59. At Christmas, the devout Christian contemplates
the Birth of Jesus Christ.
EXHORTATION.
"When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
—Gal. iv. 4.
If the birth of a royal prince gives joy to a whole kingdom, the birth of Christ cannot be other than joyful to mankind. The angels re
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
joice in the air, and proclaim great joy unto men, and why should not the children of God be glad?
1. They have reason to congratulate themselves on the merciful love of God, who did not spare his only begotten Son, but gave him up for us
2. There is reason to rejoice in the loving-kindness of Jesus, who, although he is God and the Son of God, did not refuse to assume the guise of humanity in the womb of a poor virgin, and to become a little child. 3. The faithful must wonder, in believing silence, at the mysterious counsel of God for our salvation, of which no man and no angel would have thought, that the Son of God was to suffer in the stead of men, and reconcile them to God. 4. They wonder at the undeserved goodness extended by God to men, albeit they were his enemies, Rom. v. 10, for which men did not ask, although they greatly needed it.
5. They thank God with all the greater fervor, for having proclaimed to them the counsel of God for our salvation; they gladly submit themselves to the order of salvation, accept Jesus in the faith, and follow him in godly and pious walk and conversation. On this account, they spend the days of Christmas in prayer, rejoicing, praise and thanksgiving. This is the day which the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. Help us, O Lord, let us be richly successful; praised be he who cometh in the name of the Lord. Arise my soul, devote this festival to the honor of God, and thine own edification. O that every drop of my blood had a tongue, that I might praise the love, grace and mercy of the triune God. God is love; this my heart knoweth, and remembers on this holy festival day. Thy love has found a means of bringing men to grace, of which no angel or man could ever have thought. O thou gentle and loving Jesus! to thee be praise and thanks eternally for thy humanity and birth; thou makest thyself a child of woman, that we may become children of God. Now is humanity truly elevated; thou hast united it with thy godhead. O love! O grace! so surely as human nature is associated with the divine, so surely is there eternal friendship between God and man, eternal atonement, eternal peace, and eternal love. When God regards us in his Son, he cannot but be gracious unto us; if he did not spare the beloved one, but gave him for us all, why should he not, with him, give us everything—forgiveness of sins, righteousness, peace, life, and happiness? O the boundless love of Jesus! he was born as a THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
little child, to sanctify our sinful birth, increased in age and wisdom, to sanctify our youth. Welcome, noble guest, thou who didst not despise sinners, thou who comest down into my wretchedness! How shall I thank thee? O dearest friend of my soul, my brother! In thee I have a
Saviour in suffering, a deliverer in tribulation, a beatifier when my sins distress me, a help in trouble, a comfort in death. Thou art the light which overshines me, the way to the Father, the truth I learn, the life that recalls me from death.
Thou art my righteousness, which justifies and saves me, my high priest who prays for me and blesses me, the sacrificial lamb offered up for my transgressions, the ransom for my trespasses.
From the bottom of my heart I rejoice on this holy festival day. Jesus is mine, his merit is mine, his heaven is mine, the child was born for me, the Son was given for me also; for me also, has he purchased and dispensed the grace of
God, the childhood and eternal inheritance, which is laid up for us in heaven. O Jesus!
thou whom in spirit I behold and contemplate in the manger, how lovely art thou, how kind art thou! O give me grace that I may nevermore forget thee, but may always wear thee in my heart, on my lips, and before my eyes. O Salvation! sanctify me, I commit myself to thee with all I am and have; Bridegroom, embrace me, I will live for thee. I will serve thee; for love of thee I renounce the world and all the pleasures of this life. O let my heart be thy dwelling-place in time and in eternity. Enclose me in thy love, and keep me there, so that in thee I may have rest, peace, comfort, security, and the salvation of my soul. I am not lost, for Jesus was born a man. God is my friend, because through faith I am in Jesus, and Jesus lives in me. I do not fear death, for in it I have life, not the accusation of my conscience for my sin, for here is Jesus, my advocate. Therefore, O Bridegroom of my heart, my hope, my joy and life, my Branch of the stem of Judah, what shall I give thee? O take my body, soul and spirit, all that is man in me; I will transfer myself all to thee, I will be true to thee forever. Amen. 1. O joy beyond compare! Welcome, adored stranger,
Jesus, the Son of God, thus lowly in a manger,
For this beloved child my very heart doth yearn,
And from his humble bed my thoughts refuse to turn.
2. O love, transcendent love! beyond all comprehension,
That God his only Son should give for our redemption.
THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYS.
O what a father's love! that places us so high,
And to us gives himself, that we may never die.
3. O faith! that he should come down to our depths from heaven,
Assume our flesh and blood, all but the sinful leaven,
To bring us to the crown, the robe, the inheritance,
The glory, and the sight of God's own countenance.
4. O bounteousness of grace! to all so freely offered
That will accept in faith the boon so kindly proffered;
O grace that gives us life, and consolation true;
Richly dispensed to all that will of Jesus sue.
5. O joy! our heinous sins are freely all forgiven,
Forgiven here below, and in the book of heaven;
The sacrificial lamb now at the altar stands,
Our ransom and our hope is placed in holy hands.
At the Close of the Year the Devout Christian Prays and returns Thanks to God.
EXHORTATION.
"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."—Psalm ciii. 1, 2.
If devout hearts and thankful souls rejoice heartily in God, when he permits them to pass a
THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYS week or a month in safety, why should they not double them on having passed a whole year by his assistance? How many evils can befall us in a single day! How many more in a whole year! When a devout Christian perceives the close of the year, he lifts up his hands, his heart and his lips to heaven, and ends it with praise, thanks and prayer. Nor is he satisfied with merely ejaculating the ordinary words, "Thank God, the year is over!" He goes more thoroughly to work. 1. He thanks God for having suffered his holy word to be preached to him throughout the year for the salvation of his soul, showing him the way to heaven; as well as for having given him renewed strength in godliness and execution of the fruits of faith by the holy sacrament. 2. He asks himself, whether he has become more pious during the year, how old he is now in the inward man, and according to his regeneration, being a year older according to the old sinful birth. 3. He fervently asks God's forgiveness for his past sins, which he has committed wittingly or unwittingly.
4. He then praises God for the many temporal benefits received, for the nurture, providence, protection, deliverance, preservation, blessings, and guidance extended to him.
AND RETURNS THANKS TO GOD.
5. If God has sent him a disease, suffering, or tribulation, and again released him from it, he must especially thank him for it, and call to mind at the end of the year, as much as possible what happened to him and his during every week, so that the last days of the year may be days of praise, prayer, thanksgiving, and repentance. 6. He beseeches God further to vouchsafe his grace during the coming year.
How shall I repay the Lord for all the goodness and truth manifested towards me? The Lord hath done great things in me, whereof I am glad. Under his protection and assistance, I have once more passed a year in safety. O God, how precious is thy goodness, that the children of man repose under the shadow of thy wings! They become intoxicated with the rich goods of thy house; thou dost give them to drink of pleasure as of a stream, for with thee is the living fountain, and in thy light we behold the light. My God! the days of the year are many, but thy benefits are many more; the hours and minutes of the year may be counted, but the benefits thou hast done me are innumerable. I thank thee that during this year thou hast suffered thy holy word to be preached to me in its purity, showing 36*
THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYS me the way to heaven and to my eternal salvation. O seal upon my heart all I have heard, and give me thy Holy Spirit to arrange my life in accordance with it. I thank thee for having given me to eat of thy holy body and to drink of thy holy blood, in holy communion; O let it profit me in the strengthening of my faith and the sanctification of my life. I thank thee for having forgiven my sins and averted the merited punishment; O give me power to guard against them in the coming year, and not commit them again. I thank thee for having blessed my occupation, given me food and raiment, health and strength, averted misfortune, alleviated my troubles, and looked mercifully upon me in my wretchedness. Thou hast kept me as the apple of thy eye, thou hast screened me from the foes that plot against my soul. In trouble thou hast heard me, and suffered my prayer to penetrate unto thy throne. Thou hast poured out thy blessing over me, and hast not concealed thy face when I cried to thee. Thou, loving Father, hast led me by the hand as thy child; thou, mighty King, hast protected me against mine enemies, as thy subject; thou faithful Shepherd, hast pastured me, thy sheep, on a green meadow; thy goodness and truth have conducted me from the beginning of the year to the end. Thy wisdom has guided me, thy love has covered me, AND RETURNS THANKS TO GOD.
thy help has rejoiced me, thy grace has preserved me, thy omnipotence has succored me at all times, thy Father's hand has given me all things, thy all-seeing eye has watched over me and protected my going out and my coming in, so that no evil overtook me. Therefore O see and taste how kind is the Lord, and how much good he has done unto my soul. If at times I had great trouble in my heart, thy comforts have gladdened my soul. If danger and trouble were often near, thy help was nearer, and thy angel kept me in all my ways, and delivered me from the lion's maw. O my God! be graciously pleased to pardon all the sins I have committed during the past year. Do not punish me for them in the year to come, but forgive them for the sake of Jesus. Lord, do not think of the sins and transgressions of my youth, but think of me according to thy mercy, for the sake of thy great goodness. Lord! Lord! thus I close the year with thanks, prayer, and praise, and humbly pray thee to continue thy grace and protection through the coming year, to hold thy hand over me, and take me to thy love and mercy. Praise and glory be to the chief good, the Father of all goodness, the God of every miracle, the God who fills my mind with the riches of his comfort, the God who soothes all lamentation. Praise and glory be to the Lord! Amen. 1. How much am I rejoiced when memory has recorded
The blessings of my God to me this year awarded;
How his paternal care and kindness on me rained,
And how in health and strength this hour I have attained.
2. How can I rightly praise such grace and condescension!
O could my happy heart display its bursting tension!
O that each drop of blood were gifted with a tongue,
And each pulsation of his endless glory sung!
3. Great benefits untold this year thou hast extended,
The river of thy grace upon my path expended;
Of needful food and drink I never once was scant:
Yet who can count thy stars, thy mercies who descant?
4. How greatly am I grieved when memory reminds me,
And when in penitence thy warning summons finds me,
Of the ungratefulness I have so oft displayed,
And that I have not lived as Jesus wished and said.
5. For O the load of sin lies heavy on my spirit,
The sinfulness of lust receives its evil merit;
O take away my pain, destroy it utterly,
And in the coming year therefrom unburden me.
THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYS.