radiant, heavenly spirits, which stand before God, delight in our delight, join in the joy that is given us according to the eternal good pleasure of God; and their blissful duty is to serve herein, to act as messengers between heaven and earth, and with us to praise the Lord. Are our glory and honor not great? They are stupendously great, and fill the heart with a blessed feeling of humility, and of elevation, and of rapture. For God so loved me from eternity and so loves me now and for evermore, that he gives me his only begotten Son; therefore I love him in return and shall love him forever in this heavenly love. God is my God, and my heart is his for evermore. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!

The happy Christmas comes once more. The heavenly guest is at the door, The blessed words the shepherds thrill, The joyous tidings: Peace, Good-will.

O wake our hearts, in gladness sing, And keep your Christmas with your King, Till living song, from loving souls, Like sound of mighty waters rolls. Come, Jesus, glorious heavenly guest, Keep thine own Christmas in our breast, Then David's harp-strings, hushed so long, Shall swell our jubilee of song.

34. Christmas Day. II.

Lord, give us grace to keep thy words in our heart. Amen.

Luke 2, 15-20. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

These shepherds believed what they had heard; therefore they went into Bethlehem and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe. Here the Spirit of God teaches us how we are to receive the Christmas gift and praise God for it. When we hear the gospel we must not wave it aside and forget it; neither shall we say: "No, it is not possible for me to believe this." But we must ponder it, and speak one to another about it; then will the Spirit of God, which is in the word, help us to believe it. And when the life of faith begins to stir in us, we must encourage one another, search the scriptures, and seek communion with other believers who are farther advanced in their faith. For Mary and Joseph have the babe between them. Jesus is in his church. on earth, and the saints have him in their midst. They have the word and baptism and the Lord's supper, and through these he is with them. Do you think, that the believers can be gathered together without their having the word of God among them? But as surely as they have the word of God, just as surely do they have Jesus among them.

He is the very one about whom they gather. There, in the means of grace in the church, you find the Lord. Say not in your heart: How shall I be able to lift myself up to heaven and reach Jesus? Or: To what place shall I make a pilgrimage in order to find him? Or: What works shall I do in order that he may come and reveal himself to me? In truth, he is much nearer to you than you think he is in the Word. However, you must not expect to see the Glorious One with your eyes. But admit, that the truth is the truth; believe the Word, then shall you experience in conscience and heart, that he, in very truth, is there. For all things appertaining to the Lord are little to be regarded by the bodily eye and the natural understanding. What, Indeed, did the shepherds see? They saw that which was told them: a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. But does it stand to reason, that this babe is the Savior of all people, God's anointed, and the joy of the angels? The shepherds believed; thereiore they found that which the Lord had made known to them, and this was enough for them. They did not doubt, that this babe was the promised Savior of Jews and gentiles. You, also, find in the church of God that which himself has said; namely, the tidings concerning him, going out into all the world; the sacrament of baptism in the name of the triune God; the sacrament of the altar, under the bread and wine, which he instituted the same night in which he was betrayed. You shall not ask to see more than what himself has said. The announcement made to the shepherds was this: "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." They believed the word, found it true, and praised God. To us the Son of God has said: I died for you, and rose again, and am with you alway; and this is the sign: The gospel shall be preached, and the sacraments of baptism and the altar shall be administered. Do you not find it true? Have faith, then, and make known to others the presence and love and grace of Jesus; and when others speak to you of these things, then follow the example of Mary, who "kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."-Then, again; praise God in word and deed. Begin in earnest, dear Christian, to bless and thank the Lord during this Christmastide, and continue doing it all your life. Do you not owe God this much? He has given you his Son; and you do not thank him for it! Away with this baneful unbelief, with sloth, with the tormenting bondage under the law, and with the whimpering and whining of the perverted and sick heart! By the grace of God's Spirit you can believe with that simple and childlike faith which enables you to bless and praise the Lord in the midst of the griefs of this life. I know well enough, that you must feel sin and sorrow, but I also know, that the joy of the Lord shall prevail over all our sin and sorrow. For God loves you and has made you his child. Obey his Spirit, and he shall answer in your heart: Saved, -saved and blest. Glory be to God! Say we with one another: God be praised for his unspeakable gift!

To David's city let us fly, Where angels sing beneath the sky; Through plain and village pressing near, And news from God with shepherds hear.

The lowly Savior meekly lies, Laid off the splendor of the skies; No crown bedecks his forehead fair, No pearl, nor gem, nor silk is there.

O holy Child, Thy manger streams, Till earth and heaven glow with its beams, Till midnight noon's bright light has won, And Jacob's Star outshines the sun.

35. Second Christmas Day. I.

Lord Jesus, gather us by thy word under the wings of thy grace. Amen.

Gospel Lesson, Matthew 23, 34-39. Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them, which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

We have been most profoundly corrupted by sin. The enmity toward God, the wickedness from the kingdom of darkness, which came into the world by the malice of the devil, has a terrible power and may, on occasion, develop appalling size and strength in the human heart. And this is especially true of those who have felt the call of God, but have hardened their heart against it. In these the devil has sevenfold power. This is true of the individual and of the people. One illustration of this is furnished by the Jews, and another by the apostate Christians. The Savior stands in the midst of them; but they are enraged, and crucify him.-Did not the Lord know this, before he came to us on earth? Certainly he did; it is even declared in advance by the prophets. But his love is greater than all the might and power of hell; he was determined to come and offer his saving grace to all men. After all, Jesus loves more than the devil hates; the malice of Satan is great, but the love of the Lord is greater. The fire of life in him burns a thousand times more fiercely than do the fires of hell. Man is so precious and dear to him, that he wanted to come to the world, become a man, and die for us, although he knew how many there were who would disdain his love. That this divine power of grace does not conquer every human heart, is a dark and deep mystery which we are unable to fathom; but this mystery, also, shall some day have a glorious solution. What pity it is that Jerusalem will not let herself be gathered by the Lord Jesus under the wings of his grace! Jerusalem, Jerusalem; there is, then, no hope for you! He that rejects the Lord Jesus rejects himself; for there is not salvation in any other. But all who believe on him shall learn that he is great and rich; they shall receive of his Spirit and be allowed to taste his love; yes, even in the communion of his sufferings, they shall have a better happiness

than the highest rapture experienced by any child of this world. "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." He shall destroy everything in you that has its root in the kingdom of darkness.

Our gospel lesson for today testifies with mighty voice to the power of sin and the devil in the world; but the voice rings still more strong in testifying to the unspeakable love and mercy of God in Christ.

We thank thee, Lord Jesus, that thou didst come to us and save us out of our deep fall, that thou didst enter into our misery and dost draw us after thee through sorrow and death to glory. Eternal thanks and praise for thy loving kindness, which prevails over everything that is evil in us. Enlighten us more and more to believe in thee, to know thy ways, to love and serve thee, in order that we willingly may suffer with thee and never tire in the exercises of charity and in bearing witness concerning thee in the teeth of resistance and hate on the part of all the world. Precious Lord Jesus, who didst mourn because of the blindness and the unhappiness of thy people; may we grieve thy Spirit nevermore. Thou seest how sorrowful we also are; but, alas, how much of the sorrow of the world is there not yet in us, and how little of the pangs of thy holy love! Our soul weeps over our wretchedness and cries to thee, merciful Savior; we have thee, we yearn for thee, we rejoice in thee, our joy and salvation; and yet our soul is full of sadness because we can not, as we ought, believe in thee, love thee, embrace the foot of thy throne, and give ourselves entirely as an offering to thee. Alas, what a sad state of affairs obtains in Christendom, among the people which bear thy name! Lord, have mercy on us, have mercy on thy brethren, have mercy on our people, have mercy on all the world! Amen.

Arise, O Lord of hosts; Be jealous for thy name, And drive from out our coasts The sins that put to shame. O Lord, stretch forth thy mighty hand, And guard and bless our fatherland.

Thy best gifts from on high In rich abundance pour, That we may magnify And praise thee more and more. O Lord, stretch forth thy mighty hand, And guard and bless our fatherland.

36. Second Christmas Day. II.

Lord our God, sanctify us while we live, and save us when we die. Amen.

Acts 6, 8-15 and 7, 54-60. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then arose certain of the synagogue, which is called he synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the

customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Be

Stephen is a glorious example, showing how happy is he that believes in Jesus. The Son of God came to the world, in order that we may go to heaven. None of us doubts that Stephen is there. as firmly persuaded, that every one who believes in Jesus shall go to heaven. By the same grace and faithfulness you and I, also, shall be there. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." You shall not have the same high rank in glory which is accorded to Stephen, who was the first martyr after the ascension of the Lord; but you shall receive the rank that becomes you, and shall in no wise feel any envy. And, indeed, to reach even barely beyond the threshold of the heavenly abode of bliss is more than glory. Look forward to it with joy, let your thoughts dwell upon it, and do not, then, shrink from suffering with the Lord a little while. God, who has ordained how large a cup of suffering you are to drink, has also fixed the time and manner of your death, and he alone knows what is yet before you. He alone knows how much of suffering remains, and how your last hour shall be. But let this suffice, that he knows it; and do you give yourself no concern about the matter. If it shall be your lot to be sorely tried, you shall receive the more strength and see more clearly the coming glory; then, of a sudden, "all sin and suffering are past, and you are saved and free at last; your soul is filled with gladness. -God, who does not lie, promised us his Son; and we have received him. The same God has promised us everlasting life; we shall as certainly receive this; indeed, we have it already in the Son. Stephen went to heaven, not because of his ability to work great wonders and miracles, but by faith alone. In bliss he now praises God for all his grace; but his power to work miracles and his courage to bear witness of the truth, even in the face of death, are included in the one great gift, Jesus Christ; and when, in eternity, he thanks God for salvation, he thereby praises the Lord for redemption by the blood of Jesus. Have not you, also, been bought by the blood of the Lamb? Is not, then, the same song of praise on your lips? Yes, Christian believer, you are saved, and soon you shall see Jesus by the side of Stephen before the throne. The same Spirit that was in him is in you also; you, also, love your enemies, pray for them which despitefully use you, and bless them that curse you. Such is the love of