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The Saviour's name is above every name in respect of —

I. THE GREATNESS IT REPRESENTS. There is in it —

1. The greatness of nature. That which is not natively great cannot be truly and preeminently great. Can the native greatness of Christ be less than that of Deity if He is capable of receiving the glory, power, and dominion that are ascribed to Him? There are two extremes of error: the Unitarian, assimilating the Divine in Christ to the human; and the Roman Catholic, ascribing to the human Virgin what can only be Divine.

2. Greatness of character. Christ is the greatest of characters, because in Him meet all the attributes of Godhead and all the perfections of manhood.

3. The greatness of mission and work. In His mediation confessedly He stands alone; for a race that needs salvation cannot raise up one as a partaker of the Saviour in His work.

II. THE INFLUENCE WHICH IT EXERTS.

1. Through it alone salvation comes as a personal possession.

2. Every blessing that comes to the soul comes in connection with this name.

3. The results of experimental Christianity will not work where His name is denied or ignored. Physical. and even moral, truths may bless the world when their propounders are forgotten. Not so with the truth as it is in Jesus. In vain we are told that religion is not a matter of history. Take away what is Divine in Jesus, and you put out the sun and endeavour to produce light by a book on optics.

III. THE SPACE WHICH IT FILLS. Wherever there is intelligence it is understood; wherever there is loyalty it is adored. It is coincident with civilization, law, liberty, social ties, and charities; a name of welcome and cheer to all that is true, lovely, and of good report.

IV. THE PERIOD THROUGH WHICH IT ENDURES. There are names chronicled in history which we would willingly let die; but there is a fitness and reasonableness in the perpetuation of Christ's name. At the same time there is something surprising in it. Christ endures in an entirely different character from great conquerors and geniuses, as the founder of true religion, and She head of the Church. The name of Mohammed still endures, but is waning, whereas that of Jesus is going into new regions. This, too, in spite of opposition to His claims.

(Principal Cairns.)

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KJV: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

WEB: Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name;