He will keep you pure. Then will come the time in your life when after confirmation you will come to your first Communion. That will bring Jesus to you and you will receive Him into yourself. Then with Jesus and the Holy Ghost, how strong you will be.

So you see life is made up of work and prayer and fighting; and in all these ways you are being taught to be like your Master. And this is exactly what the Church said your life must be when you were baptized: "We sign this child with the sign of the Cross, in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, but manfully to fight under His Banner against sin, the world and the devil, and to continue Christ's faithful soldier and servant unto his life's end."

That banner, dear children, is the Cross; and if you keep under it, hereafter you will wear the crown.

I

THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS.

TEXT: She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. St. Matt. 1, 21.

IN

By the REV. CHARLES C. EDMUNDS, JR.,
Rector of St. Mark's Church, Hoosick Falls, N. Y.

N every age and in every race names have been esteemed a matter of great importance. A name—the title by which the person is always known-ought, we feel, to be really characteristic and appropriate. We are inclined to smile when anyone's name suggests ideas directly oppposed to his actual situation and appearance.

Romantic names bestowed on common-place people, classical names given to modern and unlearned folkshort and vulgar names attached to dignified and important personalities, scriptural or ecclesiastical names borne by the wicked-all these are absurd. There are names with fearful and disgusting associations, because they have belonged to notorious criminals and evil-livers; names that are suggestive of all that is pure and holy and devout; names that we never hear without a throng of memories rushing upon us, and strange and powerful sensations thrilling our hearts. This is true of all names, both family and personal. Everyone whose surname is famous in history wears it with a certain pride.

But in the case of first, or Christian names, this feeling is even stronger; for here the name is more com

pletely identified with the individual. The choice of a name for the new-born babe is very naturally and properly a subject for consideration and consultation, and the hesitancy so often felt has its precedents in celebrated instances.

The story of the family discussion over the naming of the child of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the anxiety of the relations to call him after his father, and their wonder over the decision, "his name is John"-is a case in point which presents an interesting parallel to many a scene of the same sort to-day.

The naming of an heir to a throne is regarded as not unworthy of debate and argument by grave and aged ministers of state. It is already whispered as significant, that the supposed purpose of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, is to style himself Edward VII, thus making an appeal to the noblest traditions of the English past. It was with deliberate intention that the late Emperor of Germany called himself Frederick William, and that his son, the present Emperor, chose the name of William.

So the assumption of a title by the Popes, who at their accession to the tiara drop their own names, and choose a new one from those borne by the first Bishops of the Roman See, is watched with great interest as affording an indication of the probable policy and character of the coming pontificate. It was with relief that the world heard Cardinal Ricci take the style of Leo XIII, rather than that of Pius, or Gregory, or Clement, or Sixtus.

No one can imagine that the late Emperor of the French could have held his throne for 16 years had he, whose baptismal appellation was Louis Napoleon, pre

ferred to be known as Louis XIX, instead of Napoleon III.

In all modern instances, the magic of a name is simply in the associations which hang about it. In earlier ages, and even now among primitive races, however, names were often descriptive or allusive. This is the case at present among our American Indians. The curious names, with which our telegraphic dispatches from the West make us familiar, all refer to some incident connected with the life of the individual to whom they belong-very often to his first exploit in war or in hunting. They sound odd to us, but the names in ordinary use among all people had similar significance once, and were given on similar principles.

When our fore-fathers named a child Louis, or Robert, or Charles, they had the original meanings of the words in their minds. So, also, in the first instance did the Greeks and the Romans; and the high-sounding classical titles which remind us of heroes, generals, poets, consuls and senators, have frequently quite common meanings.

All this will serve to illustrate that usage of the Jews, familiar to every attentive reader of the Bible, which caused them to select names commemorative of some event at the birth of the child, or of their own feelings and hopes at the time, or of their thankfulness and devotion to Almighty God. We all remember how often the sacred writers stop to give the significance of the name. Adam, we are told, called his wife's name Eve, for she was the mother of all living. So she called her first-born, Cain, for she said, "I have gotten a man from the Lord." We read of Esau, the hairy, and Jacob, the supplanter-of Joseph, the fruitful bough, and of

Moses, drawn out of the water. Hannah called her son Samuel, which means "Asked of God"; and the wife of Phinehas, who died giving birth to a son, when she heard of the defeat of the Israelites, the death of her husband, and the capture of the ark, named him Ichabod, "Where is the glory?"

Even more striking are those instances when a name once given is changed, often by the command of God, to one significant of changed circumstances. Thus Abram became Abraham, "Father of a multitude," and Sarai, his wife, Sarah, or "Princess." Jacob, after his meeting with the Angel, was known as Israel, "Prince of God"; and he, himself, altered the name given her son by the dying Rachel Benoni, "Son of my sorrow," to Benjamin, "Son of my right hand."

So Oshua became Joshua,-"the Lord will save"; and, long after, Simon was named Peter, "the Stone." Such are a few out of the many cases wherein Scripture lays special emphasis on the meaning of proper names, and others will doubtless occur to your minds.

There are certain peculiarities of the Hebrew language and method of thought which lend additional interest and importance to a name. Everywhere and always the name of a man is closely identified with his personality, so that his name and his character are inseparably attached, and we cannot think of one without thinking of the other. To mention the name of any person disrespectfully is to show lack of reverence or courtesy toward the person himself. We habitually put a prefix, Mr. Mrs. Miss, before the name of those in address. The name of a sovereign is always honored. by his subjects.

We will never permit the name of one we love to