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 Mother of Christ.  God recognized her as a helper in restoring man from the ruins of sin.  To her the angel spake, saying, “Hail, thou that art highly favored.  The Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women.”  And in pondering in her heart the strange coincidences, she exclaimed, “God hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

From these words it is evident that Mary appreciated the honor conferred upon her by her Creator and rightful Ruler.  It is a singular fact, that Eve, betrayed by Satan, betrayed the race.  Mary held steadfast to God and to truth; and yet Satan has the second time taken woman and used her as an ally, and so has brought an influence to bear upon the minds of men which has led millions astray, and covers vast portions of the world with the gloom of a moral night.  Mary, the “Mother of Jesus,” is made to take the place of “Christ, the Son of God,” and is declared to be the Mother of God.  In this land we can form no conception of the extent to which this