Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-02
Christmas.
Abstract Of Sermon By e. H. Hcbster
Dec. %, 1872.

| Dellc'c III AccpiHS ~. sANo "ae.oi
about the exaos date; it is the eocnt,
not the day, that we commemorate.-
That event the Birth Christ-was
the central, the chief event in the
worlds history. The angels thought
So and sang in mortal ears as never be-
fore or since.
He came the one perfect man of all
the race He came filkd with all the
fullness of the Godhead. He brought
God to men, as God was never able to
come before. To see him was to see
the Father also. Whether as the om-
nipotent worker, the omniscient teach
er, or the infinite lover-to look into
the face of Jesus was to see God. He
taught the world how to love, and 50
how to be free and glad, He brought
life and Immortality to light He was
the dayspring from on high, breaking
over the darkness of the world, to rise
higher and higher until the shadows
flee away forever. For he is the Sun
that shall never set, but shall be the
light of the kingdom of glory and of
God. through an eternal day.
Dark as the midnight, cold as the
grave, hard as the neither milestone,
must be that heart that can hear, or
read, or think of the history of Jesus,
unmoycd, uninterested This must be
so, even if the record be false. For
there is no heart, which is not dark and
cold and hard, but must wish it true.
And this fact is reason enough for be-
lieving it.
1t is wise thing, then, for the peo-
pie of this world to make His birthday
a day of gladness, as year by year it
comes around. | propose to mention,
therefore, these things as proper in
keeping Christmas day. The overture
Of the angels suggests them.
1st. 1t should be day Of praise and
thanksgiying-''giory to God IN tie
Myhcst. Jesus is Gods ':unspeakable
gift" He is the expression of Gods
self-denial. He is the living illustra-
tration Of Gods tenderness, patience
generosity, forgivingness. He is the
teacher sent from God, with Gods
thoughts and plans and purposes and
truths, that we may know these things,
aud rest, and be glad
His birth, his life, his works, his
words. his sorrows, his death, were all
worthy of God, lifting him up before
the world as something grander, more
beautiful, more glorious, more good,
than had ever been thought before
Christ revealed the glories of Gods
81 {, and made his name glorious in the
earth. And because of this, we are
drawn to him, trust him, grow like him,
and find peace and life, as could not
else have been. Let his birthday, then,
be a day Of grateful mention Of the
goodness and glory Of the Lord, OF
hearty and joyous praise.
2nd. 1t should be a day of peace
maklng-'peacc on earth" He taught
men the way of perfect peace. He
showed them the conditions thereof. =
| He was an illustration of it. The re-
pose, the peace Of Jesus, was a limit
less ocean He could say to his weary
followers, as comforting some divine ia
vors, "my peace l give unto you,' and
to all the restless, heavy-laden world,
he could say with absolute assurance,
'come unto me and [ will give you
rest" One of his best-remembered be-
attitudes was, blessed are the peace
makers" Great was the peace Of those
who IN their sickness, their lamencss. Or
blindness, or deafness, or madness, came
unto him for healing, and found more
than they had hoped, While to those
who received him into their hearts, with
grateful confidence, he gave power to
become sons Of God, and find in his fel-
lowship the peace which passeth all un-
derstanding His coming and his life
was the unfolding of Gods thought of
peace. the revealing of his hearts de-
sire to see men at peace with each 9TH
er, and to bring them to be at peace
with him Let it be, then, the hallow-
ing of his birthday, that we make it a
day of setting wrongs to rights; of adj
justing differences, Of settling disputes,
Of putting an end to quarreIs, of large
forgiving and forgetting, of making
peace. Let it be day of family gath
erings and mutual good understanding.
Let every home be place Of peace,
: where nothing remains unforgiven, moth
a. I