Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord,… The Virgin Mary is the woman of all others whom truly to contemplate is to revere. She stands alone among the women of the earth. She occupies a position that is unique in the history of the world — the most illustrious of all her sex, "whom all generations shall call blessed. I. IN DWELLING UPON THE CHARACTER OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN, THERE ARE TWO ERRORS TO BE AVOIDED. 1. The error of the Roman Church — "Mariolatry," i.e., the exaltation of Mary to a position that no created being can occupy, a position scarcely inferior to that of Christ Himself, the appealing to her to bring her influence to bear on her Son, as though He needed thus influencing, as though any one could be more tender, more compassionate, more truly sympathetic than that all-merciful High Priest, who is " touched with the feeling of our infirmities," having been "tempted in all things as we are," "bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh." 2. On the other hand, there is the opposite error, which is doubtless a reaction, a recoil from this undue exaltation of the Blessed Virgin — I mean the error of the puritanical school of thought, which, by a kind of rebound, throws itself into the opposite extreme, and, almost dreading the very mention of her name, seems to deny to her the respect which is surely due to her, and which is claimed for her in Holy Scripture. II. CONSIDER WHAT THOSE SPECIAL VIRTUES WERE THAT SHONE FORTH IN THE VIRGIN MARY, those graces and characteristics that give such beauty to our conception of her saintliness. 1. Humility. The burden of the Magnificat is the greatness of God and her own littleness, the marvellous condescension of "the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity," in stooping so low to visit one so poor and so humble as she was. Humility, what a beautiful virtue it is! and yet how difficult to acquire! How easy it is to mistake it. There are so many spurious imitations of it; there is so much dissimulation in the world that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a mock humility and the genuine virtue. It is so necessary that the motive be the right one. True humility consists not merely in appearing lowly to others, it is the being lowly, lowly in one's own estimation, lowly in heart. It is to recognize what God is, and what we are. It is the only garb that befits weak and erring mortals such as we are. 2. Simplicity of character. How much this grace is needed among us — in words, in dress, in demeanour. 3. Faith. "Blessed is she that believed." Faith, what is it? It is to take God at His word, it is to rest the soul on Him, to trust Him, to surrender the whole being, body, soul, and spirit, to His keeping. A person strong in faith is one who can rise above the poor paltry objects of this earth, and "endure as seeing Him who is invisible." Conclusion: If we would do the will of God, if we would be blessed as Mary, there must be in us the qualifications that Mary possessed — humility, simplicity, faith. Humility, that God may dwell in us; simplicity, that we may be true children of God; faith, that God's voice may be heard and obeyed. Oh, how beautiful must such a life as this be! the life of God in the soul — "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Rowland Ellis, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, |
    |