ions of the earth are
blessed. _He is come_--the Conqueror of Evil--the desire of all
nations--the Law-giver--the Lamb which was to suffer for our sins--the
King of kings--the Light which should lighten the heathen--the Virgin's
child, of wondrous wisdom, whose name should be God as well as man--whom
all the heathens, amid strange darkness and mad confusions, had still
been fearing and looking for.

_He is come_--He came on that first Christmas-tide. And we here on each
Christmas-tide can thank God for His coming, and say before men and
angels, "Unto us a child is born--the Prince of Peace is _ours_--to His
kingdom we belong--He has borne about on Him a man's body, a man's soul
and spirit--He was born like us--like us He grew--like us He rejoiced and
sorrowed--tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin--able to
the uttermost to understand and help all who come to God by Him. He has
bruised the serpent's head--He has delivered us from the power of
darkness, and brought us into _His_ kingdom. Through His blood we have
redemption and forgiveness--yes! through Him who, though He was laid in a
manger, was yet the image of the unseen God. And by Him, and for
Him--that Babe of Bethlehem--were all things created in heaven and
earth--and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. All
heaven and earth, and all the powers therein, are held together by Him.
For it pleased the Father that in _Him_ should all fulness dwell; and
having made peace through the blood of His cross, to reconcile by that
child all things unto Himself--all things in heaven--all things in
earth."

This should be our boast--this should be our glory--for this do we meet
together every Christmas day.

But what is all this to us if that Blessed Man be gone away from us? Our
souls want more than I have told you yet. Our souls want more than a
beautiful and wonderful story _about_ Christ. They want Christ Himself.
Preaching is blessed and useful if it speaks of Christ. Our own thoughts
are blessed and useful if we think of Christ. The Bible is most blessed
and useful containing all things necessary to salvation, for it speaks of
Christ. Our prayers are blessed and useful if in them we call and cry
earnestly to Christ. But neither preaching, nor thinking, nor praying
are enough. In them we think about Him and speak to Him. _But we want
Him to speak to us_. We want not merely a man to say, your sins _may_ be
forgiven you; we