HEN an infant is born in a family it is generally the occasion of great interest. Many questions have to be asked and answered in connection with the little stranger. Not by any means the least interesting of these is the question-What shall we call the baby? What shall its name be? Sometimes it takes a long while to answer this question. We call the little darling-babyand that seems name enough at first.

I had a dear, good minister from Ireland staying at my house, not long ago. We remember him and his visit with great delight. He had a large family of nine children. One day when we were sitting round the dinner table, I asked him what were the names of his children. In a moment, he began with the oldest, and repeated their names, one after another, till he had given the seventh name. Then he stopped to think. Presently he said: "Sure and I've forgotten the names of the two youngest; and the reason is, we never use their names. We always call

them big baby, and little baby; and that's all we think of." The next day he remembered the names, and gave them to us.

But, among the Jews the name of a baby always had to be settled very soon. They were required by God to circumcise their little boy babies when they were eight days old. This was the rite by which they were brought into outward connection with the Jewish church. And then their names were given, just as we give names to persons now, when they are baptized, whatever their age may be. And so we read in Luke ii: 21— "And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, he was called-Jesus.

The church of England and the Protestant Episcopal church in this country, have thought the circumcision of Christ of so much importance, that they have appointed a special service to be used every year in memory of this event. The scriptures appointed to be read in that service, have reference to this circumstance in the history of our infant Saviour; and a short, but very suitable prayer, is appointed to be used on that

occasion.

Generally, it is not of much consequence what name is given to an infant. But it was different with our blessed Lord. His name was intended to show what his character and work were to be. The name which our Saviour was to have, was so important that it had been spoken of in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before he was born. The Prophet Isaiah lived about seven hundred years before Christ; and when speaking of him, in one of the prophecies, he said:—“His name shall be called Wonderful." Isaiah ix: 6. He mentions several names of the Messiah, in this same verse, such as “Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Now, the different titles here mentioned, were never actually made use of as the names which Jesus bore. He is not called "Counsellor," though he is a “Counsellor." He is not called "the Mighty God," though he is "the Mighty God." He is not called "the Everlasting Father," though he is an "Everlasting Father" to his people. He is not called "the Prince of Peace," though he is “the Prince of Peace." And so, although he is not called "Wonderful," yet certainly, he is "Wonderful." Thus we see that the word "called," denotes being. It is sometimes used to express the name which should be given

to a person, and sometimes to point out to us the character which the person referred to was to bear. And in this sense the Prophet Isaiah used it, when he said of the coming Saviour that "his name should be called

Wonderful." He meant to say that he was to be a wonderful person. And this we know is the truth.

The name actually given to our Saviour, when received into the Jewish church, was, as we know, the name-Jesus. And to this name Isaiah's word-wonderful-applies. Let us look at this name of our Re

deemer in the light which this word sheds upon it. Sometimes we pluck a flower from the garden, and look at it through a magnifying-glass, and we see beautiful things in it. Now, let the name of Jesus be our flower. Let the prophet's word-wonderful-be our magnifying-glass. Let us look at this flower through this glass, and speak about some of the wonderful things that we see in it.

“He was called—Jesus.”

And when we look at this name through the prophet's glass, we can see five wonderful things in it.

In the first place, we see wonderful-AUTHORITY-in this name.

This is a wonderful thing about the name of Jesus. It is very different from ordinary names, in this respect. These are not given by any authority.

But the highest authority in the universe, decided what his name should be. It was not given to him because it was the choice of his parents; or to please the fancy of any of his family; or because any of his kindred had been called by this name. No, it was not a fancy name, but an authorized name. The Lord God Almighty made choice of this name, and commanded it to be given to him. When the angel came down from heaven, and appeared to Mary, the Mother of our Lord, he told her that she was to have a Son, who was to be the promised Saviour of the world. He told her various things connected with this wonderful child; and among these, the name that was to be given to him. These were the angel's words:---"Thou shalt call his name JESUS." Luke i: 31. This was God's command. The angel brought it down from heaven. This name was given by the authority of the Lord Jehovah; the King of heaven, and Ruler of ten thousand worlds. There was the same authority for giving this name to the new-born Saviour that there was for giving the law of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. When that law was given, we are told "God spake these words, and said:-Thou shalt have none other gods, but me." And when a name was to be given to him who came to "open the kingdom of heaven to all believers;" God spake these words, and said: “Thou shalt call his name— Jesus.”

It is an interesting thing to notice that the name given to our Saviour and the name given to his forerunner-John the Baptist—both have the