nd Deborah, the judge and prophetess, lays no claim to
personal communication with God, but quotes his promises, and
stimulates Barak to action, So also when the angel came from the court
of heaven to foretell the joy that was to come to the world in the
birth of John, the forerunner of Christ, he came to Zacharias instead
of to Elisabeth. But when the message related to Christ, _then the
angel passed by man, and approached woman direct_. God never forgets.
A thousand years are but as a day to Him. Yesterday, in Eden, he
foretold the coming of Christ to Eve. To-day, in Nazareth, the angel
comes to Mary, and makes her heart glad with the fact, that she
was chosen to become the mother of our Lord. Eve lost by sin God's
companionship. Mary obtained, through Christ, favor with God and man.
The valley is spanned with this arch of hope. The night of woman's
humiliation is passing away. And the angel came in unto her, and said,
"Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed
art thou among women."

Strange words these, as we can readily perceive, from the position
held by woman previously. No wonder that when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation
this should be. And the angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou
hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shall conceive in thy
womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He shall
be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God
shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be
no end." No wonder that the air seemed full of music. Woman, made so
beautiful, woman, so beloved of God, and so prized by Adam, before sin
blighted the bud of hope and spoiled the flower of beauty, was now to
come forth from the darkness and gloom of her life of shame to the
light of an unclouded day, henceforth to be made glorious by her
ministrations of love. The glory of motherhood "is the man gotten from
the Lord," and raised to work for God in this sinful world. The glory
of woman is to share this man's home as a helpmeet, and contribute by
her love, and sympathy, and efforts to his happiness and usefulness
here, that she may wear the crown of joy in heaven.

MARIOLATRY NOT OF CHRIST.

If ever woman had reason to sing, "My spirit hath rejoiced in God my
Saviour," it was Mary, the Virgin M