The angel Gabriel, who had appeared to Zacharias in the Temple, appeared to her and announced that she was to be the mother of the long-expected Messiah; that in Him the prophecies relative to David’s throne and kingdom should be accomplished; and that his name was to be called Jesus. He further informed her, perhaps as a sign by which she might convince herself that his prediction with regard to herself would come true, that her relative Elizabeth was about to be blessed in the birth of a child. It appears that Mary at once set off to visit Elizabeth in her home in the hill country of Judea. When she had reached her destination, and immediately on her entrance into the house, she was saluted by Elizabeth as the mother of our Lord, and had evidence of the truth of the angel’s saying with regard to her cousin Elizabeth, Mary then embodied her feelings of exultation and thankfulness in the hymn known under the name of the _Magnificat_. The hymn is founded on Hannah’s song of thankfulness (1 Sam. ii, 1-10), and exhibits an intimate knowledge of the Psalms, prophetical writings and books of Moses, from which sources almost every expression in it is drawn. In approaching this exquisite bit of Hebrew poetry uttered by Mary we may profitably consider, first, its beauty of expression; and second, its nobility and grandeur of sentiment. The hymn consists of four stanzas of four lines each, and its literary character is best brought out by a translation which so arranges it. The first stanza reads: My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour, Because He hath looked upon the humility of His bondmaiden; For behold, from henceforth all generations shall pronounce me blessed.