THE GARLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 53

THE GARLAND.

FOR THE QUIET HOUR.

No, 278.

By Duncan Wbight, Dunedin.

CHRISTMAS DAY. (By Carl Spencer.)

The children wake in joye that laugh Their happy dreams to scorn: All in the dark the bells begin To chime on Christmas morn: "Good news to men of childlike hearts—- " Our Saviour Christ is £ornl" What made the earth grow white This blessed Chrietmae Eve? It was the spotless robe she wore, The purest to receive; — Come down, G whiter peace of God! Our stained souls retrieve/ ' Where is He that is born our King? Oh, not in Bethlehem now; His star is every star that shines Where reverent love doth bow To bless His little ones with gifts— O-Master, there art Thou I- » . ' , ; ' < Now-on "the little children's hearts : ■-?- Thy spell of meeßness lay. Till all who see shall be corietrained With joyful awe to .say: "The'Holy Child is in'the house— . -.' Sure this is Christinas 'Day!" Come near us all, thou-Christ of God 1 Thyself who wouldlst not please, And teach us how to do the things We talk of on our knees, That life's thorn-tree to-day may bloom With fragrant charities. Our Guest shall keep this day apart From all the common days, And for Hie sake the bairnies' mirth Shall turn to gentle ways, ' liomomboring that the Blessed Babe . Is playing in their plays. And let us elder children run * His errands every way, With smiles and deeds to. warm and fill Hm kindred cast-away, . Till ail the saddest lanes shall know That this" is ' Christmas Day. And so our feasting hearts shall keep The holy time alight,, , ■.,.'.:' And at its close we'll pray to Him—(He makes the home so bright)— "Dear Lord, stay with us through the year, Go not this Christmas night!" . / ' " PEACE ON EARTH." Writes a preacher: "The most effective labour for the promotion of universal peace is that >wnich aims. to carry forward the kingdom of Christ. We do well to pray s 'Give peace in. our time, O Lord'; but a deeper petition" has been taught us by our Lord; — 'Thy kingdom come!' The true peace, of society is the Christian Church. Christ is the Prince of Peace. There are reformers who cannot bide God's time, nor perceive the wisdom of His plan. They would arrange a truce. But Christians; labour for peace. It is not a truce, but ■a peace, that is desired. Only as the spirit of Jesus shall more thoroughly penetrate, pervade, renew, and inform the spirit of the age will the hope of humanity,' in its higher aspirations, find fulfilment. In the coming of His kingdom - human progress will be a steady, forward movement toward all that constitutes social perfection. Therefore we stand in confidence by the cradle of the Lord of Glory, believing in Him, and celebrating His adveni-rin joyful sons of praise to God as the harbirtger of "peace on earth." I hoar now, the infinite fierce chorus— The cries of agony, the endless groan— Thick through the agesthut have gone before us,,. ' In long reverberations' reach our' own; Down the dark future, through long generations, ■ The echoing sounds grew fainter, and their cease; And, like a bell, with solemn, sweet vibrations, *- : I hear once more the voice of Christ soy ."Peace!" "For this reason, among many others, let all hearts rejoice at this holy Christmas season, because, so often as it comes around, the heavens seem to open again, and the angels are heard singing their praises and prophecies in the sky. Christmas comes, as the old year closes and the new year begins, with gracious revivings of faith, and hope, and joy. It republishes the 'glad tidings' for all people. It fills the world with cheer. It bids us never despair of ourselves or of the world. In the unusual unselfishness that prevails, and in the generous feeling that pervades society, a better day and state are annually prophesied. The glad carols, the glittering Christmas trees, the solemn ser-\ vices, the infinite ministrations, the general and manifold joy are so many echoes of the angelic strain, full of prediction and promise. If the remembrance of Christ can work such an annual and blessed miracle in the world, what shall the power of His indwelling spirit finally accomplish ? Now, let all footsore and weary pilgrims, to whom the ways of the world seem rough and hard, and to whom the future of the world seems dark and cheerless, rest awhile, and look up, and listen; for in the still night air of this holy time, sweet and clear above all the gToanings of the creation, sounds the angelic psalm of the future, telling of progi|ess and peace: For lo! the days are hastening on, By prophet bards foretold, When with the ever circling years, Comes round tho age of gold. When peace shall over all the earth Its final splendours Sing, And the -whole world send baok the song Which now the angels sing. "Last Christmas Eve I sat watching and musing till midnight; when suddenly a silvery, joyful music came floating down through the still air. A chime of bells was welcoming the advent morning. I looked out Into the clear, bright night, and up into the cloudless sky, whose countless stars seemed to be shining with unwonted brilliancy; and, as the mellow music floated hither and thither, it seemed

as if the glory of, the Lord was shining down around once more, and the angels were singing in the empyrean again tneir olden, glorious hymn. My heart also awoke, and sang: 0 Light, that shone around the shepherds, shine down through all the world till the glory of the Lord shall fill the earth !■ 0 Star of Bethlehem, guide faithful souls, not from the East only, but from every quarter and clime, to trie Saviour. O noly, angels, sing on and ever /; telling your glad tidings of salvation, till all men shall find and confess the Christ, and the whole world shall take- up and resound your song, with

Glory to God in the highest! And on earth Peace! Goodwill to men!

. - AIT ODD CHRISTMASv CAROL. I saw three ships come. sailing in . On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day, I saw three ships come sailing in On Christmas Day in the morning. And what was in those ships all three, On Christmas D&y> on Christmas V&y, And what was in those ships all three On Christmas Day in the morning ? I Our SaViour arid the Virgin Mary, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day, • Our Saviour" and ' the Virgin Mary On Christmas Day in the morning. Pray whither sailed those ships all three, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day ? Oh, they sailed into Bethlehem, On Christmas- Day in the morning. And all the bells on earth shall ring, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day; And all the angels in heaven shall sing ~ On Christmas Day in the morning. . Then, let us all rejoice amain, On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day; Then let us all rejoice amain | On Christmas Day in the morning.

MORNING- OP THE NATIVITY. (Prom. Milton's "Advent Hymn.") No war ox battle's sound "Was heard the world around; No hostile chiefs to furious combats ran; But peaceful was the night •■„■ Wherein the Prince of Light His reign of peace upon the earth began. . The shepherds on the : lawn, Or e'er the point Of dawn, Sat simply chatting,: and the while around, " The gentle, fleecy brood, Or cropped the flowery food. Or slept, or sported on the verdant groundWhen lo! such .music sweet, Their hearts and ears did greet, J As never- was by mortal finger stxook, V Divinely-war bled voice, - '.• Answering the stringed noise, ':?':■.' As all their souls in blissful rapture "took. Such music (as 'tis said) Before was never made, But when of old the sons of morning sung, While the Creator great Hi 3 constellations set, And the well-balanced world on hinges hung. Ring out, ye crystal spheres, "Once bless our human ears, If ye have pow'r to touch our senses so. And let your silver chime Movo in melodious time, \ And let the base of heaVn's dlaep organ blow. "Hail, hail, auspicious morn! The Saviour Christ is born!" £ ~ . , Such was the 'immortal seraph's isong sublime; "Glory to God in heaven! • To man sweet peace is given, Sweet peace and friendship- to the end of time." : .„.. -

THE BIRTHDAY. OF GOODWILL. The days are short and the air is chill; but the thoughts of men's hearts, and the tones of their voices, and the grasp of their hands grow kindlier at the Christmas tide. It is the season when the strifes of self-seeking are quieted, when the grudges that grow, out of them are forgotten; when the poor are remembered; when to do good and > communicate is the ruling motive. It is. ■tjie : season for the giving of gifts ; the commerce of love for a. little while exceeds all other exchanges : For many weeks before Christmas the gifts- are preparing hi the ~ household. Through all these days the children Nare full of mystery. They seem to have acquired a new and strange fondness for solitude. You catch glimpses of candles burning in rheir rooms long after you had supposed they were, asleep; and 'sometimes they anticipate for hours the rising of the tardy December sun, and are poring diligently over their books by, lamplight when you bid them "Good-morning." This new interest, in study is remarkable, and you have "your suspicions, though you do not mention them. Often before you enter a room where they are, which in these days you always do with some preliminary noice, you hear a scattering and a rustling, and find them flurried and blushing when you go in. So the work of. preparation goes on. Little fingers are busy upon cunning devices of needlework; youthful minds are eager to invent some tasteful testimony of love. It is not only the younger folk who thus in secret make ready for the festival of goodwill. Parents, friends, lovers, neighbours all join the blessed conspiracy; every heart is warm with some kind purpose which it keeps hidden. "It is more blessed to give!" For once in the year the whole world believes it and is glad. Is it a mere accident that the world falls into this better humour—that it ceases from grasping and rejoices in giving—at. the Christmas holiday? Is it not rather a most beautiful witness to the truth that the story of the Babe of Bethlehem is no fable, but the most wonderful fact the world has ever heard? Gathering about His cradle, some spirit whose workings we cannot trace fills our hearts with" the peace and goodwill of which the angels sung. We may doubt the parchments, we may distrust the arguments of doctors; but we cannot dispute the fact that an influence came into the world

when Christ was born that has changed the moral climate of our globe, making summer in the dreariest seasons, and causing the desert to rejoice and blossom as the rose. Is it too much to say that this influence must be divine?

A CHRISTMAS HYMN. (By Dr Chapln.) , Hark! hark! with harps of gold, What anthems do they sing? Tli© radiant clouds have backward rolled And angel© smite the string. "Glory to God"—bright wings Spread glist'ning and afar, And on the hallowed rapture rings From circling star to star. "Glory to Gfodl" repeat The glad earth and sea $' And every wind and billow fleet Bears on the jubilee. Where Hebrew bard hath sung, Or Hebrew seer hath trod, Bach holy spot has found a tongue; 'K "Let glory be to God." Soft swells the music now Along that shining ohoir, And every seraph bends his brow And breathes above his lyre.. What words of heavenly birth Thril deep our hearts again, And fall like dew-drops to the earth? "Peace and goodwill to men." Soft! —yet'the soul is bound A;' With rapture, like a chain": • Earth, vocal, whispers them around, And heav'n repeats the strain. Sound, harps, and hail the morn With ev'ry golden string; For unto us this day is born A Saviour and a King. .

A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR JESUS CHRIST.

It is customary for friends and relatives to give presents on birthdays to those whom they love and honour,, and it has grown to be a custom to give and receive presents on the birthday of our Lord. So extensive is'this that a human being is poor and friendless indeed who does not receive some gift on Christmas Day. It is & beautiful memento of the unspeakable gift. '.'■-'■ ;'.* , : And shall He be forgotten? What would you think if a feast were given by your friends in celebration of your birthday and when you went to the; table discovered that present was laid at every place except your own? But is not this the way in which we have been treating our *Lord? Have we not forgotten Him in the feast? This reminds us of the artist who was employed to paint the portrait of one of the Stuarts. He made the wig so large and resplendent that the face could be scarcely - seen. We have made the feast so large, been so much engrossd in our pleasures and gifts, that we have well nigh hidden our Lord. Shall it be so any longer? Can any who love Him consent to receive and give and not make the Lord Jesus an offering? What do hearts that love Him say? Shall we give and receive from our children and neglect the Holy Child Jeeus ? Will you spend vour money in procuring gifts to your brother and forget the ' Elder Brother? -Can teachers receive gifts of appreciation and then forget the great Teacher? Will scholars forget the Master of the disciples? Will men forget the Man of Sorrows? Will women forget their truest Friend? Can young men forget that One-who, when but a youth, exhibited every manly grace and virtue died to save them? Can the Church forget her Lord? Can ye bereaved families forget Him who has taken a little child to Himself, and into whose face your departed loved one always looks, into whose surpassing loveliness it will continually grow? In a word, will we, as persons, families, and churches, be guilty of the ingratitude of keeping the feast and forgetting Christ? No, if we are loyal to Him. like the wise men of old, we shall seek His cradle and offer our worship and gifts.