head, and clear the way to his lost P a r a d i se (Gen. 3 : 1 5 ). Jacob c a u g ht t he pitch of its song f r om the tuning of the angel's strings (Gen. 4 9 : 1 0 ). Glorious Christmas promise!' light of the exiles' way f r om Eden to Bethlehem; pouring melody into saintly souls of old who sang their "psalms and h ymns and spiritual songs" f r om Miriam to David, f r om David to Isaiah, f r om Isa- iah to Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, Simeon! 2. Da rk was Isaiah's day (chap. 1 - 7 ). Ahaz was antichrist in his time,—apos- tate, persecutor, b u r n er of babes, mi n i a t u r es of t he Christmas child, in t h e fires of Moloch. The far-stretching ray of the Christmas Star alone sus- tained hope and courage in the groping few of t h at olden darkness. 3. Christmas in Isaiah 9 : 1 -7 ("see" R. V.). Great promise! Gloom gives way to glory; Galilee of the Gentiles shall see light; shadows of death are light- e n ed (see Matt. 1 1 : 5 ); Jairus, widow of Nain, publicans and sinners shall have their Christmas, too! Minished Israel (Ps. 1 0 7 : 3 9) multiplied! joy in- creased! harvest time! the oppressor b r o k e n! The Christmas Gift. (1) "A Child is b o m " ; literally " a b i r th is born," " a b o rn thing,"—-the h uma n i ty of it. (2) " A Son is given," not " b o r n ," but "be- g o t t e n ," t he Diety of it (Jno. 3 : 1 6 ). (3) " T he government shall be on His s h o u l d e r ." King, Constitution, Parlia- ment, He shall rule! Army, navy, po- lice, He shall secure! (4) "H is n a me shall be called Won- d e r f u l ." Wo n d e r f ul everything! won- d e r f ul birth; wo n d e r f ul accompani- ments; wonderful union of natures, finite, infinite! wo n d e r f ul childhood"; wo n d e r f ul holiness amo ng t he unholy; wo n d e r f ul works; wo n d e r f ul words; wo n d e r f ul grace; wo n d e r f ul cross; won- d e r f ul waking; wo n d e r f ul ascending; wo n d e r f ul Gospel; Problem of sages; Admi r a t i on of t he wise; Adoration of t h e pious; Comforter of the weary; F o n d l er of babes; Support and Consoler of age. Wonderful'! (5) "Counsellor," t h e very Wo rd and T r u th itself—wis- dom of God (1 Co. 1 : 2 4 ); wisdom of s a i n ts ( 3 0 ); wisdom wondered at (Mk. •6:2); none spake like Him (Jno. 7: 4 6 ) ; life and death, stability and ruin h a n g on His counsels (Mt. 7 : 2 4 : 2 7 ). ( 6) "Mighty.- Go d "—H is name, beeause H is n a t u r e. He ma de t he mo t h er t h at h a r e H im; t he angels t h at heralded H i m; the hands t h at crucified Him (Col.
1 : 1 5 - 1 7 ). Th e r e f o re "To t he Soli He saith, Thy throne, O God, is forever a nd e v e r" (Heb. 1 : 8 ). (7) " T he everlast- i ng F a t h e r , "—" b e f o re all things and by Him all things consist" (Col. 1 : 1 7) ; He is the Mold of our image ( Ep h. 2 : 1 4 ); and calls us His children (Hb. 2 : 1 3 ). (8) " T he P r i n ce of peace," — " o ur peace" (Eph. 2 : 1 4 ); who "ma de peace" ( 2 : 1 5 ), and gives peace (Jno. 1 4 : 2 7 ), whose kingodm is peace (Ro. 1 4 : 1 7 ), who proclaims peace (Eph. 2 : 1 7; Lli. 2 : 1 4 ) ; who calls us to peace (Col. 3 : 1 5 ), and ever salutes us with " P e a c e !" ( J n o. 2 0 : 2 1; Ro. 1 : 7; 1 So. 1 : 3; Gal. 1 : 3; Phil. 1 : 2; etc., etc., etc.) T h e Christmas Kingdom. (1) I ts end- less increase. Other kingdoms wax a nd wane; they rise, they fall, they a re b r o k e n; this shall have no e n d—f ' Thy throne, O God, is forever a nd ever; a scepter of righteousness is t h e scepter of Thy k i n g d om" (Hb. 1 : 8 ). (2) "Upon t h e t h r o ne of David" (see 2 Sa. 7:12, 13; Ps. 8 9 : 3 5 - 3 7 ); Lk. 1:31-33; Ac. 3: 19-21; 1 5 : 1 5 - 1 8 ). (3) "Wi th judg- me nt and justice f r om henceforth even forever mo r e ." Such a thing has never been f r om Nimrod to King George, t he Kaiser, the Czar, the Mikado, and t he President. Even so come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! II. CHRISTMAS PAST. Christmas came! 1. Angels flitted f r om Jerusalem, to Nazareth, f r om Zecharias to Mary, to Joseph, and as- sembled above the plains of Bethlehem and poured out their ecstasy on the hills of J u d a h, offering to share their me r r yma k i ng "w i th men of good will." 2. How d a rk t he t ime s? (Eph. 4: 1 7 : 1 9 ); how vile t he morals? (Ro. 1 : 2 2 : 2 7; Eph. 5 . 1 2 ); how vicious the disposition? (Rom. 1 : 2 8 - 3 2 ); how hopeless t he outlook? (Eph. 2 : 1 2 ); how low the state of Israel? (Lk. 2 : 1; Mt. 2 : 1 6; Mk. 6 : 3 4; Lk. 23:18-21; Jno. 1 9 : 1 5 ). 3. Had t he promise f a i l e d? It was fulfilled in part. Failed? No; but the people failed, as it was written (Isa. 53; Ps. 2 2 ). III. CHRISTMAS PRESENT. 1. T he eternal secret is open. Gen- tiles are fellow-heirs, of the same body, and p a r t a k e rs of the promise in Christ t h r o u gh t he Gospel (Eph. 3 : 6 ). F or 1900 years they have rejoiced in t he Wo n d r o us birth. 2. It is Christmas; t he world over the Story is told; in Christian lands mil- lions rejoice in spirit and in t r u t h, sending gifts to one another, and offer-
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