Then, let our closeness to Jesus Christ, and our experience of His power, kindle in us the fiery enthusiasm with which He baptizes all His true servants, and let it because we know the sweetnesses that excel, take from us all liability to be tempted away by the vulgar and coarse delights of earth and of sense. Let us keep ourselves clear of the babble that is round about us, and be strong because we grasp Christ's hand.

I have been speaking about no characteristic which may not be attained by any man, woman, or child amongst us. 'The least in the kingdom of heaven' may be greater than John. It is a poor ambition to seek to be _called_ 'great.' It is a noble desire to _be_ 'great in the sight of the Lord.' And if we will keep ourselves close to Jesus Christ that will be attained. It will matter very little what men think of us, if at last we have praise from the lips of Him who poured such praise on His servant. We may, if we will. And then it will not hurt us though our names on earth be dark and our memories perish from among men.

'Of so much fame in heaven expect the meed.'

THE MAGNIFICAT

'And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47. And
my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48. For He
hath regarded the low estate of His hand-maiden: for,
behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed. 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: He hath
scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and
exalted them of low degree. 53. He hath filled the
hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent
empty away. 54. He hath holpen His servant Israel, in
remembrance of His mercy; 55. As He spake to our
fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.'
--LUKE i. 46-55.

Birds sing at dawn and sunrise. It was fitting that the last strains of Old Testament psalmody should prelude the birth of Jesus. To disbelievers in the Incarnation the hymns of Mary and Zacharias are, of course, forgeries; but if it be true nothing can be more 'natural' than these. The very features in this song, which are appealed to as proof of its being the work of some unknown pious liar or dishonest enthusiast, really confirm its genuineness. Critics shake their heads over its many quotations and allusions to Hannah's song and to other poetical parts of the Old Testament, and declare that these are fatal to its being accepted as Mary's. Why? must the simple village maiden be a poetess because she is the mother of our Lord? What is more likely than that she should cast her emotions into forms so familiar to her, and especially that Hannah's hymn should colour hers? These old psalms provided the mould into which her glowing emotions almost instinctively would run, and the very absence of 'originality' in the song favours its genuineness.