Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/531

 from Nazareth  to  Calvary  was  but  a  new  and stronger proof  of  the  love  of  God  for  men. So, too, was the  love  of  God  diffused  in  our  hearts  by  the Holy Ghost  who  was  given  to  us,  for  from  the  price Christ paid  for  it  we  began  to  realize  how  precious in the  sight  of  God  our  love  must  be. It was  as though  we  had  found  a  precious  gem,  and,  ignorant of its  value,  were  ready  to  part  with  it,  like  Esau,  for a mess  of  pottage,  when  the  Saviour  opened  our  eyes to its  true  worth  and  we  determined  that  nor  honors, nor riches,  nor  pleasures,  nor  life,  nor  death  should ever part  us  from  the  love  of  God. And this  revelation of  God's  love  was  made  to  all. Many, indeed, refuse to  see,  and  many  there  are  that  sleep,  but  still Christ shines,  as  does  the  sun,  for  all. He was  born for all,  He  died  for  all,  and  the  Gospel  messages  have been borne  to  all. "For their  sound  hath  gone forth  into  all  the  earth,  and  their  words  unto  the ends  of  the  world." The Mosaic  law  was  for  the  Jews alone, but  the  four  Gospels,  like  the  four  rivers of paradise,  swept  round  the  world,  overflowed  their banks, and  renewed  the  face  of  the  earth. To every class the  knowledge  of  Christ's  birth  was  given:  to the  man  Joseph  and  to  the  woman  Mary;  to  the Jewish shepherds  and  the  Gentile  Magi;  to  aged Simeon and  to  John  unborn;  to  Mary  the  Virgin, Anna the  widow,  and  Elizabeth  the  wife;  to  the wise and  the  ignorant,  the  great  and  the  lowly,  the rich and  the  poor. In His  Passion  and  death  there played a  part  Jews  and  Gentiles,  kings  and  commoners, priests  and  laics,  learned  and  unlettered,  friends