What does that mean?

That she spake by the inspiration of

God's Holy Spirit.

What did she say ?

That Mary was blessed

among women.

Why was Mary blessed?

Because she believed what the angel had told her, namely, that she should be the mother of our Saviour.

What did Mary say?

"My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." What is the meaning of magnify?

To praise, to exalt.

Why was Mary so thankful to God?

Because, as she said, he had done to her great things.

How?

By promising that she should be the mother of Jesus Christ.

How long did the Virgin Mary stay with Elisabeth?

Three months.

Where did she go then?

She returned to her own house.

We have been taught by the example of the Virgin Mary, a lesson of humility and obedience; to-day we learn to imitate her thankfulness in the beautiful hymn of praise you have just read. God gives us all a great many blessings which we do not deserve, and which we are too apt to forget. More than eighteen hundred years have passed away since Mary uttered this thanksgiving, and declared that God's

66

mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to generation." God has always shown mercy to his faithful people, and will do so to the end of the world. Our care should be, to show our faith, by believing the promises of the Gospel, and living as the bible tells us to do. Then shall we be able to say, as Mary did, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God, my Saviour;" for it is impossible to believe in and love our Sa. viour without rejoicing.

Our souls shall magnify the Lord,
In God the Saviour we rejoice;
While we repeat the Virgin's song,
May the same Spirit tune our voice.

The Highest saw her low estate,

And mighty things his hand had done; His overshadowing power and grace, Makes her the mother of his Son.

Let every nation call her bless'd,

And endless years prolong her fame;
But God alone must be ador'd,
Holy and reverend is his name.

To those that fear and trust the Lord,
His mercy stands for ever sure;
From age to age his promise lives,
And the performance is secure.

He spake to Abraham and his seed,
"In thee shall all the earth be bless'd;"

The memory of that ancient word,

Lay long in his eternal breast.

But now no more shall Israel wait,
No more the Gentiles lie forlorn;
Lo the desire of nations comes,

Behold the promised Seed is born.

LESSON FIFTH.

LUKE I. 57 to end.

Now E-lis-a-beth's full time came, that she should be de-liv-er-ed: and she brought forth a son. And her neigh-bours and cous-ins heard how the Lord had show-ed great mer-cy up-on her; and they re-joic-ed with her. And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to cir-cum-cise the child; and they call-ed him him Zach-a-ri-as, af-ter the name of his father. And his moth-er an-swer-ed and said, "Not so, but he shall be called John." And they said un-to her, "There is none of thy kin-dred that is call-ed by this name." And