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miss the plan. God bless you, little girl,” he said, as he took her outstretched hand. As Marion closed the door and crossed over to the street, she saw that the snow had ceased falling and dark ness had settled over the village. The evening star looked benignly down on her. From a distance, she heard chil dren’s voices, singing, “There’s a song in the air, There’s a star in the sky I” And as she looked up, the words were echoed in her heart. [To be continued ] pels our worship; His mighty redemption deserves the paean : “Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” The quest, however, does not cease with the fulfillment of our expectations. The Wise Men were not done with their pilgrimage when they had seen the One who answered the threefold cry of.humanity. Their quest was, finally, A Q üest of C onsecration When they saw the Child, “they fell down and wor shipped him ; and opening their treasures they, offered unto him gifts,” They had come with avowed intention of pre senting their treasures to the infant King as a mark of their personal devotion. They presented myrrh, the precious spice used for em balming the dead. Its bitterness bespoke suffering—the suffering that they could and would endure for Him. They presented gold to the Sovereign as the tribute of their possessions, to be placed at His command. They presented frankincense for the altar of God man ifest in the flesh, representing the fragrance of their spirit ual devotion. • In suffering, in giving, and in spiritual devotion, they expressed their avowed purpose of utter consecration to the new Deliverer who had come. The climax of their quest was not in what they gained, but in what they gave. To come to the end of our Christmas quest only to satisfy our own desires would be both sinful and selfish. Our sincerity is not proved when we stand in gaping won der before the miraculous Christ-Child, but when we kneel in simple love befqre Him ; not when we rejoice “with ex ceeding great joy,” but when we pour out before Him our treasures in glad and willing dedication. What does Christmas mean to us? Is it an event, or a quest? Is it a celebration, or a consecration? Have we, after the perspective of nineteen centuries, a Christmas faith as strong as that of these heathen Magi who went forth on the quest of conviction, expectation, and consecra tion to present themselves and their all to Him who is God’s unspeakable Gift to lost and bewildered humanity ? Shall we not go in quest of a larger révélation this Christmas by earnestly, expectantly, and devotedly seeking Him, that we may render to Him thé worship that He merits ? THE CHRISTMAS QUEST [Continued from page 421]
STARWARD [Continued from page 423]
heard some people say, that I want work that will ‘glorify God.’ I want work, because I believe it will help me to for get myself and the thing I can’t have. Do you think He would hear a prayer with a motive back of it like that?” “I certainly do. We haven’t made a start until we’ve been perfectly candid with God. But, deep in your heart of hearts, Miss Berkeley, you believe, I am sure, that the work which He chooses for you, and which you let Him do through you, is the only kind which has any eternal value; do you not?” “Yes, I have come to believe it since I have heard your lectures and since we’ve been talking.” “Then, suppose we both pray that God will prepare you for that work and will lead you into it.” “Oh, if only you would! I know He will hear you.” “I also know that He will hear you." “I want to read your books—everything you’ve writ ten. I have been seeing them in the college library for six months, and I never opened or had a desire to open one of them until I heard you speak. And I want you to make out a course of reading for me. I need it all so much.” “It will be a pleasure to do that. But after all, you know, my books and all others that are worth your while are simply reflections of the Book.” “I believe that because you say it, but I can’t honestly say I. believe it from experience. When I can, I will. I be lieve I have a working principle, but I have a feeling that the road is going to be very, very long for one as ignorant of God’s ways as I am.” “It may be long, but there’s always enough light to walk by, you know, and a blaze of glory at the end,” he re plied confidently. “I know I must not take another minute of your time,” Marion said as she rose to go. “I need not try to thank you for this. What you have said means more to me than I can possibly tell you. If I could only see you o ften! You will come back, won’t you ? The college boys need you, and I need you still more.” “It is very gracious of you to say that,” he answered, “and I am deeply grateful to God for using me here. Yes, I expect to come back in the spring. Your uncle and several other members of the faculty very kindly invited me last night, and I feel very sure it is a part of the plan— for me.” “And for me,” she said with a smile. “And may I write to you between times if I need your advic e very much? May I have your home address ?” “I have no home. I’m sort of a pilgrim, I suppose; but anything sent to this address in New York will be for warded to me. I expect to spend the holidays with my nephew there, and then go West about the middle of Jan uary for several months of lecture work. You may be sure I shall be happy to hear from you at any time, and I shall not forget you when ‘we meet around one common mercy seat.’ The burden of my prayer will be that you may not
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