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The Adventist Home
and placing it in our churches, but the sin lies in the motive which
prompts to action and the use which is made of the gifts placed upon
the tree.
The tree may be as tall and its branches as wide as shall best suit
the occasion; but let its boughs be laden with the golden and silver
fruit of your beneficence, and present this to Him as your Christmas
gift. Let your donations be sanctified by prayer
Christmas and New Year celebrations can and should be held in
behalf of those who are helpless. God is glorified when we give to
help those who have large families to support
A Tree Laden With Offerings Is Not Sinful—Let not the parents
take the position that an evergreen placed in the church for the amuse-
ment of the Sabbath school scholars is a sin, for it may be made a
great blessing. Keep before their minds benevolent objects. In no case
should mere amusement be the object of these gatherings. While there
may be some who will turn these occasions into seasons of careless
levity, and whose minds will not receive the divine impress, to other
minds and characters these seasons will be highly beneficial. I am fully
[483]
satisfied that innocent substitutes can be devised for many gatherings
that demoralize
Provide Innocent Enjoyment for the Day—Will you not arise,
my Christian brethren and sisters, and gird yourselves for duty in
the fear of God, so arranging this matter that it shall not be dry and
uninteresting, but full of innocent enjoyment that shall bear the signet
of Heaven? I know the poorer class will respond to these suggestions.
The most wealthy should also show an interest and bestow their gifts
and offerings proportionate to the means with which God has entrusted
them. Let there be recorded in the heavenly books such a Christmas
as has never yet been seen because of the donations which shall be
given for the sustaining of the work of God and the upbuilding of His
kingdom
[484]
9
The Review and Herald, December 11, 1879
.
10
Manuscript 13, 1896
.
11
The Review and Herald, December 9, 1884
.
12
Ibid
.