Mary the virgin, the mother of our Lord. There is no person
perhaps in sacred or profane history around whom so many legends
have been grouped a the Virgin Mary; and there are few whose
authentic history is more concise. She was, like Joseph, of the
tribe of Judah and of the lineage of David. ( Psalms 132:11 ;
Luke 1:32 ; Romans 1:3 ) She had a sister, named, like herself,
( John 19:25 ) and she was connected by marriage, ( Luke 1:36 )
with Elizabeth, who was of the tribe of Levi and of the lineage
of Aaron. This is all that we know of her antecedents. She was
betrothed to Joseph of Nazareth; but before her marriage she
became with child by the Holy Ghost, and became the mother of
Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Her history at this
time, her residence at Bethlehem, flight to Egypt, and return to
her early home st Nazareth, are well known. Four times only does
she appear after the commencement of Christs ministry. These
four occasions are-- - The marriage at Cana in Galilee took
place in the three mont