All the true Israel of God are now admitted into his paternal protection, whether Jews or Gentiles; for the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to David, of whose family was Mary, could never be forgotten by him who "rejoiced in the habitable parts of his earth, and his delights were with the sons of men." Never can the pious mind recur, without emotions of the liveliest gratitude, to such predictions as the following, which now seem to approach their glorious accomplishments; "I will make of thee (Abraham) a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.... And I will establish my covenant, between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee." Mary prolonged her visit to her aged friend and relative, three months; a period of their lives to which, no doubt, each would ever after recur with peculiar satisfaction. The family of Zacharias was not dulled by the formalities of ceremony, or disturbed by the riot of folly, but delightfully animated by the cheerfulness of religion. Their time, we may readily admit, was wisely employed; and their daily converse such as befitted those favourites of Providence, who knew the truth of God, and had enjoyed the honour of angelic visitations. The improvement of time ought to be our great and immediate concern. To this important duty we are urged by a consideration of the rapidity of its flight--the impossibility of its return--the bright examples of its proper use, which the records of inspiration furnish--the fatal consequences of squandering it away in useless, frivolous and criminal pursuits--the voice of reason--of conscience--of Providence--of Scripture--of disappointed infidelity and of triumphant faith--and the vast interests of eternity, with which the use of it is essentially connected. "Lord, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." During all this time, Mary was only the betrothed wife of an obscure but conscientious person, named Joseph. This was a circumstance which occasioned _him_ extreme perplexity, but tended to exhibit the strength of _her_ faith. Joseph was fearful of her reputation, and meditated some plan of concealing what he supposed would be deemed the disgrace of his beloved partner; for the Jews, whose laws of marriage were very precise, considered infidelity to a betrothed husband in the light of adultery, and as therefore subjecting the person to its usual punishment. [6]