The first occasion, we have already said, is the salutation of Mary by the angel, announcing to her that she should be the Mother of the Son of God.  Surely no daughter of Eve was ever so distinguished among women; and well does it become us to cherish her memory with affectionate reverence.  The words addressed to her when on earth by the angel in that announcement, with a little variation of expression, are daily addressed to her by the Roman Catholic Church, now that she is no longer seen, but is removed to the invisible world.  “Hail, thou that art highly favoured!” (or as the Vulgate reads it, “full of grace”) “the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women.” [Luke i. 28.] On the substitution of the expression, “full of grace,” for “highly favoured,” or, as our margin suggests, “graciously accepted, or much graced,” I am not desirous {275} of troubling you with any lengthened remark.  I could have wished that since the Greek is different in this passage, and in the first chapter of St. John, where the words “full of grace” are applied to our Saviour, a similar distinction had been observed in the Roman translation.  But the variation is unessential.  The other expression, “Blessed art thou among women,” is precisely and identically the same with the ascription of blessedness made by an inspired tongue, under the elder covenant, to another daughter of Eve.  “Blessed above women,” or (as both the Septuagint and the Vulgate render the word) “Blessed among women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be.” [Judges v. 24.] We can see no ground in such ascription of blessedness for any posthumous adoration of the Virgin Mary.

The same observation applies with at least equal strictness to that affecting interview between Mary and Elizabeth, when, enlightened doubtless by an especial revelation, Elizabeth returned the salutation of her cousin by addressing her as the Mother of her Lord, and hailing her visit as an instance of most welcome and condescending kindness, “Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come unto me?” [Luke i. 43.] Members of the Anglican Church are taught to refer to this event in Mary’s life with feelings of delight and gratitude.  On this occasion she uttered that beautiful hymn, “The Song of the blessed Virgin Mary,” which our Church has selected for daily use at Evening Prayer.  These incidents bring before our minds the image of a spotless Virgin, humble, pious, obedient, holy:  a chosen servant of God—­an exalted pattern for her fellow-creatures; but still a fellow-creature, and a fellow-servant:  {276} a virgin pronounced by an angel blessed on earth.  But further than this we cannot go.  We read of no power, no authority, neither the power and influence of intercession, nor the authority or right of command being ever, even by implication, committed to her; and we dare not of our own minds venture to take for granted a statement of so vast magnitude, involving associations so awful.  We reverence her memory as a blessed woman, the virgin mother of our Lord.  We cannot supplicate any blessing at her hand; we cannot pray to her for her intercession.