for a time faltered.

The next occasion on which the name of the Virgin Mary is found in Scripture is the memorable visit of herself, her husband, and her son, to Jerusalem, when He was twelve years old. And the manner in which this incident is related by the inspired Evangelist, so far from intimating that Mary was destined to

* Luke, ii. 35. + See De Sacy, vol. xxxii. p. 128. See, as cited in the latter part of this book, the comments of Basil, Augustine, Jerome, Cyril of Alexandria, and others.

be an object of worship to the believers in her Son, affords evidence strongly bearing in the contrary direction. Here, again, Joseph and Mary are both called "his parents." Joseph is once mentioned by name, and so is Mary. If the language had been so framed as on purpose to take away all distinction of preference or superiority, it could not more successfully have effected its purpose. Not only so of the three addresses recorded as having been made by our blessed Lord to his beloved mother (and only three are recorded in the New Testament), the first occurs during this visit to Jerusalem. It was in answer to the remonstrance made by Mary, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." "How

is it that ye sought Me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" (or, "in my Father's house," as some render it.) He makes no distinction here," Knew YE not?" We may appeal to any dispassionate reasoner to pronounce whether this reproof, couched in these words, countenances the idea that our blessed Lord intended his mother to receive such divine honour from his followers, to the end of time, as the Church of Rome now pays; and whether St. Luke, whose pen wrote this account, could have been cognizant of any such right invested in the Virgin?

The next passage calling for our consideration is that which records the first miracle: "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage; and when they wanted wine [when the wine failed], the mother of Jesus saith unto him, 'They have no wine.' Jesus