ablameless, godly, and highly didinguished worn. Such she certainty was. Dam not unwilling to go farther. I will suppose that all the virtues Suchadmiration or superstition have ascribed to her were really hers. I will then ask what was Marys estimate of herself? we have her befmeus singing with joy. on what does the ground her joy? Whence does this holy woman draw her verflowinghappiness?" We look at her words, and her holiness and exallence all vanish fromora sight. We find her ike every other happy creature in he universe deriving ker happiness from an infinite God; and like every every other happy sinner in the

alverse day to og happines tam happy in that Go das the Godofsence Text: Haley had thus for its basis_that

soul & mighly a divine Saviour, 44 And thusalso we must notice in his joy it was the fruit and effect of faith. Almost a mustbelhis. We do not see God.

joy in God

Something we have received from him to glad de nus butitus as nothing.compared with whathe has promised us. Itisasa Saviour that we must chiefly rejoice in him, and his salvationis a future thing. Not one of us has received movellian

of it. Faith Therefore becomes anecessary prerequisite to joy. You see this faith exempli fied in Mary. We are almost ready to imagine that they must have come from her with the infant Jesus inher That they were a young mothe's first words of joy over her new Bornbabe. Butthat Jesus is as yet unborn. She is singing here 2 songs. Falmost pure failho

es

, before hermind and in them she is Bealitified indeed was her faith when

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e angel post appeares to her. Farah Therances for laughed when a heavenly messenzerteld Ther of a far lesswonderful thing. Lacharias the lions and aged part, hesitated and doubled and required a syn when the angel of the Lord Gourethim signs that Elizabeth in herold age should bear him a sin; __ but this holy vig in, when fold of one of the most Marvellous things the power of God of the accomplished", doubled not simple quetion answered the regarded that wonderful thing as certain & sure.

to appreciate such faith as this. The commends her for it: "Blessed is she that believed for there shall bea performance of those things that were old her fromthed ord And here lies the great secret of almost all a Xhan's joy. He is turing, not a life of sense butalife of fact. Many of you may be looking to what you have for comfort and happiness. The Wan deeply tought of God, looks to what he is shave; to what God has promised him to what the Rolling ases the are to bring himages and