Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-01-06

herself, and is full of utterances Of faith
in the coming and glorious work of the
promised Messiah and the great Re.
demption. 1t has been called the
Swan song of the Holy Virgin for
as il is the first, 50, as far ns we have
any record il is the last poetic utter.
ance of her pure and noble soul.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
!. Special tokens OF Gods favor de.
mand grateful praises.
| The communication made by the an.
! gel to Mary would have been consider.
/ cd by any Jewish maiden the highest
mark OF the divine favor. To be the
mother of the Messiah was the noblcst
distinction coveted by the daughters of
Israel And now that this announce
meut was so suddenly made 10 Mary
she was overwhelmed with wonder, love
aud gratitude. At first, bewildercd by
the angels words, shc knows not what
to say, hut her pious faith rallies TO re-.
ceiyc what she cannot comprehend, and
she feels that she has nothing TO do but
pour out her soul in praise. And 20 she
lifts up her sweet voice IN this noble
hymn, and the after ages have prolong
ed the strain.
We can never deserve Gods special
favor, we never can appreciate It, We
never can make any adequate return
for it, but we can always praise and
magnify him for il.
. 1t is natural and PROPER for Chris.
tian friends to speak to each other
about the great goodness Of God.
When David received special tokens
Of Gods favor, he called his friends to
sympathizc with him in his mcrcies
Come hithcr, all ye that fear God, aud
/ will tell YOU what he hath done for
my soul" So Mary naturally wished
her pious kiu-womnn Elizabeth to know
what God had done for her And the
elder woman mingled her rcioicinps
with hers ln = most eloquent and beau.
tiful outhur-t Of exalted feeling. And
these two holy women had very grand
time together up IN the "hill county,
singing in their sweet music the won.
dcrlul doiue- Of God to them.
Few lives are SO barren that thcy do
not furnish occasions of mutual and
grateful conference with Christian
friends. They that feared the Lord
spake often one To another II we
deriul mercles to u. we should have
more TO speak Of.
3. Mary needed and reioiced in God
her Saviour
llonorcd as the virgin was, she, like
all Of u. was sinner of sinful race.
Beautiful es was her character and love.
~ as were her traits. by the grace Of
God she was what she was And sh"
felt and Acknowledged this. isplaiuly
expressed in her song.
MY soul doth magnify tho Lord,
And my spirl, hash reiuiccd iu God, my
Saviour"
at would 10 difficult to find q more
complete answer to the Romish doc.
trInc respecting her. and especially the
doctrine of the immaculate Conception,
than her language IN this hymn
.Eui.I
!. IN our zeal against the superstition
and idolarrv OF the Enmi-h Church, We
ought not to forget that Mary has re-.
ceivcd from the Holy Spirit himself the
high title OF "Hlrs-Eu NuuNG WoNTN.'
Certainly no created being ever had
such honor a. had this young Hebrew
maiden. Certainly no one ever sustain.
81 such an intimate relation to our
Lord. or had more 10 do with shaping
or guiding his earthly character Ger.
taiuly no ono of his earthly friends ur.
dersioOd him better, or attained TO
finer Likeness and assimilation Of him.
But we sill believe that day i com.
ing when, pcSt to Christ himself, the
rloTiied saint whom all the redeemed
will be most glad to see in the Father's
House. will be his virgin mother. "the
woman by whom, under Gods quicken.
ing shadow, Christ, the Eternal Son Of
God, obtained his life connection with
the race and his birth into practical
brotherhood with it," And lie who
bent from his bloody cross to commend
her in her lone hour of agony to the
beloved disciple. owning her never in
any sense as the mother of God. has
yet n mother sense in him that will be
an everlasting sentiment which, apart
from all idolatrous honors paid TO her
los men. will clothe her with such hon.
ors really divine "a hiiy crown the part
she bore in his wonderful story.