chalice of divine. She is even re

to her, a precious pearl we offer her, a ambrosial nectar which we hold to her." garded, in the use of her own words, as received into the soul, and as making intercession within and for her worshipper. "As you have given her all your merits, graces, and satisfactions to dispose of at her will, she will communicate to you her virtues, and will clothe you in her merits, so that you will be able to say to God with confidence, 'Behold Mary, Thy handmaid; be it done unto me according to Thy word,'-Ecce ancilla Domini, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum." 1. What mingled nonsense, fanaticism, untruth, and blasphemy is all this!

Where the Pater noster is repeated once by Roman Catholics, the Ave Maria is repeated ten times. Is this parrot-work? Be it so,-the utterance of its opening words. is effectual even for parrots! "A hawk came one day to seize on a bird that had been taught to repeat the words Hail Mary' the bird cried out, Hail Mary,' and the hawk fell dead." Nay, it is a shield of safety against right and virtue! A wife asked justice from the Virgin upon a woman for whom her husband despised her, but could not obtain it because her wicked enemy said every day, “Hail Mary." 2

"Dr Pusey, and other eminent clergymen of high Anglican views, are invited to take a lesson from the pattern of Mary. One single act of humiliation would save them. Had not Mary bowed before Gabriel, subjecting herself entirely to him as the herald of God, she never would have become Mother of God. So those honest-minded, devout

1 True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. By Grignon de Montfort. Translated by F. W. Faber, D.D.

The Glories of Mary. Translated from the Italian of St Alphonsus M. Liguori, by a Catholic clergyman.

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souls, who are proud to be called English Catholics,' will never reach the real blessing of that name, unless they take such a step as to be called 'Roman Catholics.' This will be done as soon as they, bowing themselves before the Angel and Vicar of God on this earth, with an entire and unconditional submission, shall say, with the humility and sincerity of Mary, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it to me according to thy word.'" The Virgin said this to Gabriel therefore Dr Pusey must say it to the Pope!

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It would be a poor following of Mary's example to turn Roman Catholic. Her steps lead in a contrary direction. She was a good woman, chosen of God, and has passed from the bitterness of earth to the blessedness of heaven; and there is no word obligatory on us to say to her, and no apostrophe of ours certain to reach her ear, till we overtake her and all the multitude of saints who have gone before us. We may only, so far as possible, acquire her spirit, and imitate her behaviour. Like hers, our experience, in its measure and degree, is mingled bitterness and blessedness. In faith resembling Mary's there is a power by which, as she did, we may cross the bitter sea, and gather to ourselves all good. "Blessed is she that believed." Obedient and patient trust in our Creator and Redeemer will turn our sorrow into joy. "Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." In such confidence as the Virgin's, lovingly and simply confessing and following the Lord, we shall share the blessedness of being instruments fit for His use, and agents ready for His service. Let us not overlook scriptures which give the figure of "Christ in you the hope of glory." He is in the Christian's heart as a conception and possession, in his holiness as a birth and life, and in 2 Col. i. 27; Gal. iv. 19.

1 Melia.

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his happiness and usefulness as the glory of the Son of God and Saviour of the world. The Son of Mary teaches, "Whosoever shall do the will of My Father which is in heaven, the same is My-mother." They are happy who through Christ can say, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." To such, in this extent, the congratulation is not inappropriate, "Hail, highly favoured, the Lord is with you, ye are blessed." Every one of our readers may so far find "favour with God." "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously." Praise and glorify "His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."

Where are now the waters of Marah ? Moses "cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which, when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet." Immanuel, of Whom Moses was a type, comes with His cross; and by it, for Mary and us, the bitter waters, as we often hear it said, are made for the eternal future sweet. Extracting their bitterness, and concentrating it in one dread cup, He drinks, for us and all, the curse. What if the secondary bitterness of needful trials continues? What if for the Church a suitable name is Mary? It is only for a while. Bitter-sweet has become the Virgin's title.

"Thou wept'st, meek maiden, mother mild,

Thou wept'st upon thy sinless Child,

Thy very heart was riven :

And yet, what mourning matron here

Would deem thy sorrows bought too dear

By all on this side heaven?"

We may hope to congratulate Mary, when within the veil.

Through her Son happiness is in store for us. She will delight in our salvation, as we in hers, to the praise of Jesus. Drinking, as she did, for and with the Saviour, the cup of common bitterness on earth, we shall drink, with Christ and her, the cup of unmixed joy in heaven. We may shortly know the meaning of the assurance, which some of our friends, missed by us in the domestic gathering, know already, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." The sacred festival of Christ joins "the whole family in heaven and earth." We look within death, and our loved ones are not absent. The Master of the superior feast, Who had before invited and welcomed Mary, said to them also, "Come up higher." More purely because of bereavement, Christmas is merry still, and "December as pleasant as May." The sweetness only of our inheritance will at length be left. The believer's lot is everlasting blessedness. "There shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." This is our lesson

"Where reason fails

With all her powers,
There faith prevails,

And love adores."

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CHAPTER II.

VISIT TO ELISABETH.

And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."-LUKE i. 46, 47.

MARY must have longed to converse with some one respecting the blessedness to which Gabriel had told her she was chosen, and the fear and faith with which she contemplated the momentous events predicted. There was no person near to whom she could open her heart, and look for sympathy and counsel. It was impossible to communicate the tidings to Joseph, to whom as yet she was only betrothed, and whom therefore she at present saw but seldom; and were she to let him know, he might mock her, as his ancient namesake had been mocked, for a dreamer of vain dreams. There was no course open but to go and see that beloved relative of whom, as involved in the divine plan, and as a token to encourage and sustain her, the angel had given her minute information. The visit would dissipate her idea, if a work of the imagination, or confirm it, if what the supposed messenger from God had declared concerning Elisabeth should be found to be true, and would be in various respects a means of grace. Older and wiser than herself, and personally interested, her cousin would enter into her feelings, and cheer and guide her with suitable advice. Moreover, to look after the sign indicated by Gabriel was a duty which