flavor of
some rare perfume, bringing softness of heart through a thousand tender
memories.

Anon, the hour of Sabbath morning worship drew on, and Elder Brewster
read from the New Testament the whole story of the Nativity, and then
gave a sort of Christmas homily from the words of St. Paul, in the eighth
chapter of Romans, the sixth and seventh verses, which the Geneva version
thus renders:

"For the wisdom of the flesh is death, but the wisdom of the spirit is
life and peace.

"For the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

"Ye know full well, dear brethren, what the wisdom of the flesh sayeth.
The wisdom of the flesh sayeth to each one, 'Take care of thyself; look
after thyself, to get and to have and to hold and to enjoy.' The wisdom
of the flesh sayeth, 'So thou art warm, full, and in good liking, take
thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry, and care not how many go empty and
be lacking.' But ye have seen in the Gospel this morning that this was
not the wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was Lord of all,
became poorer than any, that we, through His poverty, might become rich.
When our Lord Jesus Christ came, the wisdom of the flesh despised Him;
the wisdom of the flesh had no room for Him at the inn.

"There was room enough always for Herod and his concubines, for the
wisdom of the flesh set great store by them; but a poor man and woman
were thrust out to a stable; and _there_ was a poor baby born whom the
wisdom of the flesh knew not, because the wisdom of the flesh is enmity
against God.

"The wisdom of the flesh, brethren, ever despiseth the wisdom of God,
because it knoweth it not. The wisdom of the flesh looketh at the thing
that is great and strong and high; it looketh at riches, at kings'
courts, at fine clothes and fine jewels and fine feastings, and it
despiseth the little and the poor and the weak.

"But the wisdom of the Spirit goeth to worship the poor babe in the
manger, and layeth gold and myrrh and frankincense at his feet while he
lieth in weakness and poverty, as did the wise men who were taught of
God.

"Now, forasmuch as our Saviour Christ left His riches and throne in glory
and came in weakness and poverty to this world, that he might work out a
mighty salvation that shall be to all people, how can we better keep
Christmas than to follow in his steps? We be a little company who have
forsaken houses a