will on earth to men, and peace," embodies in itself the chief characteristics of an ideal Christian life. It is only when we are fulfilling the two great precepts of love for God and our neighbors, that the peace of heaven inundates our souls; or possibly the meaning is, that peace must be established in us by conquest of ourselves ere we are truly fit to give God glory and good will to men. Brethren, how does this description of a Christian tally with our lives? We bow our heads beside the crib of Jesus and think alas! what Christmas used to mean, and what its meaning now is. The happy Christmases of boyhood days are but a memory fondly cherished. In later years the peace we then knew fled. We thrust the Saviour from our souls, and though He often came and knocked and begged a lodging there, we answered, " No! " We even slew Him. As Herod would have done, we did — we snatched that Infant from His Mother's breast, and nailed Him, scourged and thorn-crowned, upon a cruel cross. We did it by our sins. And then again sweet peace came back when we by tears and sighs and moans did penance for those sins — when we went back to Him, as did the shepherds, in simple, humble adoration; when we offered Him the richest treasures of our hearts and souls, as did the Eastern kings. God grant our final hour be like that! God grant that, holding Jesus to our breasts as holy Simeon did, we may as confidently beg to be dismissed in peace! God grant in that dread hour we may look back and see: " Glory to God, good will on earth to men," written on every page of our life's his-
