first sound of Mary's salutation, her babe (unable otherwise to testify unto Him, whose forerunner and whose preacher he was about to be,) leaped for joy.

Have you never noticed the little lambs skipping for gladness in the dewy sunshine of an April morn, when all is full of springtide life and hope? or have you not sometimes loved to look upon a little child, clapping his tiny hands, and ready to spring from his nurse's arms, in the exuberance of his innocent delight, at some new and unexpected pleasure? But this was a strange and unwonted joy, caused by no earthly sight and in no earthly way; a joy that wanted words, even as it might be beyond the power of speech to utter ; joy such as had not been known on earth before; and yet, perhaps, not altogether unlike the heavenly gladdening of the spirit of a little babe now, when in holy Baptism the Saviour's sign and seal is set upon the new-born soldier of the Cross, and he wakes up in the conscious brightness of the presence of his Lord. And do not let us think the joy less real, because from all of us the memory of the time when first the day-spring from on high broke in upon the darkness of our prisonhouse has passed away. Where were the trial of our faith, if all our onward path were bathed in that first flood of sunlight? And have we not the Baptist's own testimony in after days concerning Him whom, thus early, he rejoiced to recognise ? "And I knew him not: but He that sent me to baptise with water, the same said unto me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit de

scending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." Let us, by the way, learn a lesson from this, how we cannot walk to-day in the light of yesterday; and how the brightness and blessedness of our baptismal morn (which should be as the commencement of that path of the just which, as the shining light, shineth more and more unto the perfect day,) will not abide with us, save as we follow on to know the Lord, growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not enough that our feet have been guided into the way of peace and holiness; we must walk on therein, remembering that the promise that they "shall not err therein" (Isaiah xxxv. 8th v.) is made to "the wayfaring men," ," who go from strength to strength, not tarrying in their pilgrimage; and then, notwithstanding our foolishness, we may trust in Him who preserveth the simple. Dear children, it would be well for us to bear in mind that there is really no standing still in the way of the Lord; if we press not on, we must slip back, or turn aside; for it is an uphill path, yet easy to those who wait upon the Lord; for they shall renew their strength, and mount up with wings as eagles. And now to return to our subject, how full of comfort to Christ's little ones, and of teaching to us all, are the many instances in which "very babes and sucklings" find a place in the gospel narrative, recalling to our mind those words of our Lord, when rejoicing in spirit He said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord

of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight!" Were not the holy innocents chosen of Him to be the first-fruits of the noble army of martyrs? And was it not a little child whom Jesus called unto Him, and set him in the midst of His disciples, as a pattern unto them; adding these solemn words, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven ?” So, towards the last, we read that the children cried in the temple, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David ;" and when the chief priests and scribes were sore displeased, and said unto Jesus, Hearest Thou what these say? He answered them, "Yea: have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise?" In like manner it seemed good in the sight of the Lord that long before the blessed Christmas night when angels brought the wondrous tidings to the shepherds, and probably before the shining of the star which led the wise men from the East, a babe should be the first to bear witness unto Him who was about to be manifested as the Babe of Bethlehem; and it was not until her babe leaped for joy, that Elisabeth prophesied, as conscious of the untold grace resting upon the lowly Virgin.

"And whence is this to me," said the elder to the younger, "that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"-acknowledging, in these words, the honour due to Mary, on whom it

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rather became Elisabeth to wait; for she, indeed, had obtained grace to become the mother of the Lord's forerunner, who should prepare His way before Him; but the blessed Virgin had found favour with God to be the Mother of the Lord Himself, the promised Saviour. And does not the aged Elisabeth teach us, in her childlike humbling of herself, with what exceeding love and reverence we should think and speak of the mother of our Lord? But before honour is humility;" and for any one "to search their own glory is not glory." And oh! what lessons of selfabasement may we learn from that holy song of praise, in which the long-treasured gladness of Mary's heart found utterance! It is the Lord whom she magnifies; it is in God her Saviour that she had rejoiced; and why? "For He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden." It is as though she would not take unto herself the name of mother, but rather gloried in the name of His handmaiden, as more beseeming one whose lowliness had found such favour in His sight. And would not you desire that He, who looked with joy upon this lowly one, should so look upon you? Then must you learn her lesson of humility, and count yourself of no reputation, and be content to be despised by the great ones, the wise ones, the rich ones of this world; and He, who beholdeth the proud afar off, but giveth grace unto the humble, will have regard unto your lowliness. Have you never noticed in a hilly country how the bright sunshine glances off the barren rock down into some deep green val

ley, where the little flowers spring up by the still waters, and the birds sing among the branches of trees that grow in such places; and have you not remembered how it is written in the Psalms, that God "sendeth His springs into the valley which run among the hills?" I have often called to mind those words, when in our rambles in North Wales we have come suddenly upon just such a valley, screened from the windy storm and tempest by the hills which hemmed it in and hid it from afar. And is it not the same lesson of "God's favour resting upon the lowly," taught us in a picture?—and is not earth full of such pictures even now? And thus do "mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars," tell out, as do all His works, the praises of Him who in wisdom hath made them all.

We read that Mary abode with Elisabeth about three months; and we can well imagine how these two blessed mothers would rejoice together, "singing and making melody" in their hearts to the Lord; and though Zacharias could not as yet mingle his voice with theirs in praising and blessing God, (for because of his slowness to believe the Word spoken unto him he was to continue dumb until the day when it should be performed; and from the circumstance of their making signs unto him at the circumcision of his child, to know how he would have him called, it appears that he was deaf also for this season,) yet doubtless he would share with his wife in the gladdening of the blessed Virgin's visit. And fitly may the name of Hebron remind us, as of Abraham's commun