prophet.] Was not Elijah the prophet very zealous for the bonour of God? [Ans. Yes.] What wicked king and queen did Elijah reprove for their wickedness? [ns. Ahab and Jezebel.] Where do we read of them? [ns In the first book of Kings.] Who did he turn to the Lord when they worshipped idols? [Ans. The Israelites.] Did not the angel foretel that John should be such a kind of person as Elijah? [Ans. Yes.] Did Zacharias believe the words of the angel? [Ans. No.] Why did he not believe that he and his wife should have a son? [Ans, Because they were old.] What did he require? [Ans. A sign.] What did the angel say of himself? Ans. That he was Gabriel who stood in the presence of God.] What sign did the angel tell Zacharias should happen because he would not believe his good tidings? [Ans. He should be dumb till his son was born.] Was he struck dumb immediately? [Ans. Yes ] Were not the people greatly surprised when Zacharias came out of the temple? Ans. Yes.] Was not Elizabeth very glad when she found she was to have such a sou? [Ans. Yes.] Did she doubt the words of the angel? [Ans. No.]

PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION.

Instruction.-From the punishment of Zacharias we should learn to give a ready belief to whatever is revealed from God in any way, without desiring further proofs. In the present state of the world we must not expect angels to be sent from heaven with messages to us, because all that is necessary for us to know is revealed in Scripture; we are therefore required to believe the Scriptures, as Zacharias was required to believe the angel. Very few persons come up to the character of Zacharias in verse 6; yet he was punished for unbelief.

Questions. What should we learn from the punishment of Zacharias? [Ans» To believe whatever is revealed fi om God.] Are angels sent from heaven now to reveal things from God? [Ans. No.] How are things revealed or made known to us from God? Ans. By the Scriptures.] Is it not revealed to us concerning John, in the portion of Scripture we have been reading, that he was ordained of God to prepare the people of Israel to receive Christ? [Ans. Yes.] Should we not be guilty of as great a sin as Zacharias was if we did not believe this?

[Ans. Yes.] Why so? [Ans. Because it is revealed to us from God.]

LESSON II.

Read to verse 39.

Instruction.-The Virgin Mary was a young woman in mean circumstances, but she was notwithstanding of the family of king David, as was also Joseph, to whom she was under a promise of marriage. Joseph was by trade a carpenter. It must have greatly surprised Mary to be addressed by an angel from heaven as one who was highly favoured and blessed among women. This happened about six months after the appearance of the angel to Zacharias. It was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, above seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, that a virgin should bear a son, and should call his name Immanuel, or God with us. The message of the angel to Mary shewed that she was the virgin to whom it related, and that the child she was to have would be the Son of God. We find, by part of the angel's message, that Jesus was to be the son of David as well as the Son of God. How he was the Son of God could be known only to God himself; but it is plain that he would be the son of David, by Mary's being of the family of David. What the angel foretold must have appeared very wonderful to the Virgin Mary; but when he told her these astonishing circumstances would be brought to pass by the miraculous power of God, and that with God nothing is impossible, she readily believed his words, and resigned herself to the divine will.

Questions-What did the angel say to comfort Mary? 30. [Ans. That she had found favour with God.] What did the angel foretel? 32. [Ans. That she should bring forth a child, and call his name Jesus.] Whose son did the angel say the son of the Virgin Mary should be called? [Ans. The Son of the Highest.] Who did he mean by the Highest? [Ans. God.] What did the angel say the Lord God would give to his Son? [Ans. The throne of his father David.] How long did he say he should reign over the house of Jacob? [Ans. For ever. When did he say his kingdom should end? [Ans. Never.] Could this be an earthly kingdom? [Ans. No] What king

dom must it be then? [Ans. A heavenly kingdom.] Who is called the father of Jesus in the same verse in which he is styled the Son of the Highest? [Ans. David.] How could he be the Son of God? [Ans. This is only known to God himself] How could he be the son of David? [Ans. By having Mary for his mother.] How so? [Ans. She was of the family of David.] Was it not very wonderful to the Virgin Mary to hear the angel talk of a child of whom she herself should be the mother, and who was to be at the same time the Son of God and the son of David? [Ans Yes.] When the angel told her that with God nothing is impossible, did she entertain any doubts? [Ans. No.] What did she say? 38. [Ans, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.]

Read verse 39 to the end.

Instruction.-Elizabeth spake by divine inspiration what the Holy Ghost put into her mind, for she had not heard from Mary of the angel's visit; and her words partly agreed with those of the angel: this was very wonder. ful, and it must have given great comfort to Mary. We find from the beautiful hymn which Mary spake after she had heard Elizabeth's prophecy, that so far from being lifted up on account of her being assured that she was the blessed virgin who was to be the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, she gave all the glory to God. Mary also testified her faith or belief, by declaring that she regarded what had been revealed to her by the angel, as the fulfilment of the ancient prophecies, made first to Abraham, and afterwards to his posterity the Israelites.

Questions.-Where did Mary go to when the angel left her? 39. [Ans. To the house of Zacharias.] Where was that? [Ans. In the hill country of Judea.] What did Elizabeth style Mary? 42. [Ans. The mother of her Lord.] What Lord did she mean? [Ans. The Lord Christ.] How came Elizabeth to address Mary in this manner? [Ans. She was inspired by the Holy Ghost.] Was Mary proud of the great honour and blessing bestowed upon her? [Ans. No.] Who did her soul magnify? [Ans. The Lord.] In whom did her spirit rejoice? [Ans. In God her Saviour.] Who did she say would call her blessed? [Ans. All generations.] How long

did Mary abide with Elizabeth? [Ans. About three months.] Where did she go to then? Ans. To her own house.] Where was that? [Ans. In Nazareth in Galilee.]

PRACTICAL

TICAL INSTRUCTION.

Instruction. Upon this portion of Scripture the first two articles of the Apostles' Creed, which relate to Jesus Christ, are founded, namely, that he was the Son of God, and that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost; and we are taught by Mary's example to believe them, because they are revealed from heaven. We cannot comprehend the manner in which God performs his wonderful works, but we may believe in them notwithstanding; and if they are written in Scripture, we may be sure, they are revealed from heaven Many ages had passed away from the time that God first gave the promise of a Saviour to Abraham, and many ages have passed since the angel was sent to the Virgin Mary, in all of which God has shewed mercy upon his faithful people from generation to generation; there is no doubt but that God will continue to do so till the end of the world: our care therefore should be to shew our faith by believing the promises of the Gospel, and living as the scriptures direct us; then will every one have cause to say with Mary, My spirit bath rejoiced in God my Saviour; for it is impossible to believe in a Saviour without rejoicing.

Questions.]-What articles of the Apostles' Creed are founded upon this portion of Scripture? Ans. The two first which relate to our Saviour.] Which are they? [Ans. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost.] What are we taught by Mary's example to do? [Ans. To believe in these articles.] Ought we not to believe all that is revealed from heaven? [Ans. Yes.] Who revealed what is written in this Lesson? [Ans. God,] By whom did God reveal it? [Ans. By the angel Gabriel.]

LESSON III.

Read to verse 25.

Instruction.-Joseph, to whom Mary was to be married, is here called the son of David, on account of his being

of the family of David: he was commanded to take Mary as his wife, because it was the will of God that Jesus should pass in the world as the son of Joseph, and be known as the Son of God only to those to whom God should see fit to reveal him. To remove all his scruples, Joseph had a revelation from heaven, agreeing so exactly with that made before to the Virgin Mary, that he could not possibly doubt the truth of what she related concerning the vision she herself had seen. The names Jesus and Joshua are of the same import, and signify a Saviour. The children of Israel were, through the power of God, delivered from their enemies, and put in possession of Canaan, under the guidance of Joshua, as we read in the Old Testament; but mankind were to have a greater deliverance through Jesus Christ. They were to be saved from their sins.

Questions.---Did Joseph to whom Mary was engaged, marry her? [Ans. Yes.] How came he to do so? [Ans. The angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and told him to take her to wife.] What did the angel call Joseph? 20. [Ans. The son of David.] Why did he call him so ? [Ans. Because he was of the family of king David.] Did not the angel reveal the same things to Joseph as had been before revealed to Mary? [Ans. Yes.] What prophet was it who foretold that a virgin should bear a son, and call his name Immanuel? [Ans. Isaiah.] What does the Evangelist St. Matthew say is the meaning of the word Immanuel? [Ans. God with us.]

Read verse 25 to the end.

Instruction. We have here an account of the fulfilment of the promise of God sent to Zacharias in the temple by the angel Gabriel. It was customary for the Jews to name their children at the time they were circumcised, as Christians name theirs at their baptism.' As soon as Zacharias shewed his faith, by directing the child to be named John instead of Zacharias, the punishment which had been inflicted for his want of faith was removed. Elizabeth appears to have had a firm faith in the promises of God from the first. The prophecy which Zacharias spake, as soon as he had recovered his speech, related to the Messiah, or Christ, and to his Messenger, who was to prepare the way before him. The former part of the prophecy signified that Christ would deliver his people from their spiritual enemies, and bring them salvation, according to God's promises made so long before to Abraham;