Uj-------------------------------- I Voi 7
-----------------------------------o No. 12
DECEMBER, 1916.
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E D I T O R I A L
Cause and Effect.
For twenty centuries, the world over, the Christmas season has been observed. Christmas is an effect—-
, what is its cause? Answer: The birth of the Christ- child—-Immanuel, in Bethlehem of Judea. Twenty centuries of incontrovert ible evidence to the great Christian fact—the Incarnation! ,
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We have Sundays set apart for various purposes, e. g., Temperance Day, Mother’s Day, Children’s Day, Go- to-Church-Sunday. Why not set apart a Sunday on
A Divorce Sunday.
. which every preacher will speak on the subject of divorce. The sacredness of the American home is being undermined by this great American sin. It is America’s crying and burning shame. Shall we not have such a Sunday?
Because of the policy of this magazine in publishing each number a month ahead of the date it bears, in order that our many subscribers in Japan, China, New
Christmas Number.
. Zealand, Australia and other distant lands may receive the magazine by the first day of the month, this issue will reach many of our subscribers early in November. Nevertheless, it is the Christmas Number. O f course we have no good historical reasons for supposing that our Lord Jesus was born on the twenty-fifth of December. But as the great mass of Christians celebrate His birth at that time, our thought will go out, and ought to go out, to His nativity at this time. If we are to celebrate His birth at all, we ought to celebrate.it in a Christian way. It is certain that the average Chris tian (so called) does not celebrate our Lord’s Birth in a Christian way. To many it is a time for the magnifying of an imaginary Santa Claus, rather than tor the glorification of a real Christ Jesus. Far more is heard of Santa'Claus than o f Jesus on this day in the average home. Then it is a day of prodigal waste of our money, which is not really ours but His. We bestow all manner of useless toys and gifts on children and grown-up people, who already have more than is good for them. On the other hand there is little thought of, or ministering to, or sacrificing for, either the children or grown-up people who are perishing for lack of knowledge of Him whose birth we claim to be cele brating. Then, too, the day is given up by many to all manner of forms of gluttony and violence to our bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit. Oh for a Christian Christmas! We wish all our readers a holy, and therefore a truly joyous, Christmas.
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