THERE is but one tide which never ebbs! The Christmastide, which began with the advent of Jesus, has been flowing on uninterruptedly for over nineteen centuries —not always recognized, but nevertheless flowing on; and it will go steadily forward until all that is unlike God, good, shall have been swept into evil's native oblivion; until all the shores of time shall have been washed clean of everything "that defileth, ... or maketh a lie."
With Jesus' nativity there came into the world that stupendous influence for good which will continue until all men shall have been redeemed from all evil, and every one's garments shall have been made white through the purifying streams of the divine nature understood and demonstrated.
It has taken the world almost all these centuries to wake up to the real nature of Jesus' earth-mission. Even now, few if any understand more than a very little of its glorious import. In spite of the angels' proclaiming that his coming to the world meant "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,"—in spite of their heralding him with the song of "on earth peace, good will toward men,"—the true understanding of his life-work has been almost buried beneath the belief that his earthly days were filled with sorrow and sadness, with trial and affliction. For ages little if any idea of joy was associated with the thought of his life ; if there was to be joy in following him, it was supposed that it would be experienced in some far distant future in an equally far distant heaven.
