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ST. MATTHEW. 37 wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost.

21. And she will bring forth a Son: and thou shalt call His name for He will save His people from their sins.

22. Now all this was done that what the Lord spoke by the prophet might be fulfilled, when He saith:

his dwelling. It cannot mean to use marriage rights, since it is posi- tively stated that these were not enjoyed up to the time of the birth of our Lord. It was wisely ordained that Joseph, after his anxious misgiv- ings, should be informed by an angel of the miraculous conception, that his testimony might preclude all doubt or suspicion. St. Bernard says, “I more easily believe the husband who watched over the continency of the mother, and put it to the test, than I should believe the Virgin, defending herself by an appeal to her own conscience." Hom. in Missus est. ¹ The prerogative of a father to name the child, is granted to Joseph, as St. Chrysostom remarks; but he is divinely instructed what name be should give Him. Luc. i. 31; Acts iv. 12. of prophecy. The event did not take place in order to fulfil the predic- tion; but the prediction, which implied the divine foreknowledge of the fact, was thus accomplished. Modern interpreters, especially of the Rationalistic school, regard this phrase as merely indicating the coinci- dence of the event with the language of the ancient writer; but this can- not be affirmed universally, without undermining the authority of pro- phecy, as alleged by the inspired writers of the New Testament, in support of Christianity. The proof, however, does not rest on the mere turn of phrase, but on the manifest intention of the sacred writer an gathered from the context. the siege of Jerusalem, by the joint forces of the kings of Syria and Israel. Isaiah being sent to Achaz, king of Judah, to assure him that the besieging armies should not prevail, directed the prince to ask from God a sign to that effect; but Achaz professed an unwillingness to tempt God, by demanding extraordinary manifestations. Then the prophet rebuking him, said that God himself would give a sign in the birth of Emmanuel from a virgin, adding : “ He will eat butter and honey, that he may know how to refuse the evil and to choose the good. For before the child know to refuse the evil, and to choose the good, the land which thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of the face of her two kings." These passages lead Calmet and others to consider the proximate deliverance of Digitized by Google
 * The corresponding Hebrew term signifies salvation, or Saviour.
 * St. Matthew, writing for Jews, is careful to show the fulfilment
 * Isai. vii. 14. The prediction here cited was uttered on occasion of