"It is a custom on this Christmas Day to give love-presents. What love-
gift giveth our Lord Jesus on this day? Brethren, it is a great one and a
precious; as St. Paul said to the Philippians: 'For unto you it is given
for Christ, not only that ye should believe on Him, but also that ye
should suffer for His sake;' and St. Peter also saith, 'Behold, we count
them blessed which endure.' And the holy Apostles rejoiced that they were
counted worthy to suffer rebuke for the name of Jesus.
"Our Lord Christ giveth us of His cup and His baptism; He giveth of the
manger and the straw; He giveth of persecutions and afflictions; He
giveth of the crown of thorns, and right dear unto us be these gifts.
"And now will I tell these children a story, which a cunning playwright,
whom I once knew in our Queen's court, hath made concerning gifts:
"A great king would marry his daughter worthily, and so he caused three
caskets to be made, in one of which he hid her picture. The one casket
was of gold set with diamonds, the second of silver set with pearls, and
the third a poor casket of lead.
"Now it was given out that each comer should have but one choice, and if
he chose the one with the picture he should have the lady to wife.
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