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Elisabeth conceives. The angel

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CHAP. I. Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary.

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A.M. 3999. plished, he departed to his own and the virgin's name was was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

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24 ¶ And after those days, his wife
Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months,
saying,

25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with days wherein he looked on me, to my reproach among men.

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26 And in the sixth month the An. Olymp. angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

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per concern for the honour of their Master or for the salvation
of men; or else that they have lost the spirit of their Master,
and the spirit of their work. Again, Zacharias did not hasten
to his house to tell his wife the good news that he had received
from heaven, in which she was certainly very much interested: ||
the angel had promised that all his words should be fulfilled in
their season, and for this season he patiently waited in the path
of duty. He had engaged in the work of the Lord, and must
pay no attention to any thing that was likely to mar or inter-
rupt his religious service. ||
Preachers who profess to be called
of God to labour in the word and doctrine, and who abandon
their work for filthy lucre's sake, are the most contemptible of
mortals, and traitors to their God.

Verse 24. Hid herself five months] That she might have the fullest proof of the accomplishment of God's promise before she appeared in public, or spoke of her mercies.

Verse 25. To take away my reproach] As fruitfulness was a part of the promise of God to his people, Gen. xvii. 6. and children, on this account, being considered as a particular blessing from heaven, Exod. xxiii. 26. Lev. xxvi. 9. Psal. cxxvii. 3. | so barrenness was considered among the Jews as a reproach, and a token of the disapprobation of the Lord. 1 Sam. i. 6. But see ver. 36.

Verse 26. A city of Galilee] As Joseph and Mary were both of the family of David, the patrimonial estate of which lay in Bethlehem, it seems as if the family residence should have been in that city, and not in Nazareth; for we find that even after the return from the captivity, the several families went to reside in those cities to which they originally belonged. See Neh. xi. 3. But it is probable that the holy family removed to Galilee for fear of exciting the jealousy of Herod, who had usurped that throne to which they had an indisputable right. See on chap. ii. 39. Thus by keeping out of the way, they avoided the effects of his jealousy.

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23.

Verse 27. To a virgin espoused, &c.] See on Matt. i. 18. and

The reflections of pious father Quesnel on this subject are worthy of serious regard. At length the moment is come which is to give a son to a virgin, a saviour to the world, a pattern to mankind, a sacrifice to sinners, a temple to the divinity, and a new principle to the new world. This angel is sent from God, not to the palaces of the great, but to a poor maid, the wife of a carpenter. The Son of God comes to humble the proud, and to honour poverty, weakness, and contempt. He chuses an obscure place for the mystery which is most glorious to his humanity, its union with the Divinity; and for that which is most degrading (his sufferings and death) he will chuse the greatest city! How far are men from such a conduct as this!

Verse 28. And the angel came in unto her] Some think that all this business was transacted in a vision; and that there was no personal appearance of the angel. When divine visions were given, they are announced as such, in the sacred writ||ings; nor can we with safety attribute any thing to a vision where a divine communication is made, unless it be specified as such in the text.

Hail] Analogous to Peace be to thee-May thou enjoy all possible blessings!

Highly favoured] As being chosen in preference to all the women upon earth, to be the mother of the Messiah.

The Lord is with thee] Thou art about to receive the most convincing proofs of God's peculiar favour towards thee. Blessed art thou among women.] That is, thou art favoured beyond all others.

Verse 29. She was troubled at his saying] The glorious appearance of the heavenly messenger filled her with amazement; and she was puzzled to find out the purport of his speech. Verse 31, Thou-shalt call his name JESUS.] See on Matt i. 20, 21. and here, on chap. ii. 21.

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Verse 32. He shall be great] Behold the greatness of the rit. The divine nature could not be born of the Virgin; the Man Christ Jesus: 1st. Because that human nature that human nature was born of her. The divine nature had no beshould be born of the virgin, was to be united with the divine ginning; it was God manifested in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. it nature. 2dly. In consequence of this, that human nature was that word which being in the beginning (from eternity) should be called in a peculiar sense the Son of the most high with God, John i. 2. was afterwards made flesh, (became maGod; because God would produce it in her womb without nifest in human nature) and tubernacled among us, John i. 14. the intervention of man. 3. He shall be the everlasting Head Of this divine nature the angel does not particularly speak and Sovereign of his church. 4. His government and king- here, but of the tabernacle or shrine which God was now predom shall be eternal. Revolutions may destroy the kingdoms paring for it, viz. the holy thing that was to be born of the of the earth, but the powers and gates of hell and death shall Virgin. Two natures must ever be distinguished in Christ: never be able to destroy or injure the kingdom of Christ. the human nature, in reference to which he is the Son of God His is the only dominion that shall never have an end. The and inferior to him, Mark xiii. 32. John v. 19. xiv. 28. and angel seems here to refer to Isai. ix. 7. xvi. 5. Jer. xxiii. 5. || the divine nature which was from eternity, and equal to God, Dan. ii. 44. vii. 14. All which prophecies speak of the glory,|| John i.. 1. x. 30. Rom. ix. 5. Col. i. 16-18. It is true, that extent, and. perpetuity of the evangelical kingdom. The to Jesus the Christ, as he appeared among men, every chakingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory, form the end-racteristic of the divine nature is sometimes attributed, withless government of Christ. out appearing to make any distinction between the divine Verse 33. The house of Jacob] All who belong to the twelve and human natures; but is there any part of the scriptures tribes, the whole Israelitish people.

Verse 34. Seeing I know not a man] Or, husband. As she was only contracted to Joseph, and not as yet married, she knew that this conception could not have yet taken place; and she modestly enquires by what means the promise of the angel is to be fulfilled, in order to regulate her conduct accordingly.

in which it is plainly said that the divine nature of Jesus was the Son of God? Here I trust I may be permitted to say, with all due respect for those who differ from me, that the doctrine of the eternal Sonship of Christ is, in my opinion; antiscriptural, and highly dangerous; this doctrine I reject for the following reasons:

1st. I have not been able to find any express declaration in the scriptures concerning it.

Verse 35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee] This conception shall take place suddenly, and the Holy Spirit him- 2dly. If Christ be the Son of God as to his divine nature, self shall be the grand operator. The power, duvaus, the mira- then he cannot be eternal: for son implies a father; and facle working power, of the Most High shall overshadow thee, ther implies, in reference to son, precedency in time, if not in to accomplish this purpose, and to protect thee from danger. nature too. Father and son imply the idea of generation; and As there is a plain allusion to the Spirit of God brooding overgeneration implies a time in which it was effected, and time the face of the waters, to render them prolific, Gen. i. 2. I am the more firmly established in the opinion advanced on Matt. i. 20. that the rudiments of the human nature of Christ was a real creation in the womb of the Virgin, by the energy || him. of the Spirit of God.

also antecedent to such generation.

3dly. If Christ be the Son of God, as to his divine nature, then the Father is of necessity prior, consequently superior to

4thly. Again, if this divine nature were begotten of the FaTherefore also that holy thing (or person)—shall be called the||ther, then it must be in time; i. e. there was a period in which Son of God.] We may plainly perceive here, that the angel does not give the appellation of Son of God to the divine nature of Christ; but to that holy person or thing To ayo, which was to be born of the Virgin, by the energy of the Holy Spi▾

it did not exist, and a period when it began to exist. This destroys the eternity of our blessed Lord, and robs him at once of his Godhead.

5thly. To say that he was begotten from all eternity, is in.

Mary visits her

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A.M. 4000. of thee, shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

39 And Mary arose in those days, and ¶ went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

* Matt. 14. 33. & 26. 63, 61. Mark 1. 1. John 1. 34. & 20. 31. Acts 8. 37. Rom. 1. 4. - Gen. 18. 14. Jer. 32. 17. Zech. 8. 6. Matt. 19. 26.

my opinion, absurd; and the phrase eternal Son, is a positive self-contradiction. ETERNITY is that which has had no beginning, nor stands in any reference to TIME. SON supposes time, generation, and father; and time also antecedent to such generation. Therefore the conjunction of these two terms Son and eternity is absolutely impossible, as they imply essentially different and opposite ideas.

The enemies of Christ's divinity have, in all ages, availed themselves of this incautious method of treating this subject, and on this ground, have ever had the advantage of the defenders of the godhead of Christ. This doctrine of the eternal Sonship destroys the deity of Christ; now if his deity be taken away, the whole gospel scheme of redemption is ruined. On this ground, the atonement of Christ cannot have been of infi|| nite merit, and consequently could not purchase pardon for the offences of mankind, nor give any right to, or possession of, an eternal glory. The very use of this phrase is both absurd and dangerous; therefore let all those who value Jesus and their salvation abide by the Scriptures.

Verse 36. Thy cousin Elisabeth] Thy kinswoman ovyg cuns. As Elizabeth was of the tribe of Levi, ver. 5. and Mary of the tribe of Judah, they could not be relatives but by the mother's side.

She hath also conceived] And this is wrought by the same power and energy through which thou shalt conceive. Thus God has given thee a proof and pledge in what he has done for Elizabeth, of what he will do for thyself; therefore, have faith in God..

Who was called barren.] It is probable that Elizabeth got this appellative by way of reproach; or to distinguish her from some other Elizabeth also well known, who had been blest with children. Perhaps this is the reproach which Elizabeth speaks of, ver. 25. her common name among men, among the people who knew her, being Elizabeth the barren.

cousin Elisabeth.

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40 And entered into the house of A. M. 4000 Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

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Verse 37. For with God nothing shall be impossible.] Words of the very same import with those spoken by the Lord to Sarah, when he foretold the birth of Isaac, Gen. xviii. 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? As there can be no doubt that many perceived this allusion to the promise and birth of Isaac, so she must have had her faith considerably strengthened by reflecting on the intervention of God in that case.

Verse 38. Behold the handmaid of the Lord] I fully credit what thou sayest, and am perfectly ready to obey thy cornmands, and to accomplish all the purposes of thy grace concerning me. It appears that at the instant of this act of faith, and purposed obedience, the conception of the immaculate humanity of Jesus took place; and it was DONE unto her according to his word. See ver. 35.

Verse 39. In those days] As soon as she could conveniently fit herself out for the journey.

Hill country] Hebron, the city of the priests, Josh. xxi. 11. which was situated in the tribe of Judah, about forty miles south of Jerusalem, and upwards of seventy from Nazareth.

With haste] This probably refers to nothing else than the carnestness of her mind to visit her relative Elizabeth, and to see what the Lord had wrought for her.

Verse 41. Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost] This seems to have been the accomplishment of the promise made by the angel, ver. 15. IIe shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. The mother is filled with the Holy Spirit, and the child in her womb becomes sensible of the divine influence.

Verse 42. Blessed art thou among women] Repeating the words of the angel, ver. 28. of which she had probably been informed by the Holy Virgin, in the present interview.

Verse 43. The mother of my Lord] The prophetic spirit which appears to have overshadowed Elizabeth, gave her a

Mary's hymn of praise,

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henceforth all generations shall call
me blessed.

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45 And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

46 ¶ And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

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49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and 'holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; The hath scattered the proud in the imagina

48 For he hath regarded the low estate of tion of their hearts.

Or, which believed that there.Hab. 3. 18.- 1 Sam. 1. 11. Ps.

1 Sam. 2. 1. Ps. 31. 2, 3. & 35. 9.
138. 6. Mal. 3. 12. ch. 11. 27.

e Ps. 71. 19. & 126. 2, 3.—f Ps. 111. 9.—— Gen. 17. 7. Exod. 20. 6. Ps. 103. 17, 18.- - Ps. 98. 1. & 118. 15. Isai, 40, 10. & 51. 9. & 5%, 10.— iPs. 33. 10. 1 Pet. 5. 5.

clear understanding in the mystery of the birth of the pro- soul was filled with the divine influence, and wrapt up in mised Messiah. God.

Verse 45. Blessed is she that believed; for there shall be, &c.] Or, Blessed is she who hath believed that there shall be, &c. This I believe to be the proper arrangement of the passage, and is thus noticed in the marginal reading. Faith is here represented as the foundation of true happiness, because it receives the fulfilment of God's promises. Whatever God has promised, he intends to perform. We should believe whatever he has spoken-his own authority is a sufficient rea- || son why we should believe. Let us only be convinced that God has given the promise, and then implicit faith becomes an indispensable duty--in this case not to believe implicitly would be absurd and unreasonable-God will perform his promise, for He cannot lie.

Verse 46. And Mary said] Two copies of the Itala, and some books mentioned by Origen, give this song to Elizabeth. It is a counterpart of the song of Hannah, as related in 1 Sam. ii. 1-10.

This is allowed by many to be the first piece of poetry in the New Testament; but the address of the angel to Zacharias, ver. 13—17. is delivered in the same way: so is that to the Virgin, ver. 30–33. and so also is Elizabeth's answer to Mary, ver. 42-45. All these portions are easily reducible to the hemistich form in which the Hebrew poetry of the Old Testament is found in many MSS. and in which Dr. Kennicott has arranged the Psalms, and other poetical parts of the Sacred Writings. See his Hebrew Bible.

My soul doth magnify the Lord] The verb yah, Kypke has proved, signifies to celebrate with words, to extol with praises. This is the only way in which God can be magnified, or made great for strictly speaking, nothing can be added to God, for he is infinite and eternal; therefore the way to magnify him, is to shew forth and celebrate those acts in which he has manifested his greatness.

Verse 47. My spirit hath rejoiced] Exulted. These words are uncommonly emphatical-they shew that Mary's whole

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Verse 48. He hath regarded] Looked favourably, &c. Emi

. In the most tender and compassionate manner he has visited me in my humiliation, drawing the reasons of his conduct, not from any excellence in me, but from his own eternal kindness and love.

All generations shall call me blessed.] This was the character by which alone she wished to be known; viz. The blessed or happy virgin. What dishonour do those do to this holy woman, who give her names and characters which her pure soul would abhor; and which properly belong to GOD her Saviour! By her votaries she is addressed as Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, &c. titles both absurd and blasphemous.

Verse 49. He that is mighty hath done to me great things] Or, miracles, payahna. As God fills her with his goodness, she empties herself to him in praises; and sinking into her own nothingness, she ever confesses, that God alone is all in all.

Holy is his name.] Probably the word which Mary used was on chesed, which though we sometimes translate holy, see Psal. Ixxxvi. 2. cxlv. 17. yet the proper meaning is abundant goodness, exuberant kindness, and this well agrees with the following clause.

Verse 50. His mercy is on them that fear him] His exuberant kindness manifests itself in acts of mercy to all those who fear or reverence his name; and this is continued from generation to generation, because he is abundant in goodness, and because he delighteth in mercy. This is a noble, becoming, and just character of the God of the Christians: a being who delights in the salvation and happiness of all his creatures, because his name is mercy, and his nature love.

Verse 51. He hath shewed strength] Or, He hath gained the victory, Tonσe xgaros. The word xgaros is used for victory, by Homer, Hesiod, Sophocles, Euripides and others.

With his arm] Grotius has well observed that God's efficacy is represented by his finger, his great power by his hand,

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and his omnipotence by his arm. The plague of lice was the finger of God, Exod. vii. 18. The plagues in general were wrought by his hand, Exod. iii. 20. And the destruction of Pharaoh's host in the Red Sea, which was effected by the omnipotence of God, is called the act of his arm, Exod. xv. 16. He hath scattered] Διεσκορπισεν hath scattered abroad, as a whirlwind scatters dust and chaff.

The proud] Or haughty, vienpavovs; from vę above, and Czyw I shew-the haughty men, who wish to be noticed in preference to all others; and feel sovereign contempt for all but themselves. These God scatters abroad--instead of being in his sight, as in their own, the most excellent of the earth, he treats them as straw, stubble, chaff, and dust.

In the imagination of their hearts.] While they are forming their insolent, proud, and oppressive projects-laying their plans, and imagining that accomplishment and success are waiting at their right hand, the whirlwind of God's displeasure blows, and they and their machinations are dissipated together.

Verse 52. He hath put down the mighty from their seats] Or, He hath taken down potentates from their thrones. This probably alludes to the removal of Saul from the throne of Israel, and the establishment of the kingdom in the person and family of David. And as Mary spoke prophetically, this saying may also allude to the destruction of the kingdom of Satan and his allies, and the final prevalence of the kingdom

of Christ.

honour of the giver. There is an allusion here, as in several other parts of this song, to the case of Hannah and Peninnah, as related 1 Sam. i. 2, &c. ii. 1–10.

Verse 54. He hath hotpen [supported anthaßto] his servant Israel] Israel is here represented as falling, and the Lord comes speedily in and props him up. The house of David was now ready to fall and rise no more; Jesus being born of the very last branch of the regal line, revived the family, and restored the dominion.

In remembrance of his mercy] By mercy, the covenant which God made with Abraham, Gen. xv. 18. is intended; which covenant proceeded from God's eternal mercy, as in it salvation was promised to all the nations of the earth. See Gen. xvii. 19, and xxii. 18. and this promise was in one form or other, given to all the fathers, ver. 55.

This song properly consists of three parts..

I. In the first part Mary praises God for what he had done for herself, ver. 46—50.

2. In the second, she praises him for what he had done, and would do against the oppressors of his people, ver. 51–53. 3. In the third, she praises him for what he had done, and would do for his church, ver. 53–56.

Verse 56. And Mary abode with her about three months] According to some, the departure of Mary from. Hebron must have been but a few days before the birth of John; as nine months had now elapsed since Elizabeth's conception; see ver. 36. Hence it immediately follows:

Verse 57. Now Elisabeth's full time came, &c.] But according to others, we are to understand the three months of Mary's visit as preceding the birth of John, which would complete the time of Elizabeth's pregnancy, according to ver. 36. and the only difficulty is to ascertain whether Mary went immediately to Hebron after her salutation; or whether she tarried nearly three months before she took the journey. Verse 58. And her neighbours and her cousins-rejoiced with

Verse 53. Filled the hungry-the rich he hath sent empty away.] God is here represented under the notion of a person of unbounded benevolence, who is daily feeding multitudes at his gates. The poor and the rich are equally dependant upon him; to the one he gives his affluence for a season, and to the other his daily bread, The poor man comes through a sense of his want to get his daily support, and God feeds him, the rich man comes through the lust of gain, to get more added to his abundance, and God sends him empty away-her.] Because sterility was a reproach, and they now renot only gives him nothing more, but often deprives him of that which he has, because he has not improved it to the

joiced with their relative, from whom that reproach was now rolled away. To rejoice with those whom God has favoured,

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