Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-12-18

never have been Savior, the Son o.
David and the Son of God, if the hol,
child had not been born Of the Virgin
born in timc-a certain fixed time
day and hour.
The Church by her universal voice
doubtlcssly quieted by tradition, has
and dGcs. now celebrate the Christday
And the Church will not. let herself
pc either persuaded or coaxcd out OF
it. The children would cry aloud
for it is truly the childrcn's festival.
The evangelical Church chcrishcs
loves, and celebrates the Christian tcs.
tival. The fathers brought it will,
them from the old TO the new home
The day though. and the usagcS
of tho foretnthcrs were almost
forgotten, but few years ago, and
many English speaking chu%chcs did
hardly know anything about Christ
mas. The children did not sing
Christian hymns. tho ministers did
not preach Christian sermons; there
were no Christmas trees 10 "ilory
to God i'll the Highest: and no Halle
ln as assembled from our churches. \
better day has dawncd Christmas is
kept not indeed by all we favor, as
the birth day Of the Rcdcc,acr Of The
world.
Thc thoughtlcss, the nominal Chris
tians and the openly wicked make it
a Roman Saturnalia, They observe
The day not as the day of Christ, but
Us the day Of Bacchus. TO such it is
the great day. and even work of Pan
dcmonium. The observe the day IS
il Christ had been tYrn to save their
bodies and not tfci. souls also. The
day is observed afhd" turned i'll Carni-
val day OF folly and Of sin, that the
very angels, wh5 rciofccd when Jesus
was born, arc made to weep They
do this because they are ignorant. cn-
tangled, and unbclicvin e, because
they love darkness rather than light
bccause they prefer the Ete, that now
is to that which il to come and they
choose carth's pleasures sinful instead
of the pnre and holy joys Of tho King
dom OF CHRIST.
CA'i"tmosis comi"g! Keep it. Gel
citrate it. We insist on it. What pa-
rent is there that does not rejoice ON
the birthday Of the beloved child?
Christ is cur clild. Isaiah, 0: e. cum
to us :. child is born.'' The holy
child. the Christ-clild. Poor. help
less: 81 babe and yet s., Savior. which
is Christ the Lord.
We woall havo every child on
earth made happy during the blessed
Christmas tim" and we would have
all that once were chidtcn Tcncw not
only their 3;;;n::H hut tue innocence,
the guilcless, thc trasting faith in
the child jesus, which made their
childhood blessed, and the loss which
caUsc the strong, the wise, and the
aged rcgrctful!y to exclaim again
and again:
Thy a,e gone; they are yonc,--
Aud l clii"t J.. cali the.
Dust not only the i:,rlor out, sweep
not the chambers alone, deck no,
only tho AagiIc, pcrisl,ing forms but
20 to work on the inner man, lay
aside doubts and! fears, ca.lcs and ANY
ieties do hot think Of making, but of
giving, let politics and polemics alone +;
forgive an, hope, trust, and take the
holy child with fathers strong arm,
let your heart bc his mangcr, rejoice
with the children who sing the Christ
mas carol and pray:
"lieip me to ecome ohill
While yet "n earth. meek 'andefiled,
That may find. eSn.palways near, h
And Paradise around mo here.
The rich on this day should rcmcm-
Der the poor children, the orphans
the war has made many such; those
OF whom lie says: "Sutier little c',il-
dren 20 come nhto me-" 1t takes no
little: it is such an inexpensive pleasure
to make child happy, and the re-
mcmbrance Of chiidhood's happy
hours, of childhoods pleasures goes
with, rAe pilgrims through life, and
cheers >him iimg. ON his lonely and weary
way.
If thcro arc no children in the large
house. &hat Y,sn2. Itoa as the King
in the parable. Ask not the children
Of the rich, but3of the poor and the
fricndless. There Should be Christ.
mas-trces, ;christmas-prescnts, and
Christmascakc everywhere. But il
should not, and it must not be, forgot
ten that it is tho Chsistfestival. te
the day begin with Christmashymn
teach tho children to sing it before
hand read the Christmasgospel; of
i, fer up the Clristmasprayer. Let tn
Churches be Opened. ALI should at