, 1872-12-30
tho green garlands that bedeck our churches.
and a, helped build up the friendship that warns

sooo or oia beauty but perfecting Of things
odGup lt came not IT. to destroy but to fulfil It
tue Alndoos, to tho dream of immortal life held
" al ages. and to the natural happiness of man.
40 happiness as pursuit Of old age and child
hood 1t adds the power Of its Endorsement and
most wise and most tender help.
Such great holiday as that called yule-tide it
accepts and then improves with its own purer.
truth and deeper philanthropy.
Having thus alluded to the origin OF
to the foes it has encountered, and tIen to the
great friend it has found in the nineteenth CEN
turv.
Happiness early became st discount in the Chris
tian Church. For reasons known and unknown,
q christianity early took the path of terrorism.
The great enemies that arose against it and
made its adherents die in flames or live in NOR
tai dread, developed greatly the idea that God
would be vengeance on the life to come. At
least the early fathers spent much of their time
OF their religion. They would exult not so
much in Heavens joy as in seeing these enc
mi % struggle in qucnchless flames.
The doctrine that man WAS the yilost Of vile
things, made all kinds Of misery here and here
after proper daily portion for his depraycd
soul, aud made JOY as dscordant for man as
pearls are for decoration Of swine. Tho more
any doctrine dogrades man tho more does all
kinds of dark thoughts become his daily occupa-
ton, aud the more does all shape of happiuesss
become forbidden fruit.
Prosecutions and the remains Of old supersti-
tions, and the direct actions OF dogmas, and tho
union Of religion and political deBpotism, Ill
combine to check the natural flow OF pleasure,
JOY, and love.
Tho air was not 80 much fillad with that ever
present spirit, infinite in love and goodness
God-~as 1t was hllcd with Satan, tho chief Of
demons, and his army Of tormentors. Luther
saw Satan far oftener than his spirit bcheld its
God. His cell WAS continually invaded by this
prince of darkness. Once only did he suffer an
noyance enough to result in the throwing of his
lnkstand, but at all hours lie suffered rude ut
tacks. Hearing strange noise one night, he
arose to e1pel thief, but finding it only Satan
himself, he went quietly to sleep again.
The long history OF the Catholic Church is the
history Of Satanic prosence-ca1dles even kept
burning to keep him away, consecrated bells
were wrung to frighteu him, and yet in each
dark corner of every house there waB skuIking
the evil one Visiting to torment some unguarded
soul When Luther was supposed to have III ed,
tho Catholics dreamed Of his body being car
ried to perdition by score OF devils in the form
of ravens.
When witches we're led out to execution they
wore robe of black with pictures Of devils all
over it, and the swearing Of the streets was
ALMOST Al done in the name Of d thousand
God Of nature and OF the human soul was almost
ecipsed by thus dark and gloomy shadow Of
things Internal Along With this eclipse of d
benevolent God, came the eclipse Of human hap-
pIueaB OF nen, NOHeQ. ana cml0TcD. 10 EeeR
pleasure to triie, il not to sin. Tho world
was virtually in the hands Of Manichean
philosophy, which in Aeathen times held that
the reunion vas hanging III suspense between
the power of a God and the power of demon.
The history Of the church from the tenth CEN
tury to the eighteenth shows that it's relations
to human enjoyment were Of the most patiable
character, an insult not only to the New Testa-
ment, but to man as q creature gifted with rea-
son. The whole spirit of those times is acci-
H. >4n11 nj )1no 1f
lay, that bear-baiting was forbidden not because
it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave
pleasure to the spectator.
This type OF Christianity, full OF terror,
has been the foo with which the joyfulncss Of
life has had to combat. Christmas has suffered
in this wdo suffering Of all mans best instincts.
Now, the great friend Of this season is that
mental emancipation that has been coming for
nearly two hundred years, but which has in this
century made most marked progress. The guilt
and punishment of sin being still believed in
and accepted fact by oil, there is no doubt
that God in His own power, and beauty, and
love, fills the air He has never before done in
the history OF mankind. In sky cleared of tho
dark clouds that yeilcd it for thousands Of years
ono may now see the radiance of Jesus Christ.
Compared with the frightfu1 yesterday, VIC hive
come upon a cloudloss morning in June, when
dew is sparkling like diamonds upon the grass,
and tho soft winds from the South are striking
tho temples like gale from Paradise.
The army Of demons in the sky has passed
away before the uprising Of Christ. The euaan-
cipation of mind, begun in tie sixteenth CEN
tury, but moro fully established i'll the eight
eenth, has driven witchcrat aud domonism from
public belief, aud has surrounded the children
Of God with tho blessed presence Of their Hear-
emily Father. Tho aaceticlsm Of the monk and
Of the Puritan has passed away. Children are
not afraid Of their parents, but are joyful in
their presence. Parents are not go much aomca-
tic despots as domestic friends upon the Sabbath
day The sunday-school song has superseded
cruel wlippings, and homc-imprisonmont, and
deathliko silence. Tho great changes that have
taken place in public philanthropy, seen now in
a5ylums, and hospitals, and homes for the desti-
tute in the endowment of colleges, in retreats
for invalid ministers, in retreats for aged and
INDECENT actors, seen in free public educa-
ton, are seen, also, at tho freslde, in
the yu1etide that comes with such a joy to
youth as was possible in no former age. Tho
universal presence Of demons has given place to
the universal presence Of Jesus Christ. Tho
philosophy that permits man to be as happy as
he can lawfully be, has overwhelmed the terror
i'm Of 1900 years.
The foes OF Christmas that remain are tho
worship of gold that absorbs mems hearts, and
du1ls them, and certain Warmly or greatness
Of self that is too proud to laugh, too sublime
to behold an object 30 trining as play-day and
an evergreen tree.
But the advancing sway Of tender sentiment,
tho dawning ago Of higher happiness, Of less
debate and more loyo, will melt all these proud
hearts, and will render tho sentiment Of phil
anthropy more popular than sold, and child
like head more charming than the most exalted
form Of egotism. But these days are not q
simple smi1o or hnppiness-they are great rest
ing places for the oyerworked mind and heart,
GASES in the desert where tho caravan reposes
amid verdure, and ahade and by crystal springs.
Bonds Of friendship arc strengthened in them.
that produces. the culture that enjoys them, the
Christianity that penetrates them and gives thom
soul aud import; are Ill advanced in public estl-
mate.
Commentaries are these days upon the Scr
| mon on tho Mount, aad upon tho whole Life of
Christ Nations unbeuding from toll, nations
confessing the fact and value Of Joyfulness,
nations taking up the children in their arms and
goodwill to incn, and joining in tho exchange
Of good wishes among their millions Of citizens,
surpass all looks and all formal speech in un-
folding the meaning and painting the true pic
turo Of Jesus tho Savior.
ANNIVERSARY SERMON AT EVANSTON.
Evanston is so closely allied to Chicago as tho
home of so many Of OUT business men, that the