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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1895 Excerpt: ... CHRISTMAS Isaiah xi. 6, 7 /""HRIST MAS! Mas is an old word, going out of use now, but it meant, when it was young like you, a heap; then the heap of good things on a dinner or supper table, ... More

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1895 Excerpt: ... CHRISTMAS Isaiah xi. 6, 7 /""HRIST MAS! Mas is an old word, going out of use now, but it meant, when it was young like you, a heap; then the heap of good things on a dinner or supper table, then the enjoyment of these good things--a feast, and the feasting of the people. And with the change of one letter the word mas is still used in something like its old way by officers in the army; those who dine together in the army call themselves when they are dining the mess. And on the ships that go to sea the common sailors, because they take their food at one table, call their companions there their messmates. Well, Christmas is the feast-day of the birth of Christ, the "mas" or feast that is to remind us that Christ was born, and all who join in this feast are massmates or messmates, brothers and sisters who hold the feast. At first, that is after Christ's death, there was really a feast; there was the same feast which is now called the Lord's Supper. People met in each other's houses for the breaking of bread, and sometimes they broke bread to remember the birth of Christ, and sometimes to remember His death. But by-and-by the eating of bread ceased, except at the Lord's Supper; so it came to be called the Feast, the Mass, and now we call it Christmas. Well, this is a feast-day. And our feast in the Church is a feast of worship and wholesome thought about the birth of Jesus. And we are met to hold that feast. And therefore, like the sailors in their ships, we are messmates to-day; we are brothers and sisters holding the feast. One thing is always beautiful to me in Christmas. In our country it comes in the very depth of our winter, just three days after the shortest day, just in the very midst of the longest nights, when snow and frost and fog and miserable wea...

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