Elizabeth's reception of Mary. 41 and Elizabeth was fill- forerunner he was appointed to be. And Eliza- SECT. ed with the Holy Ghost. beth was directed to consider it in this view; for V. she was immediately filled with an extraordinary Luke degree of divine inspiration, by the influences of 1.41. 42. And she spake the Holy Spirit. And, far from envying the 42 out with a loud voice, superior honour of her young cousin, she, in thou among women, very exalted language, congratulated her on and blessed is the fruit the occasion; and, crying out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art of thy womb. 43. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? as in a sacred kind of transport, she said, in the 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, she as the rules of modesty and piety, tauglīt a Mary 42 V. Luke Mary's song of praise. 47 And my spirit my Saviour. 48 For he hath re 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 147. Lord. And my spirit, with all its most exalted powers, rejoiceth in God as my Saviour; who, bath 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 ; for behold, from henceguishing regard and most surprising con- forth all generations descension, upon the low estate of his handmaid; 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 be shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is yond all our conceptions, even the Almighty mighty hath done to possible, but easy, hath done these great and 50 And his mercy to generation. 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 proud in the imagina 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 Mary also said.] It is observable that most of these phrases are borrowed from the Old Testament, with which the pious virgin seems to have been very conversant; especially from the Song of Hannah; in which there were so many passages remarkably suitable to her own case. Compare 1 Sam. ii. 1-10. Gen. xxx. 13. Psalm ciii. 17. xcviii. 1. lxxxix. 10. cvii, 9. and Mic. vii. 20. d Shall call me happy, paxafixe.] I think there are several other texts where panapos should rather be rendered happy than blessed, which is the proper signification of holos; (see 1 Tim. i. 11. vi. 15. and Rev. xx. 6.) yet I cannot say that the distinction is always material, nor often 52 He hath put down the do I always observe it in the following version. e He hath dispersed the haughty, &c. διεσκορπισεν υπερηφανες διανοια καρδίας αυίων.] 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 inore emphatical sense I have here given them. And thus they are peculiarly applicable to the gospel; in which God doth not only cast down imeginations and every high thing, &c. (2 Cor. x. 5.) by the humbling scheme of his recovering grace, but hath remarkably contounded his most insolent enemies in their own most elaborate projects, and 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: remembrance of his mercy, He 53 V. 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. 53 He hath filled hath often filled the hungry with a variety the hungry with good things, and the rich he of good things, and hath sent away the rich hath sent empty away. 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 his servant Israel, in 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 remem55 As he spake to brance of his everlasting mercy, Even as he 55 our fathers, to Abra- 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." for ever. 36 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. Then Mary abode with her cousin Elizabeth 56 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.] Eganishe 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. & He hath succoured Israel.] That the word alinaBilo properly signifies to interpose in favour of a person in great necessity, or extreme danger, Elsner hath abundantly proved, Observ. Vol. I. page 175. b 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 The birth and circumcision of John. SECT. IMPROVEMENT. How natural is it for those, who have themselves received Ver. mercy of the Lord, to communicate their joy to others, and to 40 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 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. SECT. vi. Luke 1.57. SECT. VI. The birth and circumcision of John the Baptist. Luke I. 57-66. LUKE I. 57. LUKE I. 57. time came, that she AND, when the full time for Elizabeth's de- Now Elizabeth's full actly according to the prediction of the angel to Zacharias names his son, and recovers his speech. heard how the Lord 45 SECT. vi. Luke 53 And her neigh- tions, were acquainted with it; and, having heard bours and her cousins that the Lord, in so illustrious and remarkable a had shewed great mer- manner, had magnified and displaved his mercy cy upon her; and they to her, they ran to testify their joy, and sincerely I. 58. congratulated her on the happy occasion. rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circomcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. ed John. unto her, There is name. And, in particular, it came to pass, that on the 59 eighth day they came together in some considerable numbers, to circumcise the child according to the law (Gen. xvii. 12. Lev. xii. 3.) and, as it was then customary to give it a name, they that were present would have called him Zacharias, 60 And his mother after the name of his father: But his mother, 60 answered and said, Not who had been more particularly informed by her 50; but he shall be call- husband of what had passed between him and the angel in the temple, answered and said, Nay, my friends, it must not be so; but he shall be called 61 And they said John. And when they objected to this, and said 61 none of thy kindred unto her, None of thy kindred, either by birth or that is called by this marriage, is called by this name: In order to 62 determine the question, and to be fully satisfied, signs to his father, how they made signs to his father, to know what he he would have him would have him called. And he, by signs, asked 63 63 And he asked for a writing tablet; and, when he had received for a writing table, and it, he wrote, saying, His name is John; thereby wrote,saying, His name declaring it a settled point, that would admit of is John. And they no farther debate. And they were all amazed at the determination. But greater still was their 64 And his mouth astonishment, to find his tongue at liberty and 64 was opened immedi- his speech restored; for his mouth was immediately, and his tongue losed: and he spake, ately opened, and his tongue [loosed; and he spake audibly and distinctly; beginning, as it was most reasonable, with praising God in that sublime hymn which we shall presently record. And 62 And they made called; marvelled all. and praised God. As it was then customary to give it a name.] The giving the child its name was no more a part of the original intent of circumcision than of baptism; it was an incidental circumstance which custom had added. And I cannot forbear saying that, in administering the Christian ordinance, I think care should be taken to order the voice so that it may plainly appear we only then speak to the child by the name which hath been already given it.That the father among the ancients used to name the children, and that it was customary often to give them the name of their immediate ancestors, Elsner has shewn on this text. A writing tablet, wanidion.] We have so few diminutives in our language, that I was not willing to lose this, which much more exactly answers the original than c And his tongue [loosed]; and he spake, not meat. ου |
