sun, as by the course of our Saviour;
beginning and counting her year with Him who, being the true Sun
of Righteousness, began now to rise upon the world."

The Christian Year is one of our richest possessions and has been
handed down to us from the most ancient {53} times. By it the Church
regulates her Public Worship, makes generous provision for the
reading of the Bible and for us, her people, it is the measure of
our coming up to the House of God. By means of it we connect the
passage of time with the great facts of Redemption and thus are
enabled to so number our days that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom. An examination of its structure reveals the fact that it
insures the Scriptural setting forth of the Gospel, not in part,
but in all its fulness. Its principal divisions are as follows:

I. ADVENT, the Coming of Christ; the Season includes four Sundays.

II. CHRISTMAS, Incarnation and Birth of Christ.

III. EPIPHANY, the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles: Season
variable and may include six Sundays.

IV. SEPTUAGESIMA or the PRE-LENTEN SEASON; three Sundays: why God
the Son came to earth; consciousness of sin.

V. LENT, including HOLY WEEK, GOOD FRIDAY, and EASTER EVEN;
Penitence and Amendment of life; Redemption by the Blood of Christ.

VI. EASTER, the Risen Life; teaching of the Great Forty Days.

VII. ASCENSION, the Hope of Glory.

VIII. WHITSUN TIDE, the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

IX. The TRINITY SEASON, the completed Revelation; the moralities of
the Gospel.

In addition to these great divisions or seasons, there are the
Holy Days dotting the Calendar--SAINTS' DAYS commemorating the
grace given unto God's {54} faithful servants, and other Holy Days
each having its special Scriptural teaching. (See FASTS, TABLE OF,
also FEASTS.)

The value of the Christian Year cannot be too highly estimated,
for after all has been said, the fact remains, that no better
instructor in the truths of the Bible can be found than what is
commonly called THE CHRISTIAN YEAR.

Christmas Day.--Christmas is preeminently a Church Festival, and
observed on December 25th. On this day the Church celebrates with
joy, gladness and exultation the Nativity of her Lord, who became
Incarnate (_i.e._, took our nature upon Him) and was born of a
pure Virgin. As the angels at His Birth, so mankind ever since has
hailed the Day of His Nativity with exceeding great joy. The
Puritans strove with all their ardor to destroy it, bu