told by the celesti11I messenger th11t her Son should be" great." There can be no do11ht tli11t, nfter all thot was thun BRi,I, Mary expected unnsually great things of the Chi!,! th,Lt should be born of her, But how very far short of the fact her highest hopes Lavo proved to be I For to whatever exalted point they reached, the Jewi~h maiden c,,uld 11ot possibly have attached to the angel's words Ruch meaning as we know them to have conto.ined. The greatness of that promised Child was threefold; it related to- I. Ille DIVINE ORIGIN. He was not only to be her offspring, but he sh,,uld "be called the Son of the Most High." And there was to come upon her and overshadow her the Holy Ghost, the Power of the Most Hii(h, lie was to be not only a son of Goel, but el1e Son of God, related to the Eternal J<'atl,er as no other of the children of ~ had ever been or shoul<l ever be, He was to be One that woul<l in tl,e fulle.,t sense partake of the Divine nature, he one in thought and in airn and in action with the Father (John v. 19, 23; viii. 28; L 30; ii v. 10, 11). lie was to be " GoJ manifi§t in the flesh." Il. 'lHE WORK BE BH0ULD AOOOMPLIBH, "Thou ebalt call his name Jesus;" and he was to be so called because he would "save bis people from their sins" (Matt. i. 25). '!'here have been "saviours of society" from whom this poor wounded world might well h~ve prllyed to be delivered, men who tried to cover their own hideous selfishn= under a fair and striking name. What they have claimed to be, Jesus the Saviour was and is. He saves from sin. And to do that is to render us the very greatest con- ceivable service, both in its negative and positive aspects. 1. Negatively considered. To destroy sin is to take away evil by the root. For sin is not only, in itsel.f, the worst and most shameful of all evils by which we can be afflicted, but it is the one fruitful 6ource of all other evils-poverty, estrangement, strife, weariness and aching of heart, death. 2. Positively considered. Saving from sin means restoring to God; it includes reinstatement in the condition from which sin removed us. Jesus Christ, in the very act in which he redeems us from the penalty and power of sin, restores us to God-to his Divina favour, his likeness, his service. Accepting and abiding in the Saviour, we dwell in the sunshine of God's everlasting friendship; we grow up into his rerfect image; we spend our days and our powers under his direction. It is not only that Jesus Christ delivers us from the darkest curse; it is that he raides us to the loftiest heritoge, by the salvation which he offers to our hearts. III. 'l'HE DIGNITY AND POWER HE SHOULD ATTAIN. He was to reign upon II throne, .. over the house of Jacob for ever;" and" of hie kingdom there shoul<l be no encl.,. Great and large as Mary's expectations for her promised Child may have very justly been, they can have been nothing to the fulfilment of the angel's words. For the kingdom of Christ (as it is or as it shall be) is one that surpasses in every way that of the greate..•t Hebrew sovereign. It does so: 1. In its main characteristics. It is spirit'll,a,l, The only homage which is acceptable to its King is the homage of the heart, the only tribute the tribute of affection, the only obedience the obedience of love. It is benefiCIJ'fl,t, Every subject in this realm is sacredly bound to seek his brother's well- being rather than his own. It is righteous. Every citizen, because be is such, is pledged to depart from all iniquity, to pnrsue and practise all righteousness. 2. In its extent. It bas "no end" in its spacinl dimensions. No river bounds it; no mountain, no sea; it reaches the whole world round. 3. In its duration. He shall reign "for ever ; " his rule will go down to remotest times; it will touch and include the last generation that shall dwell upon the earth. Let us rejoice in his greatness; but let us s~e to it that (1) we have a part in the heritage of those whom be is blessing, and that (2) we take our share in the fw·thcrance of his mission of wercy.-C.
Vers. 46-48.-T/ie voice of praise. This " improvisation of II happy faith" is not more musical to tbti ear than it is beautiful to our ~piritual discernment. It presents to us the mother of our Lunl in II must pleasing light. We will look at these words of devout gratitude as- I. MA11Y't1 RESPONSE to God's distinguishing goodness to her. She received from God 11 kindness that w11s: L Kec,-ssarily u'llique. Only to one of the daughters of men could be granted the peculiar honour conferred on her. We are naturally and properly affected by mercies which speRk of God's distinguishing ~oodncss to us. 2. ~'itted to 611 her heart with abounding Joy. Slit> was to become II moth, r, aud the mother of One 22 TllE oosrEL ACCOilDTN'G TO S1', LUKE. [en. 1. 1-BO,