Matthew and Luke, is told on His birthdays. It is repeated to the children in the homes and Sunday Schools, recounted in the meetings for thanksgiving and prayer, represented on canvas and in stone by the greatest painters and sculptors, and proclaimed with power from the pulpit, the rostrum and in the press.

Moreover, the telling of the story is accompanied by the songs of children, the hymns of the great congregations, the chantings of well-drilled choirs and the swelling anthems of the mightiest choruses in imitation of the multitude of the heavenly host praising God on the real birthday of Jesus Christ, saying, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men."

Furthermore, as Jesus Christ was the gift of God to the world, His birthday in all the world is the very inspiration of the giving of gifts by all classes of people. As the day is better understood, the gifts are more and more to the poor, the needy, the distressed, and to the prisoners, including the worst criminals.

Most beautifully, significantly and well nigh universally, the gift of Jesus Christ to the world is represented by the Christmas tree. Its ever green leaves represent Him as the Life everlasting, its bright light represents Him as the Light of the world and its abundance of precious gifts for needy ones about it represent Him as the only one who could say: "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:27, 28).

3. That Jesus Christ was regarded by the best men of

the best nations of the earth as in a class by Himself on the earth, superior to all men, therefore unlike all men, is shown by the following remarkable facts:

a. All the advanced nations of the earth have for centuries been classed together with their full consent under the term of Christendom, because in their government and maintenance they adhered more closely than other nations to the teaching and spirit of Jesus Christ.

b. All history, written or taught within the bounds of Christendom is separated into two great divisions, to wit, B. C.-before Christ, and A. D.-Anno Domini-in the year of the Lord.

c. And yet more noteworthy, all the business and social transactions of Christendom, and indeed all the transactions general of the whole world are dated daily, monthly and yearly from the birthday of Jesus Christ.

4. It is a most significant fact that all men, good and bad, of all nations and languages, that know anything of the true character and mission of Jesus Christ, regard Him as the only person that ever lived on the earth who was absolutely free from error of any kind, and consequently unlike all other men.

I met a very intelligent gypsy about forty years ago at his camp near St. Louis, Missouri. In a lively and most interesting conversation about men and things, he made this bold and very significant statement: "There is no man in the world that cannot be bought with five dollars." I replied, "The price is too small." He repeated the statement with greater emphasis. I replied accordingly, “The price is too small." He then said, "I have been all over the world, and have seen all kinds of men from every standpoint, and I know what I have said is true. I don't

mean to say that any good man would deliberately sell himself for five dollars, but under favorable circumstances he would yield to a price as small as five dollars when presented at the point of his least moral resistance." Then I said to him, "I would like to ask you a direct question, and receive from you a direct answer." He said, "I will if I can." I then asked him, "What do you think of Jesus Christ?" He replied promptly, "I believe that He was the only perfect man that was ever on the earth. He was what He professed to be-the Son of God."

And yet more significant, multitudes of men, of all distinctions, high and low, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, who are given to habitual swearing and cursing, bear most emphatic and unequivocal testimony to the alltruthful, almighty and all-merciful character of Jesus Christ, placing these qualities of Him upon a level with those of God Himself.

In their swearing they call upon Jesus Christ with great emphasis: 1. As an infallible witness: By Jesus or By Christ it is so, on a level with By God it is so. 2. As an invincible ally: By Jesus or By Christ I can do so or will do so, on a level with By God I can or will do so. 3. Denoting His infinite power: Christ-Almighty as GodAlmighty. 4. Denoting very great surprise or wonder: Jesus Christ! as Lord God! In their cursing, however, they ever regard the all-merciful character of Jesus Christ, apart from His other divine qualities mentioned in their swearing, by never calling upon Him to curse any person or thing, but call upon God Himself to do so, as God damn you, him, or it; scarcely, if ever, Christ or Jesus damn you.

XIII

MAN'S COMPLETE SALVATION BY JESUS CHRIST, AS HIS ALL-SUFFICIENT SUBSTITUTE PROVIDED FOR HIM LONG BEFORE HIS FALL

The Lord God did not wait until the sixtieth century of the world's history, nor the twentieth century of the Christian Era, to find out how He might provide a way of salvation for man out of his deplorable condition.

A. This Salvation for Man Provided Before His Creation. The plan for man's salvation was determined upon by the Lord God before his creation. It was part of a greater plan of the Lord God, which included, among other things, Man's creation and redemption from his fall.

This early provision for Man's salvation is clearly stated in the Bible, God's Word.

"The book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev. 13:8).

"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34).

"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4).

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (I Peter 1:18-20).

In the mind and plan of the Lord God for the salvation of Man, His Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was slain from the foundation of the world and was spoken of by the prophets in the past tense as in Isaiah:

"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed;

All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53: 5, 6).

It was not until the fortieth century of the world's history, however, that "he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Heb. 9:26).

There was no mistaking His appearance when it took place. It was prophesied in the Hebrew scriptures. His birth was foretold to His mother and afterwards to her husband, Joseph as follows: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). His birth was announced to the shepherds keeping their flocks by night, when "the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel of the Lord said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:9-11). He was personally pointed out by John the Baptist, His forerunner, as "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). It was clearly stated who He was and what His work was:-"For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17).