40 SECT. IV. Mary's visit to Elizabeth. The glories promised to such in the future state are so far beyond experience, or even imagination, that they might, to sense, appear Ver. as incredible as the message which Mary received: but let us re33 member the eternal truth of what Gabriel suggested to her, that 37 nothing is impossible to God. He can therefore ripen our imperfect souls to all the improvement and pleasures of the heavenly state, as easily as he produces the meanest vegetable on the earth. Let the temper of the blessed virgin, on this great occasion, be therefore the beautiful model of ours: so, when the purposes of the Divine Love are declared to us, may we resign ourselves unto the Lord; and with such calm tranquillity, firm faith and joyful acquiescence, may we wait the accomplishment of his gracious promise, and say, Behold the servants of the Lord! be it unto us 38 according to his word! So do thou, O Lord, animate and support us! and the weakest of thy children shall not stumble at the greatest of thy promises through unbelief; but, being strong in faith, shall give glory to God. SECT. v. SECT. V. Mary visits Elizabeth; her faith is confirmed by it, and she breaks out into a song of praise. Luke I. 39–56. LUKE I. 39. LUKE I. 39. those days, and IN N those days, or soon after the time that she AND Mary arose in received the extraordinary message mention- went into the hillLuke ed above, Mary arose from Nazareth, where she country with haste in1.39. then was, and went, with all the expedition she to a city of Judah, conveniently could, to what was called the hillcountry, which lay towards the south of Canaan ; and came into a city of Judah, where Zacharias dwelt, with a comfortable expectation that this visit might tend both to confirm her faith and 40 vindicate her character. And accordingly she entered into the house of her kinsman Zacharias, the house of Zacharias, and, to the pleasing surprise of her friend, saluted Elizabeth. 41 And it came to pass that, as soon as Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant in her womb did, with a most unusual emotion, leap for joy, as sensible of the approach of Him whose a Mary arose and went, &c.] This was a very wise determination; as it was very probable that, by communicating the vision she had seen, and perhaps also describing the form in which the angel appeared, she might convince Zacharias and Elizabeth that there was something singular in her case, and so might bring in the reputation fore 40 And entered into and saluted Elizabeth. and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. 42. And she spake but with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Elizabeth's reception of Mary. V. 41 forerunner he was appointed to be. And Eliza- SECT. Most blessed art thou, O Mary, among all the women in the whole world; and most blessed is the sacred and miraculous fruit of thy womb. And indeed, when I consider the matter atten- 43 tively, I cannot but cry out, in amazement, Whence is this honour done to me, that she, who is so highly honoured as to be the mother of that wonderful and divine child, whom I would with all humility own as my Lord, should come unto me as a guest under my roof; to whom I should rather have hastened to pay my homage? And that he, of whom thou art now pregnant, is indeed my Lord the Messiah, I certainly know by 44. For lo, as soon what I have now felt ; for, behold, as soon as the 44 as the voice of thy first voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, mine ears, the babe as thou wast entering into the house, the very inleaped in my womb fant within me leaped in my womb for joy, with a vigour and sprightliness unknown before; which I am taught to interpret as a homage done to Him before whose face he is to go to prepare 45. And blessed is his way. And, when I consider the whole affair she that believed: for in all its variety of circumstances, I have reason formance of those to say, Happy is she that so readily believed ↳ things, which were what to sense appeared so utterly incredible, told her from the Lord. without so much as requiring any miraculous salutation sounded in for joy. there shall be a per 45 sign of it for surely there shall be a very faithful and an exact accomplishment of all those things which have been spoken to her from the Lord. Then Mary also was filled with a transport of 46. And Mary said, holy joy; and, under the direction of the same 46 My soul doth magnify Spirit, as well as in many of those words which the Lord, b Happy is she that believeth, &c.] I doubt not but here is an oblique reference to the unhappiness of Zacharias, who had not immediately believed the promise of God to him, and thereby had incurred so sensible a mark of the divine displeasure. I have gently touched upon it in the paraphrase; but I was cautious of being too express, lest 1 should violate that great decorum, which the Spirit of God, as well she as the rules of modesty and piety, taught • Mary V. Luke Mary's song of praise. d 47 And my spirit my Saviour. 48 For he hath re for behold, from hence SECT. she had learnt from the sacred oracles, she, in the warmth of her devotion, said, My very soul doth most affectionately magnify and extol the 1.47. Lord. And my spirit, with all its most exalted powers, rejoiceth in God as my Saviour; who, hath rejoiced in God I trust, is granting me my own share in that gospel which, by the appearance of this his dear Son, he is sending to so many others: 48 For, notwithstanding all the meanness of my circumstances, and the obscure condition in garded the low estate which I live, yet he hath looked with a distin- of his handmaiden; guishing regard and most surprising con- forth all generations descension, upon the low estate of his hand- shall call me blessed. maid; for, behold, he hath conferred such an honour upon me, that I am fully persuaded, according to his word by the angel, that not only the present age, but all future generations shall call me happy, and shall admire the peculiar grace and favour that the Lord 49 hath shewn me. For he who is powerful beyond all our conceptions, even the Almighty God, to whom this strange event is not only possible, but easy, hath done these great and unheard of things for me; and his name and nature [is] so holy, that I cannot suspect the accomplishment of any thing that he hath 50 promised. His mercy also bath in every age been the hope and confidence of his people; is on them that fear and I well know that it [is] from generation him, from generation 51 to generation on them that fear him. He hath 51 He hath shewed often wrought the most glorious displays of strength with his arm; strength by his irresistible arm: he hath often he hath scattered the dispersed the haughty sinners that exalt them- tion of their hearts. selves against him, and confounded them in those schemes which were the most laboured 52 imagination of their own hearts. He hath often 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name: 50 And his mercy to generation. proud in the imagina 52 He hath put down the do I always observe it in the following ver sion. e He hath dispersed the haughty, &c. διεσκορτσισεν υπερηφάνεις διάνοια καρδίας αυλων.] I know this may be rendered, He hath scattered those that prided themselves in the imagination, or thought, of their hearts: but I apprehend the words would well bear the yet more emphatical sense i have here given them. And thus they are peculiarly applicable to the gospel; in which God doth not only cast down imaginations and every high thing, &c. (2 Cor. x. 5.) by the humbling scheme of his recovering grace, but hath remarkably coniounded his most insolent enemies in their own n.ost elaborate projects, and Mary's song of praise. 43 the mighty from their often brought down mighty potentates from SECT. seats, and exalted them their thrones of dignity and power, and, by of low degree: 55 He hath filled things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. the hungry with good his servant Israel, in mercy, He 53 some singular interposition of his providence, Luke hath exalted the lowly from their obscurest state, I. 52. as he is now doing with respect to me. hath often filled the hungry with a variety of good things, and hath sent away the rich and luxurious sinner empty; having stripped him of all his plenty, and turned him out of 54 He hath holpen all those possessions in which he was once so remembrance of his confident. And, as a glorious instance of his 54 condescension and his power, though our condition be so low in comparison of what it once was, he hath now succoured Israel, and taken him as his child into paternal protection and all this he hath graciously done in remembrance of his everlasting mercy, Even as he 55 long ago spoke to our fathers, and promised it to Abraham and to his seed, throughout all generations and we, the heirs of those promises, shall now behold them happily fulfilled in all the fulness of their extent and glory." 55 As he spake to ham, and to his seed our fathers, to Abra for ever. 56 And Mary abode months, and returned to her own house. Then Mary abode with her cousin Elizabeth 56 with her about three about three months, till very near the time of her delivery; and then returned to her own house and lived privately there; concealing, but not forgetting these extraordinary things, which had so powerful a tendency to establish and animate her mind'. established his sacred cause by the violent attempts they have made to suppress it. (Compare Psal. ii. 1-3.) A triumph of divine wisdom, of which succeeding ages furnish out memorable and frequent instances at home and abroad. Sent away the rich empty.] Ease strictly signifies, hath sent, or turned them out of doors; and very beautifully represents God as the great proprietor of all, and the greatest of men as his tenants at will, whom he can strip and turn out, whenever he pleases. 3 He hath succoured Israel.] That the word alinaßilo properly signifies to interpose in favour of a person in great necessity, or extreme danger, Elsner hath abundantly proved, Observ. Vol. I. page 175. h In remembrance of his everlasting mercy.] The beginning of the 55th verse should, I think, be included in a paren IMPROVE thesis. It makes an easier and stronger i Animate her mind.] Many of the 44 SECT. Ver. The birth and circumcision of John. IMPROVEMENT. How natural is it for those, who have' themselves received 40 mercy of the Lord, to communicate their joy to others, and to seek the society of their fellow saints, whom he hath honoured with the signal manifestations of his favour?-Happy are they, whose friendship is confirmed and heightened by such endearing 41, 42 ties! And thrice happy the humble and generous souls who can thus, like Elizabeth, lose the thoughts of private honour and interest in a cordial concern for the glory of God and the good of men; rejoicing to see others, perhaps in some respects their inferiors, raised to stations of service more distinguished than their own! 43 If this pious matron thought herself so highly honoured in receiving a visit from the mother of our infant Saviour, how much more doth it become us to admire the condescension of our glorious Lord, that he will represent himself as graciously knocking at the door of our hearts, and ready not only to make us a transient visit, but to take up his stated abode with us? May our faith, like that of the blessed virgin, delightfully rest on all the promises he makes, as firmly believing that there shall be 45 an accomplishment of these things which are spoken! And, while that accomplishment is delayed, may the pleasing expectation of 46 it tune our voice to a song of praise like hers!-Let our souls also 47 magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in that God whom we hope, through grace, to be our Saviour; whose condescension hath 38 regarded us in such low circumstances; and whose almighty power 49 and everlasting love have done such great things for us.-He 53, 55 hath provided heavenly food, to satisfy our hungry souls, and hath 54 raised us to enjoy the mercies which, in more obscure intimations SECT. vi. only, he promised to the pious patriarchs.-His mercy is on all 50 that fear him, through succeeding generations.-May such distinguished favours animate our hearts with those sentiments of devotion and zeal which they are so well qualified to excite! Otherwise the joy of the Old Testament saints, in the distant and imperfect prospect of these blessings, will testify against our insensibility in the superior advantages with which we are favoured. Luke SECT. VI. The birth and circumcision of John the Baptist. Luke I. 57-66. LUKE I. 57. time came, that she AND, when the full time for Elizabeth's de- Now Elizabeth's full livery was come, she brought forth a son, ex- should be delivered; actly according to the prediction of the angel to and she brought forth a 1.57. Zacharias. And her neighbours, and her rela- son. |