But the Child which God gave the world as its Christmas gift was no
merely human child however richly endowed. This Child was human and was
born in time, but he was also divine and came forth from eternity. The
possibilities that were sleeping in this Child were foreseen by the
prophet Isaiah in the names that were prophetically given him, every
name being a window through which we can look in upon his personality
and power, every title being one of his crowns: "His name shall be
called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace." All these powers and possibilities are incarnated in this Child,
and he is working them out in a redeemed world. God made no mistake,
then, he gave us no small and common gift, but he did his best and gave
the world the greatest possible Christmas Gift when this Child was born.
All the grass in the world came from one seed, all the roses from one
root, and all the redeemed that shall at last populate heaven and fill
it with praise throughout eternity shall be saved by the grace and clad
in the beauty of this Child.




XIX. A World Without Christmas


What would be the effect of blotting Christmas out of the calendar of
the world? Imagination would have to explore wide and deep in order to
trace all the consequences. The gladdest holiday of the year would fade
into a common day. The weeks that precede it would lose all their
interest of preparation and expectation and would sink into dull days.
The stores would not blossom out into brilliant bazars, cunning fingers