The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-12-24
:. MERRY CHRISTMAS. Z"

than IN others, but IN all WIN seiheIhiiiS vi
becoming Joy and gratitude that, &C ording
to the ancient prophecy of both priest and
sybn, q star should have come out OF
Jacob and scepter arisen out Of Israel.
With many, even among protested Chris
iians, the day will be spent thoughtlessly,
while others will attach mere formal observ
ances to it, which were far better
omitted than ostentatiously rendered, as
they will be. OF the mysteries
of the presentation and marriage of the
Virgin; Of the annunciation, visitation and
nativity of Christ Of the alteration of
the shepherds and the Maj; of the
publication, fight, and repose of the holy |
family. and other mere theological disputa- /,
tons. we have nothing to do as a journalist.
They are subjects that co not fall within
our province to discuss. We bring as our
offering to tho Christmas altar neither
gold, frankincense, nor myrrh. We pre-
fer charity and spiritual riches to gold; q
simple faith in the divine Master to any
thing like material incense, and truth, with
meekness ofspirit, to myrrh. Such gifts may
have had their proper significance with the
wise men Of the East but the day of SYM
bols and traditional creeds is past, and things
have come TO represent their own intrinsic
value and worth, just as the life OF CHRIST
represented his. The star of prophesy has
been fulfilled, and the world is only made
better Us bis divine teachings fall upon the
heart and work out in us the spiritual
riches that were so abundant'y his 10
manifest and bestow.
With these preliminary reflections, let
us, cast about us for some of the duties OF
the day. Christ came in the midst of winter,
lust as the sun had reached, in southern
declination, its greatest diurnal motion;
when the poor were pinched by cold
and cnawed by severest hunger, lie
came when want, and woe, aud poverty,
and even crime, were seen in their worst
forms. The bitter season had laid its
grasp upon the sun-bright streams and
tossed the shiyering garments OF the woods
TO the four winds Of heaven. The mid
night tempest had flung down his iieecy
mantle. and given it to his nimble mes
scnaers to broadcast in shapeless folds
over the bleak and desolate earth. There
seemed nothing beautiful and respondent,
in all nature, but ace. AT least this
must have been the case in the extreme
north of Judea. It vas a fitting hour,
then, for Christ to come! He was the
sun Of righteousness, and divine love and
goodness emanated from him as light and
heat did from the natural sun, now
turned away from its mission OF JOY and
gladness to the human heart.
And to whom did he come? Was 1t to
the rich and aflluent--to those social gath
srings around blazing hearths, where m'rth
and plenty abounded, and where the
demons of tho tempest might rave without
and not so much as blanch the tenderes'
cheek within? Not SO the record. There
were want, and wee, and anguish in Judea
There were wletched families, within more
wretched thresholds, on that bleak Deem
b,rnight, and he came 10 them. There were
widows and orphans-those whose eyes
were to be dried, whose cries were to bt
hashed, and whose hunger was to b'
eppeased. lie came TO them. There
were victims of disease perishlng for wan
of medicine and nourishment there wet
hearts hungering and thirsting after spirit
tlal food, with DO balm of hope to h
found; there were individual agonies al
woes looking forward TO the grave as tn
only termination of their earthly sorrows
there were pangs OF affection bitterly felt
and cries of anguish piteously heard, ane
Christ came 10 reliepc them. The ANGEL
form ofcharity approached all these, and
was welcomed ana followed by the prayer
of grateful hearts.
In this season of the Nativity do q
these examples teach us nothing
Christ the divine examplar or mere shei
for us TO follow? Oh ye who have enoue
and to spare, is there no duty for you
this hour? Will ye not heed the petltlo
that poverty and wretchedness are ever az
dressing to your hearts? 1.-The poor J
have with you always" and you cann'
better show your gratitude to HIM than
bestowing some of the fruits of his boun'
upon those who are in bitter need and oil
tress. This Is the time to do it. 20
those TO aohom Christ came. Let them ha'
part of their alienated inhertanc
Charity to the poor is more than boun'
10 heaven. With us the gleanlngs OF Il
fields, the olive-trees, and the vines are nj
theirs by any prescriptiye right. Our Law
hedge poverty in with an iron wall as w
as an iron will, and custom makes 1t aimo
c crime to be poor. Break down the
partition walls, and turn not cold hca
or deaf ear to the appeals OF chart
Give literally Of your substance to the r
lief of human suffering. Make Mer
Christmas where the little ones start
and hold out both hands for bread. Ma
tho nearest approach you can
a" Merry Christmas where the widow
mother has expended her last farthing