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

Luther.
Christmas, the blessed, the Joyous
Christmas time, is coming, is now tht
universal watchword. Christian
lands, homes, and hearts, are busily
employed in preparing and getting al
things ready for the celebration Of tn.
great festival of Christopdom,' The
Newspapers are crowded with advcr
tisemchts of beautiful, valuable, use
inl, and useless Christmas gifts. Ev
ery merchant exhibits them in hi'
show window. The earth has beer,
ransackea ior contributions, artists
andsar,isans have been at work 70,
months, pains and cxpenscsnavc not
been spared to supply tho demand
christmas opens the heart and the
parsos wherever the Gospel is preach
ID.
Parents arc beginning to think of
presents for their children, the chill
arcn nrc thinking during tho day. and
arsaming at night Sf Saint Nicholas:
hunting up their long stockings, and
wishing aloud for what they most dc
sirc to have. The Church choirs are
practising Christmas anthems, and
ministers arc hard ut work Oh their
Christmas sermons.
1t is time of universal rejoicing.
"Thc nations arc glad and sing for
JOY"
,"Glory to God in high" st heavens
Who unto man Ills Son hath yiver!"
All Christians, Young and old, rich
and poor, learned and unlcarncd
ought to keep this festival. True.
there is not a divine command for it,
f'r it il free will Offering of CRATE
1ul love for the greatest Of Gods gifts
TO- u.s.. For we do not know, whcth-
ar Christ was born on the twenty
fifth Of December or not, hut we do
know that lie came into the world.
we havcthc blessed gospel of nativity.
lie must therefore have birthday.
The Church in the earliest ages
celebrated it in connection with the
festival of Hm baptism; but the
twenty-fiitl, OF December was during
the reign of Thcodosius the Great
t379-395) accepted Us the natal day Of
the ,Rcdccnlrr: and its obscrn ancc DC
cum" soon universal both in TIE occi-
dental and oriental Church. thrvs-
ostom says. speaking of this day as
thc birthday and festival of Christ.
1T i,as hccn known for ages in l;u.
ropo, from France, to Caeli2., as the
festival Of Christ it has been ol,scr-
we'd ak ,sucl, in Rome, from which We,
through those who are we'll acquain-
ted With this day and that city have
received it. For they WHO dwell
there, and celebrate it aGca according
to ancient tradition, have impaired
t'.:a knowleds1s. p. ns.'-"Thc fact is
churchfy Vow on which we base the
adoption of the twenty-fii,h OF De-
cember IN the festival of Christ makes
it in reality highly probable, that the
opinion of Chrysostom and others, ac-
cording to whiri, the observance
dates back nearly to the apostolic age
is we'll sustained, and the sta etmGnt
Of tho rule prevailing in Hsnlt which
?sf'rsit to Peter Hia5|nsnsSss i?i|'; with it,
CaxpH. ''''' " -
1aeS 4pes,a3e Constitutions enjoin :
"Obscrwe the birthday, which is ac-
eomplished for you on the twenty
tnls day Of tho ninth month" The
ninth month. is December.
Tie Christians of the European
part of; thu Roman Empire from
France 70 Cadiz's used the, Roman
Calender, and as Nissan apdlApril cor.
responded, the festival Of tho, Nstivi
ty necessarily, fello the, twenty-6fth
Of Dseember: This day meets better
than any other the requirements Of
prophecy. cbysostem agrcsss with
those; who ..hold that tho Prophet.
have spoken Of cSyi.t :ffom his birth
which took. place in winter Haggo.
2: -. tIs the seedyct In tho barn
yea; as yet the vine, and the fig-trcc
and the pomcgrahatc, and tho olive
tree, hath not brought forth :. from
the day--1s, from the four and TWEEN
ty sixth day of tho ninth, month
will I hlessyo -4Lature is THO I'M
age and liksnssaes a.se Of, the Kingdom o
God. Christ ,Yas born says 0rqsu
when the Rewth of tho approach,
jngsyear begins asils 1ron,t who: place
the birth Of Christ On the sixth. Q
January, Admits that tho passage i
IIaggai;applies. both to the FIRST an
the second advent Of Christ *. :"
Ighe ancients found out in order I
exhibit the genpiness and exceiIenc
q hssestjsa!s;it its correspondent
With nature. Th9 might. bccom