life-blood, did not wish it. They did not wish farmers, labourers,
servants, masters, to give up one of the old Christmas customs; but
to remember who made Christmas, and its blessings; in short, to
rejoice in The Lord. Our forefathers had been thanking the wrong
persons for Christmas. Henceforward we were to thank the right
person, The Lord, and rejoice in Him. Our forefathers had been
rejoicing in the sun, and moon, and earth; in wise and valiant kings
who had lived ages before; in their own strength, and industry, and
cunning. Now they were to rejoice in Him who made sun, and moon, and
earth; in Him who sent wise and valiant kings and leaders; in Him who
gives all strength, and industry, and cunning; by whose inspiration
comes all knowledge of agriculture, and manufacture, and all the arts
which raise men above the beasts that perish. So their Christmas
joys were to go on, year by year while the world lasted: but they
were to go on rightly, and not wrongly. Men were to rejoice in The
Lord, and then His blessing would be on them, and the thanks and
praise which they offered Him, He would return with interest, in
fresh blessings for the coming year.

Therefore, I think, this Epistle was chosen for to-day, the Sunday
before Christmas, to show us in whom we are to rejoice; and,
therefore, to show us how we are to rejoice. For we must not take
the first verse of the Epistle and forget the rest. That would
neither be wise nor reverent toward St. Paul, who wrote the whole,
and meant the whole to stand together as one discourse; or to the
blessed and holy men who chose it for our lesson on this day. Let us
go on, then, with the Epistle, line by line, throughout.

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice." As much as
to say, you cannot rejoice too much, you cannot overdo your