THE RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 23 December 1933, Page 10

THE RELIGIOUS OUTLOOK

A CHRISTMAS MEDITATION (Contributed) Responsive Readings Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son. and shall rail His name Immanuel—God with us. And the Word was made llesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld 11 is glory as of the only begotten of tlu: Lather) full of grace and truth. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great Light. They that dwell in the land of the. shadow of death,' on them hath the light shined.

Arise, shine, for Thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe! h on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. , Lor unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall lie upon His shoulders: .And His name shall be called AA’onderful, Counsellor. 'Mighty God. ’Everlasting Lather, Prince of Peace. Out of the star-lit, beautiful, still Judean night on a. sheep-strewn hill,/ First a voice like a crystal bell — Glory of Cod. Noel! Noel! Then a chorus of voices, heavenly, mild — A King is born. Go. seek the Child. "Love came down at Christmas— Love all lovely, Love Divine, lane came down at Christmas, Star and angel gave the sign.”

Prayer Our God, we who arc poor and lowly, come to worship Thee, the High, the Holy. A'et our minds are. fearless and our hearts at rest, for in Christ, the Holy Child, the Son of Alan, the Crucified. Thou hast become to us Immanuel, God for ever with us. We need not leave our homes to seek bv starlight some lar-olf shrine, for the Babe is no longer Bethlehem's pride and .Mary's joy. bill: the whole wide world’s, and the blessed burden of every heart that makes Him room. Here we dedicate our re-discovered treasures, gold of royal love, frankincense of holy intercession, , myrrh of healing sympathy, and bear them forth to bless all lilrtli, and to make at every cradle a carol of welcome and a solemn .service of the Christ. Amen.

“Happiness” Happiness, thou lovely name! Where's thy seat, Oh tell me where? Learning, pleasure, wealth and fame, All cry out, "It is not here.” Not the wisdom of the wise Can inform me where it lies; Not the grandeur of the, great Can the bliss I seek create. Lord, it is not life to live, If Thy presence Thou deny: Lord, if Thou Thv presence give 'Tis no longer death to die. Peace ami happiness are Thine, Mine they are if Thou art mine. Thee to serve and Thee to know Constitute my bliss below, Thee to see, ami Thee to love, Constitute my bliss above. Hitler Fears Old Testament Adolph Hitler has displayed his fear of the teachings of the Old Testament prophets, according to the Rev. Dr. W. Russell Bowie, rector of Grace Protestant Episcopal Church, New York: “Explosive forces in the Old Testament make it clear why the Nazi Government should try to bar the reading of it from the churches. Ostensibly, of course, this measure was taken on the ground that it represents the religious culture of the Jews, against which lie is campaigning. But another reason may tie his recognition of the eternal moral note of the Old Testament sounding its protest against the tyranny of the (state whenever this challenges freedom of spirit. The prophets of Israel were among the supreme spokesmen of till time for social justice.”

Facts About the Bible The first hook printed from movable metal type was the Latin Bible,©in the year 1433. I ’l’lie first Bible printed in America was in the Indian language, in ICG3, by John Eliot. The first English Bible printed in America was in 1752. The Bible is now printed in 900 dill'erent languages and dialects, representing file speech of nine-tenths of the population of the world. in the thirteenth century a Bible cost as much as the earnings of a labouring man for fifteen years. 'Today the entire Bible may he obtained for sixteen cents, and the New Testament for six cents. The Bible contains 3,330/189 letters, 773,093 words, 31,173 verses, 1 IS!) chapters, and (i(i hooks. The 00 hooks were written by about 40 men during a period of about" 1000 years. The 39 hooks of the Did Testament are classed as: Law, 3; History, 12; Poetry, 3; Prophecy, 17. The 27 hooks of the New 'Testament are classed as: History, 3; Epistles, ‘2l; .Prophecy, 1. Ezra 7: 21 contains all the letters of the alphabet; except “j.” The middle verse of the Bible is Psalm 97: S. About 3(1,000,000 copies of the Bible or New Testament are printed and distributed every year. The Bible is a Divine Book, and from its pages Clod speaks to man. Christ is the centre of Scripture, its one central [ire-eminent theme.—Exchange.