Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/76

 hearts. The simple  pathos  of  that  story,  simply  told, has charmed  the  world  for  nineteen  hundred  years, and more  than  aught  besides,  has  served  to  batter down the  barriers  of  unbelief. Perhaps we  could  not better spend  the  time  to-day  than  by  recalling  once again the  tenderly  pathetic — the  oft-told — tale  of Christ's  nativity.

Brethren, there  is  no  more  salutary  exercise  than just to  kneel  a  while  beside  the  crib,  with  its  attendant figures, and  suffer  the  tongue  to  utter  whatever thoughts arise. In that  tiny  Babe  we  see  with  the eye of  faith  the  divine  and  the  human  blended  into one — reunited, as  it  were,  and  yet  united  as  they  had never been  before. The thought  carries  us  back  to the  opening  chapter  of  this  wondrous  history,  back  to the  lamentable  fall  of  our  first  parents  through  pride and disobedience,  and  the  consequent  alienation  of God  and  humanity. In the  dark  storm  of  God's  wrath that then  burst  upon  the  world,  there  was  just  one  rift in the  cloud,  one  slender  ray  of  light  and  hope,  viz.: God's words  to  the  serpent:  "  I  will  put  enmities  between thee  and  the  woman,  between  thy  seed  and  her seed,  and  she  shall  crush  thy  head." Here in  the cave before  us  is  the  woman;  there  in  the  manger, her seed — her  Son. Pride and  disobedience  wrought our ruin;  humility  and  obedience  repaired  it;  for here is  she  who  humbly  answered:  "Behold  the handmaid  of  the  Lord,"  and  there  is  He  of  whom  it  is written  in  the  head  of  the  Book:  "  Behold,  I  come."

Brethren, St.  Paul  to  the  Romans  (chap,  v.)  says: " By  one  man  sin  entered  into  the  world  and  by  sin,