Thee, O Divine SAVIOUR! with all the strength of my soul; come, LORD, enter into my soul, and fill it with Thy light. How different wert Thou to what Thou appearest, O Divine JESUS! human eyes cannot discover the mystery of Thy Nature; they behold nothing but a feeble, helpless Babe, sleeping among animals, as the most abject of human beings: nevertheless, Thou art the Son of the Eternal FATHER, the Brightness of His Glory, and the Express Image of His Person. GOD infinite, Almighty, the Treasury of Divine riches, the Joy of the Blessed, the Delight of those who love Thee, the Bliss of those who desire Thee, and the Rest of those who possess Thee. Thou art at the same time, both Almighty, and most abject, O Divine Infant! Thou didst conceal Thy Majesty, O GOD of Glory! so that men may approach Thee without fear; for who would dare to present himself before Thee if Thy goodness did not render Thee as accessible as Thou art. Come unto my soul, O Divine SAVIOUR, and fill it with all good; dwell with me, and by Thy meekness and gentleness subdue the hardness of my heart, and transform it with Thy love. me never be separate from Thee, let my heart grow, expand, and acquire strength to love Thee constantly, to serve Thee faithfully, and to accomplish Thy holy will in all things.

Let

The voice of gladness is gone forth into all lands; the voice of exultation and salvation in the habitations of sinners. A good word is heard, a word of comfort, a saying full of joy, and worthy of all acceptation. Rejoice, ye mountains, and all ye trees of the wood, clap your hands before the Face of the LORD, for He

is come. Hear, O Heavens, and give ear, O earth, be astonished, and give praise, O universe of creatures; but above all, thou, O man. JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD is born in Bethlehem-Judah. Who so hard of heart, as not to have his soul melted at this word? When have such tidings ever been heard? What hath the world received at any time like this? JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD, is born in BethlehemJudah. O Birth of immaculate sanctity, to be beloved of men for the greatness of the benefits conferred, unfathomable even by angels for the depth of its sacred mystery, and admirable for its singular preeminence, inasmuch as this is that Birth the like to which hath never been seen, nor after it shall be. A Virgin brings forth; the Son of the Highest is born, GOD of GOD, begotten before the worlds: the Word is born a Child: who can sufficiently wonder?

Ye that dwell in dust, awake, and sing. Lo! the LORD is come with salvation, He is come with anointing and with glory; for He is salvation, He is anointing, He is glory. JESUS is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Revive, ye sick; CHRIST is come to heal the contrite in heart with His compassion. JESUS then is born; let every man rejoice, who by his consciousness of sin, stood condemned to eternal damnation for the compassion of JESUS exceedeth the utmost magnitude of his sins. CHRIST is born; let him be glad who is wont to be attacked by his old ins. I beseech Thee to heal me, O LORD, and I shall healed; save me, and I shall be saved; glorify me, I shall be glorious. So, verily, shall my soul

bless the LORD, and all that is within me, praise His holy name; seeing Thou forgivest all my sins, healest all my infirmities, and satisfiest my soul with good things.

When He humbled Himself unto His own sinful creation, He would not let that creation minister to Him of its best, as if disdaining to receive offering or tribute from a fallen world. He would not accept lodging, or entertainment, acknowledgment, or blandishment, from the kingdom of darkness. He would not be made a king. He would not accept where He might lay His head. He seemed like other men to the multitude. Though conceived of the HOLY GHOST, He was born of a poor woman, who, when guests were numerous, was thrust aside, and gave birth to Him in a place for cattle. O wondrous mystery! early manifested, that even in Birth, He refused the world's welcome. He came to it as a Benefactor, not as a Guest, not to borrow from it, but to impart to it.

Let us at this season approach Him with awe and love, in Whom resides all perfection, and from Whom we are allowed to gain it. Let us come to the Sanctifier to be sanctified. Let us come to Him to learn our duty, and to receive grace to do it. May each Christmas, as it comes, find us more and more like Him, Who as at this time became a little Child for our sake, more simple-minded, more humble, more holy, more affectionate, more resigned, more happy, more full of GOD.

There is no room in my heart for the wonder at this humility. He, Whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, is not allowed the room of an inn. The many mansions of heaven were at His disposal, the earth was His, and the fulness thereof, yet He suffered Himself to be refused a mean cottage, and complaineth not. What measure should discontent us wretched men, when Thou, O GOD, didst fare thus from Thy creatures? How should we learn both to want and to abound from Thee, Who abounding with the glories and riches of heaven, wouldst want a lodging in Thy first welcome to the earth! How can it trouble us to be rejected by the world? when He that came to save men is sent for His first lodging to the beasts; the stable is become His inn, the crib His bed. O strange cradle of that great King! O Saviour, Thou that wert both the Maker and owner of heaven and earth, how easy had it been for Thee to have made place for Thyself in the throngs of the stateliest courts! Why shouldest Thou be thus homely, but that by contemning worldly glories, Thou mightest teach us to contemn them, that Thou mightest sanctify poverty to them whom Thou callest unto want? that since Thou Who hadst the choice of all earthly conditions, wouldst be born poor and despised, those who must want out of necessity might not think their poverty grievous. He Who would be led into the wilderness amongst wild beasts, to be tempted, would come into the house of beasts to be born, that from the height of His Divine glory His humiliation might be the greater. How can we be abased low enough for Thee, O Saviour; that hast thus neglected Thyself for us!

Prapers.

Almighty GoD, Who hast given us, &c.-Collect for Christmas Day.

I adore, praise, and glorify Thee, O LORD JESUS CHRIST, I bless Thee, I give thanks unto Thee, O SON of the living GOD, that for my sake Thou didst vouchsafe to be born of a poor Virgin, in a stable; to be wrapped in mean swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. Grant to me, O most gracious LORD, through Thy incomprehensible NATIVITY, that being born again, in the sanctity of a new life, I may ever appear before Thee in deep humility and poverty of spirit. Give me grace patiently to endure all privations for Thy sake; and be Thou my only consolation and desire. And as Thou didst vouchsafe to be made a partaker of our humanity and mortality, grant that I may be a partaker of Thy Divinity and eternity. Amen.

O Eternal GOD, FATHER Almighty, Who in compassion to lost man didst send Thy only Son to become his Redeemer, have mercy upon us. And Thou, O blessed JESUS, Who wast born in the form of a helpless infant, and subject to all our infirmities, Who wast born in poverty and want, that we might learn to renounce all pride, and follow Thy great humility, look down, we beseech Thee, and vouchsafe to give us Thy grace, that we may make Thee our Pattern, and become Thy disciples. Have compassion