This Angel salutes the Virgin; Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among Women. 1Many Men and Women have been, and are the Spiritual Temples of God; but never was any the material Temple of God, but only Mary; and therefore, Blessed art thou amongst Women: and yet we cannot say that she was so Blessed in Bearing Christ, as she was in Believing in Christ; her Bearing indeed was more Miraculous, but her Believing was more Beneficial to her Soul: that was her Privilege, but this was her Happiness. Christians, If we believe in Christ, and if we obey the Word of Christ, we are the Mothers of Christ: Whosoever doth the Will of My Father which is in H•aven, 2he is my Brother, and Sister, and Mother. Every renewed Heart is another Mary, a spiritual Sanctuary of the Lord Jesus. It was the Woman's Acclamation, Blessed is the Womb that bare thee, and the Paps that gave thee suck: True, said Christ; but that Blessing extends only to one: I will tell you how many are Blessed, and rather Blessed; yea, 3rather Blessed are they that hear God's Word, and keep it: Blessed are they that so incarnate the written Word by doing it, as the Blessed Virgin gave Flesh to the Eternal Word by bearing it; those that hear and keep God's Word, are they that Travel in Birth again, until Christ be formed in them. 4Hearing, they Receive the Immortal Seed of the Word, by a firm Purpose of doing they conceive, by a longing Desire they quicken, by an earnest. Endeavour they travel, and when the Work is wrought, then have they incarnate the Word, and Christ is formed in them. In this Respect was Mary •lessed; and I make no question, but in this Respect also the Angel calls her Blessed, and Elizabeth calls her Blessed, and Simeon calls her Blessed, and She calls her self Blessed, and all Generations call her Blessed, and God Himself calls and makes her Blessed; yea, as Paul said, Cometh this Blessedness on the Circumcision only? so, cometh this Blessedness on the Virgin only? No,5 even Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, Blessed are they that mourn, & Blessed are the Meek; and Blessed are they, whose Sins are not imputed. Even these hath God blessed with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places; and these shall Christ entertain with a Come ye Blessed of My Father.
This Angel salutes the Virgin; Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among Women. 1Many Men and Women have been, and are the Spiritual Temples of God; but never was any the material Temple of God, but only Mary; and therefore, Blessed art thou amongst Women: and yet we cannot say that she was so Blessed in Bearing Christ, as she was in Believing in Christ; her Bearing indeed was more Miraculous, but her Believing was more Beneficial to her Soul: that was her Priviledge, but this was her Happiness. Christians, If we believe in Christ, and if we obey the Word of Christ, we are the Mothers of Christ: Whosoever doth the Will of My Father which is in H•aven, 2he is my Brother, and Sister, and Mother. Every renewed Heart is another Mary, a spiritual Sanctuary of the Lord Jesus. It was the Woman's Acclamation, Blessed is the Womb that bare thee, and the Paps that gave thee suck: True, said Christ; but that Blessing extends only to one: I will tell you how many are Blessed, and rather Blessed; yea, 3rather Blessed are they that hear God's Word, and keep it: Blessed are they that so incarnate the written Word by doing it, as the Blessed Virgin gave Flesh to the Eternal Word by bearing it; those that hear and keep God's Word, are they that Travel in Birth again, until Christ be formed in them. 4Hearing, they Receive the Immortal Seed of the Word, by a firm Purpose of doing they conceive, by a longing Desire they quicken, by an earnest. Endeavourr they travel, and when the Work is wrought, then have they incarnate the Word, and Christ is formed in them. In this Respect was Mary •lessed; and I make no question, but in this Respect also the Angel calls her Blessed, and Elizabeth calls her Blessed, and Simeon calls her Blessed, and She calls her self Blessed, and all Generations call her Blessed, and God Himself calls and makes her Blessed; yea, as Paul said, Cometh this Blessedness on the Circumcision only? so, cometh this Blessedness on the Virgin only? No,5 even Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, Blessed are they that mourn, & Blessed are the Meek; and Blessed are they, whose Sins are not imputed. Even these hath God blessed with Spiritual Blessings in Heavenly Places; and these shall Christ entertain with a Come ye Blessed of My Father.
- 1Luke 1.28.
- 2Mat. 12.50. Luke 11.27.
- 3Vers. 28.
- 4Gal. 41.9.
- 5Rom. 4.9. Mat. 5.3, 4, 5. Psal. 32.2.
