[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":4},["ShallowReactive",2],{"reading-1225":3},"DECEMBER 25\r\nHis name shall be called Emmanuel... God with us (Matt. 1.23). The Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6).\r\nThere's a song in the air! There's a star in the sky!\r\nThere's a mother's deep prayer, And a baby's low cry!\r\nAnd the star rains its fire With the beautiful sing,\r\nFor the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King.\r\nA few years ago a striking Christmas card was published, with the tide, \"If Christ had not come.\" It was founded upon our Saviour's    words, \"If I had not come.\" The card represented a clergyman\r\nfalling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.\r\n\r\nIn his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney comer, no Christmas bells\r\nor wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden and save. He walked out on the public street but there was no church with its\r\nspire pointing to Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Saviour had disappeared.\r\nA ring at the door-bell, and a messenger asked him to visit a poor\r\ndying mother. He hastened with the weeping child and as he reached the home he sat down and said, \"I have something here that will\r\ncomfort you.\" He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise,\r\nbut it ended at Malachi, and there was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with  her in bitter despair.\r\nTwo days afterward he stood beside her coffin and conducted the  funeral service, but there was no message of consolation, no word of a glorious resurrection, no open Heaven, but only \"dust to dust   ashes to ashes,\" and one long eternal farewell. He at length that\r\n\"He had not come,\" and burst into tears and bitter weeping in his sorrowful dream.\r\nSuddenly he woke with a start and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing in his church\r\nclose by:\r\nO come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;\r\nCome and behold Him, born the King of Angels, O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.\r\nLet us be glad and rejoice today, because \"He has come.\" And let us\r\nremember the annunciation of the angel, \"Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is\r\nborn this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord\" (Luke 2: 10, 11).\r\nHe comes to make His blessing flow, Far as the curse is found.\r\nMay our hearts go out to the people In heathen lands who have no blessed Christmas day. \"Go your way, eat the fat drink the sweet,\r\nand SEND PORTIONS TO THEM FOR WHOM NOTHING IS PREPARED (Neh. 8:10).",1783499794571]