And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
It is very probable that this was the same angel which announced to Mary the first tidings of her miraculous impregnation. And the Church hath found cause to bless the LORD for his ministry. For without it we should not have had ability to have formed suitable and becoming conceptions, equal to what, under grace, we are now enabled to do, of an event in which we are so highly concerned. See Luke 1:26, etc.
I detain the Reader at this scripture, while observing the name of our adorable Lord, and the reason assigned by the angel, wherefore He is called JESUS, just to remark, what a precious name it hath been in all ages of the Church; it still is, and will be through all eternity. It is the same name, in point of significancy, as that of Joshua, or Hoshea, both meaning a Savior. One of the old writers hath made a very sweet and comprehensive sense of it, where he said, ``In the name of JESUS, the whole of the Gospel is hid: for it is the light, the food, the medicine, yea, the very life of the soul.'' And if the Reader also makes his full remark upon the angel's words, he will say the same. Thou shalt call his name Jesus! Wherefore? It is immediately answered. For he shall save his people from their sins. Now observe the beauty and blessedness of those expressions. Jesus. had a people then, even before his incarnation. And it was known, that this people would be sinners. And a provision was therefore made, in the grace of God, for their recovery, even before they had a being. And the very office of JESUS, is to save them from their sins. Yea, the very reason why he is called JESUS, is on this account. Precious LORD JESUS! I would say, Oh give thy people grace to see thee, and to know thee, in this most blessed name, and never to hear this sweet name, or to call upon thee by it, without connecting with it the angel's words. Thou shalt call his name JESUS; for He shall save his people from their sins, See Genesis 22:8-18; Psalms 72:17; Isaiah 7:14; Jeremiah 23:6; Daniel 9:24; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 7:25.