as that evil angel was of our ruin; but that which those glorious spirits could not do themselves, they are glad to report as done by the God of spirits. Good news rejoices the bearer. With what joy did this holy angel bring the news of that Saviour, in whom we are redeemed to life, himself established in life and glory! The first preacher of the gospel was an angel: that office must needs be glorious that derives itself from such a predecessor. God appointed his angel to be the first preacher, and hath since called his preachers angels. The message is well suited; an angel comes to a virgin, Gabriel to Mary: he that was by signification the Strength of God, to her that was by signification Exalted by God, to the conceiving of him that was the God of strength; to a maid, but espoused; a maid, for the honour of virginity; espoused, for the honour of marriage. The marriage was in a sort made, not consummate, through the instinct of him that meant to make her not an example, but a miracle of women. In this whole work God would have nothing ordinary: it was fit that she should be a married virgin, which should be a virgin-mother. He that meant to take man's nature, without man's corruption, would be the son of man without man's seed; would be the seed of the woman without man; and, amongst all women, of a pure virgin; but, amongst virgins, of one espoused, that there might be at once a witness and a guardian of her fruitful virginity. If the same God had not been the author of virginity and marriage, he had never countenanced virginity by marriage.

Whither doth this glorious angel come to find the mother of him that was God, but to obscure Galilee? A part, which even the Jews themselves despised, as forsaken of their privileges; "Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." Behold, an angel comes to that Galilee out of which no prophet comes, and the God of prophets and angels descends to be conceived in that Galilee out of which no prophet ariseth! He that

filleth all places, makes no difference of places: it is the person which gives honour and privilege to the place, not the place to the person: as the presence of God makes the heaven, the heaven doth not make the honour glorious. No blind corner of Nazareth can hide the blessed virgin from the angel. The favours of God will find out his children, wheresoever they are withdrawn.

It is the fashion of God to seek out the most despised, on whom to bestow his honours: we cannot run away as from the judgments, so not from the mercies of our God. The cottages of Galilee are preferred by God to the famous palaces of Jerusalem; he cares not how homely he converse with his own. Why should we be transported with the outward glory of places, while our God regards it not? We are not of the angel's diet, if we had not rather be with the blessed virgin at Nazareth, than with the proud dames at the court of Jerusalem. It is a great vanity to respect anything above goodness, and to disesteem goodness for any want. The angel salutes the virgin, he prays not to her: he salutes her as a saint, he prays not to her as a goddess. For us to salute her, as he did, were gross presumption: for neither are we as he was, neither is she as she was. If he, that was a spirit, saluted her that was flesh and blood here on earth, it is not for us that are flesh and blood to salute her who is a glorious spirit in heaven. For us to pray to her, in the angel's salutation, were to abuse the virgin, the angel, the salutation.

But how gladly do we second the angel, in the praise of her, which was more ours than his! How justly do we bless her, whom the angel pronounceth blessed! How worthily is she honoured of men, whom the angel proclaimeth beloved of God! O blessed Mary, he cannot bless thee, he cannot honour thee too much, that deifies thee not! That which the angel said of thee, thou hast prophesied of thyself; we believe the angel and thee: All generations shall

call thee blessed, by the fruit of whose womb all generations are blessed. If Zachary was amazed with the sight of this angel, much more the virgin. That very sex had more disadvantage of fear; if it had been but a man that had come to her in that secrecy and suddenness, she could not but have been troubled; how much more, when the shining glory of the person doubled the astonishment!

The troubles of holy minds end ever in comfort. Joy was the errand of the angel, and not terror. Fear, as all passions, disquiets the heart, and makes it, for the time, unfit to receive the messages of God. Soon hath the angel cleared these troublesome mists of passions, and sent out the beams of heavenly consolation in the remotest corner of her soul by the glåd news of her Saviour. How can joy but enter into her heart, out of whose womb shall come salvation? What room can fear find in that breast, that is assured of favour? "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God." Let those fear, who know they are in displeasure, or know not they are gracious. Thine happy estate calls for confidence, and that confidence for joy. What should, what can they fear, who are favoured of him, at whom the devils tremble? Not the presence of the good angels, but the temptations of the evil, strike many terrors into our weakness; we could not be dismayed with them, if we did not forget our condition. "We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, father." If that Spirit, O God, witness with our spirits, that we are thine, how can we fear any of those spiritual wickednesses? Give us assurance of thy favour, and let the powers of hell do their worst.

It was no ordinary favour that the virgin found in heaven: no mortal creature was ever thus graced, that he should take part of her nature, that was the God of nature; that he, which made all things, should make his human body of hers; that her womb should

yield that flesh which was personally united to the Godhead; that she should bear him that upholds the world. "Lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son, and shalt call his name Jesus." It is a question, whether there be more wonder in the conception, or in the fruit; the conception of the virgin, or Jesus conceived. Both are marvellous; but the former doth not more exceed all other wonders, than the latter exceedeth it. For the child of a virgin is the reimprovement of that power which created the world: but that God should be incarnate of a virgin, was an abasement of his Majesty, and an exaltation of the creature, beyond all example. Well was that child worthy to make the mother blessed. Here was a double conception: one in the womb of her body, the other of the soul: if that were more miraculous, this was more beneficial; that was her privilege, this was her happiness; if that were singular to her, this is common to all his chosen. There is no renewed heart, wherein thou, O Saviour, art not formed again. Blessed be thou, that hast herein made us blessed. For what womb can conceive thee, and not partake of thee? Who can partake of thee, and not be happy?

Doubtless the virgin understood the angel, as he meant of a present conception, which made her so much more inquisitive into the manner and means of this event: "How shall this be, since I know not a man?" That she should conceive a son by the knowledge of man, after her marriage consummate, could have been no wonder; but how then should that son of hers be the Son of God? This demand was higher; how her present virginity should be instantly fruitful, might be well worthy of admiration, of inquiry. Here was desire of information, not doubts of infidelity; yea, rather, this question argues faith: it takes for granted that which an unbelieving heart would have stuck at. She says not, Who and whence art thou? what kingdom is this? where and when shall it be erected? But smoothly, supposing all those strange

things would be done, she insists only on that which did necessarily require a farther intimation, and doth not distrust, but demand. Neither doth she say, This cannot be, nor, How can this be? but, How shall this be? So doth the angel answer, as one that knew he needed not to satisfy curiosity, but to inform judgment, and uphold faith. He doth not therefore tell of the manner, but of the author of this act; "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee." It is enough to know who is the undertaker, and what he will do. O God, what do we seek a clear light, where wilt thou have a shadow? No mother knows the manner of her natural conception: what presumption shall it be for flesh and blood to search how the Son of God took flesh and blood of his creature! It is for none, but the Almighty, to know those works which he doth immediately, concerning himself; those that concern us, he hath revealed: "Secrets to God, things revealed to us.

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The answer was not so full, but that a thousand difficulties might arise out of the particularities of so strange a message; yet after the angel's solution, we hear of no more objections, no more interrogations. The faithful heart, when it once understands the good pleasure of God, argues no more, but sweetly rests itself in a quiet expectation: "Behold the servant of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word." There is not a more noble proof of our faith than to captivate all the powers of our understanding and will to our Creator, and without all sciscitation to go blindfold whither he will lead us. All disputations with God, after his will known, arise from infidelity. "Great is the mystery of godliness;" and if we will give nature leave to cavil, we cannot be Christians. O God, thou art faithful, thou art powerful: it is enough that thou hast said it: in the humility of our obedience we resign ourselves over to thee. "Behold the servants of the Lord, be it unto us according to thy word."