tion; for the observing and remarking the extraordinary occurrences, concerning her Son, and "pondering them in "her heart ;" and by her, fiequently, following after Him to hear His divine sermons; and lastly, by constantly joining herself in public devotion with the Apostles. There are various opinions about the time of her death, some placing it in the 58th year of her age, some in the 72d, but most in the 62d, or 63d, and in the year of Christ 48.

LUKE i. 31.

Behold, thou shalt bring forth a Son, and shalt call bis name JESUS.

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S our Saviour's mission upon earth was as extraordinary in its nature as benevolent in its intentions, it was expedient that the name He should bear should designate His office, and delineate His character; God himself, therefore, directed it by the means of an Angel. This had been, already, communicated to Mary-" Thou shalt bring forth a Son, and shalt "call his name Jesus." The Angel repeated this command to Joseph-" Fear not to take unto thee Mary "thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of "the Holy Ghost, and she shall bring forth a Son,

and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for He shall "save His people from their sins." Again, this name was given to this heavenly infant, when, on the eighth day after His birth, He was circumcised, beginning thus to fulfil the Law, and thereby shewing that He was of the posterity of Abraham.

⚫ Bertrand.

Such

Such are the mysteries, infinitely consolatory, comprized under that adorable name, which it is intended to explain in conformity to the Gospel appointed for the service of this day.

I shall, first, make some reflections on the name JESUS: I shall then shew in what manner our Lord is Jesus, or the Saviour; and lastly, shall explain whose Salvation He accomplished.

Do thou, gracious God, who, of thy infinite mercy, hast sent thine only Son "manifest in the flesh," enlighten the eyes of our understanding, that we may discern the glorious mysteries of this adorable name, which are designed to produce obedience to thy will, and acquiescence in thy ways!

I. All those, who have been honored with names by the command of God, were distinguished characters during their life, as Solomon, John the Baptist, and some others (see Luke i. 13.): but there is not, without contradiction, one of them who has so exactly answered the signification of his name, as Christ Jesus our Saviour.

This name, in the original Hebrew, imports a Saviour. The Hebrews, frequently, gave significant names to their children, indicative of some circumstance of their birth, or of their destination. In like manner, God gives to his Son a name which manifests His love to men, as glorious in its design, as it was painful in its accomplishment.

The ancients often call their gods, their kings, their heroes, or their benefactors, their saviours.

Far hence these usurpations of a name which is due to no other than our Blessed Lord. "There is no God "else beside me, a just God and a Saviour; there is

66 none

none beside me," said the Lord by his Prophet. "There is no Salvation," said the Apostle likewise, "in any other; for there is no other name under "Heaven given to man, by whom we can be saved."

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The name of Jesus was common among the Jews; both in the Old and New Testaments several persons are mentioned who have borne it: two of them in ticular remarkable for some conformity to our adorable Redeemer. The one is Joshua, the son of Nun, the first judge, and the successor of Moses; the other is Joshua, the son of Josedec, priest and restorer of the temple, and of the worship of Jerusalem.

But how great is the difference between Christ Jesus and those men, distinguished as they may have been! They received their name only from men; Jesus Christ received His from God himself, who had designed Him, from all eternity, for the accomplishment of the highest purposes, the Salvation of the human race.

Besides, they procured only temporal deliverances; but Christ purchased, for all mankind, eternal Redemp. tion. The judge of Israel brought his people into the country of Canaan, after having subdued its kings. Our Lord will bring all out of every nation, who believe the doctrines, observe the ordinances, and fulfil the precepts, of his Religion, into the heavenly Canaan, after having vanquished all the enemies of our Salvation, and after "having led captivity captive."

Those men were no other than ministers of Providence, incapable of themselves of delivering the people: Jesus Christ is the only Son of God; the Author of Salvation and of life, the Prince of peace, the Source of all 'spiritual benedictions.

VOL. III.

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As

As much then as is the difference between the master and the servants, between the splendor of the sun and the glimmering of a taper, between the substance and the figures, so much is there between Christ the Saviour of the world, and those temporal deliverers.

men.

Let us now see how the Lord Jesus is the Saviour of The whole is comprized in these few words of the Heavenly Messenger-" He shall save His people "from their sins."

II. Sin is, unquestionably, the greatest of human evils, and the cause of all our wretchedness. To deliver us from sin then, is to set us free from unhappiness, and to conduct us to felicity.

The sacred writers design by sin-the corruption which it produces in us; and the punishment awaiting it. Such were the two obstacles to happiness; obstacles insurmountable to every other power than that of the Son of God, and which He has removed by delivering us from this baneful corruption and its dreadful punish

ment.

Christ saves us, at first, from our sins, by delivering us from the corruptions which they had attached to us. In this sense He labors to deliver us by His heavenly instructions: sublime truths, holy precepts, urgent motives are proposed to us to dissuade us from vice, and confirm us in virtue. This is the sole design of all His discourses, of His promises and threatenings, of His affectionate exhortations and His awakening rebukes. "The Grace of God hath appeared unto all men, "teaching us that, by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly "in this present world; looking for that blessed hope,

"and

and glorious appearance, of the great God, and of "our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath given Himself "for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity,

and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous "of good works." This is, in a few words, the whole Christian theology, the whole doctrine of the Gospel, which St. Paul recommends to his disciple Titus to teach with authority; to prove by evidence, to illustrate with precision, to enforce by exhortation.

Not content to be our Teacher, the Blessed Jesus is also our Example. To effect which, He took upon Him our nature, He cloathed himself with our infirmities, He led a wretched life, He died an ignominious death, that He might give us, in every character which His creatures have to sustain in their earthly pilgrimage, an example of virtue not easy, in all circumstances, to be practised-mildness, goodness, patience, resignation to the will of Providence. He goes before us in the rugged paths of virtue: what He prescribes, He observes; what He commands, He fulfils; " leav ❝ing us an example that we should follow His steps."

Our Blessed Lord delivers us from the corruption of sin by the prevailing influences of His Grace, and the efficacious support of His Spirit: if Ife exhort us to the duty of vigilance, He recommends, at the same time, the exercise of prayer. We have only to implore, and we shall obtain, His heavenly assistance: " seek," said He," and ye shall find: whatever ye shall ask the "Father in my name, He will give it you."

The Redeemer saves us also from our sins, by delivering us from the punishment which they incurred. If God will" take vengeance of His adversaries," He