THE same heavenly ambassador which appeared to Elizabeth
was sent to a poor virgin called Mary, who lived in obscurity
at Nazareth ; this virgin being ordained by the Most High to be
the mother of the great Savior of the world, was saluted by the
angel in the most respectful terms. Such an address, from so
exalted a being, greatly alarmed the meek and humble virgin,
to allay whose fear the angel related, in most rapturous terms,
the subject of his embassy, that she was chosen of God to the
great honor of being the mother of the promised and longexpected
Messiah. —Fleetwood.
With angels and spirits the interiors determine the face ; and
in the spiritual world quarters are not fixed, as in the natural
world, but are determined by the face. —Swedenborg.
God in the midst, Madonna and her babe
Ringed by a bowery, flowery angel brood.
—Mrs. Browning.
Out of all the hundred fair Madonnas,
Seen in many a rich and distant city,—
Sweet Madonnas with the mother's bosom,
Rapt Madonnas caught in clouds to heaven,
Clouds of golden, glad, adoring angels;
Guido's queen which men and angels worship,—
Oftenest I shall think of Peruginos.
-Sir E. Arnold.
And the angel said unto her: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favor with God. —Luke 1:30.
ARE they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister?
Perhaps you never thought of it, hut those two words in the
original are not the same, and there is very great beauty, too, in
the feature of difference. Are they not all "worshiping"
spirits? Do you not see the beauty of it? To my mind, it links
heaven to earth more exquisitely than I ever conceived before.
—W. Merely Panshou, LL. D.
Could we better understand the angelical nature, properties
and perfection, and what converse and intercourse of these spirits
is one with the other, and with God, how they love and praise
Him, and how He communicates Himself to them, we should
have more worthy and awful thoughts of God, the Maker and
Lord of them—we should have more worthy thoughts of His
power, wisdom and greatness. There is a world of thoughts as
well as men. Oh ! glorify the God of angels, magnify Him.
—Pneumatologia, 1701.
For Christ is born of Mary,
And gathered all above;
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell ;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel !
-Phillips Brooks.
Be still, ye clouds of heaven!
Be silent, earth!
And hear an angel tell
Of Jesus' birth.
While she whom Gabriel hails
As full of grace,
Listens with humble faith
In her sweet face.
Gather a garland bright
For Mary's shrine.
For on this bless 'd day
She knelt at prayer;
When lo ! before her shone
An angel fair.
"Hail Mary!" thus he cried
With reverent fear;
She with sweet wondering eyes,
Marveled to hear.
—Adelaide Proctor.
