Origin Of Christmas

Rcv. W. M. Forrest closed his series of serinons to young men and women Sunday night, with a sermón on ';Christmas and Chriat's Divinit".'' He 9aid: "A3 the prophet Micah saw Bethlehem exalted among the cities Óf Isreal as the future birth place of the world's Savior, so we now view it as the actual birth place. All our idoas of Christmas with its joya are assoclated with this place. The enemies of Christianity try to explain Christmas avvay by claiming that it is simply a relie of old heathen customs and festivity. But this explanatlon brings in more which must be explained than which is explained. The heathen never gave themselves up to a day for the children, as our Christmas fia. y is. The spirit of giving never in' ttuonced the heathen revelara. Who ever heard of a supper for news boys, or a donation party for 'the benefit of the needy, among others than Christians? Nor do we stop with giving to our immeciiate poor but we give liberally to send - not material blessings which are but means, but spiritual, real blessings, that others may have what we have. But the most characteristic featu-e of our Christmas, is the spirit of love which pervades it. True, lovo did actúate a few families among the old heathen, but nowhere do we ftnd such universal love as we enjoy. Whence comes it? Thero can be but one reply. Qod is love and'Christ is tv manlfestation of Go 1. How beautiful is the Joy of giving, yet this joy is but a tasto of that which we shall enjoy when Christ rules in all hearts.