The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-25

world will, in one form or another, recog-
nlze the day as Christmas day, as the ami
versary of the day when the heavenly choir
chanted their divine song of peace on earth,
good will to men. To some the day is
sacred as the exact date of the birth of the
Savior of mankind, while to others, though
regulating the date, they still unite in the
oblation OF praise, 50 that throughout the
whole world, with men of all sects, crceds
and denominations, the day will be rem
dered vocal with the shouts Of those who,
with their leader, have conquered in the
fight against sin, and with the songs of
those who feast in memory Of Him who
was born for them, died for them, and rose
again and 10 now seated at the right hand
of the Father on high.
We refer to this truth and fact because
of the day, because il shows tue grandest,
highest and most sublime instances of
giving, as contradisiinguishcd from recev-
ing, to he fond in sacred or profanc his
tory or, even, attempted to he decided in
the most imaginative Of legends. The
Father gave His only Son Christ gave
Himself-neiher received, but both gave
and thereby, as it seems to u.s. illustrated,
as it could have been IN no other way, the
full import and meaning of that which the
Son was thereafter to teach that "it is
more blessed to give than to receive" lie,
as the apostle tells us. "loved and gave
himself for us, and this He did knowing
full well the poverty, the rcproach, the
bul1eting, the cruel hooking and scourg-
ing, the cavern Of ihorns and the cruel
fiNion that was before Him. He gave not
as one gives whom giving does not i'm
poyeii,h, but He gave his very hearts
blood and continued to give till that heart
beat no more. lie planted his cross, 70
use the language of another sin the midst
of the mad and roaring current Of selfish
ness, and uttered from it the mighty cry of
expiring love, And the waters heard him
and fled rcfuent about his cross. So may
we say that from that moment. moment
that he was born To meet, current deeper,
broader and mghtiar began 10 set heaven
ward, and it will continue tc he mighlicr,
deeper and broader till lis glad waters
shall encompass the whole Garth The
earth not alone heard the angelic anthem
and the cry Of expiring lev. but heaven
heard it, and hell heard It, and the rcmotcst
planet shall yet hear it, and all shall join
in bearing witness to the incsiimable love
Of God in His gift and to the supreme
| grandeur of that blesseduess which could
only be reached by death-and that
| death shameful one on cross be-
tween notorious indicators. 1t was
this Joy, this supreme blesscdness of
giving which was set before him, and for
which he endured the cross, despising the
shame. Christ having thus taught, by pre-
cept and example, that iii is more blessed
to give than to receive does He not also,
commend its practice to us: Il may be
true that we cannot give as he gave. but
we can follow the blessed example and
obey the divine command, pcrchance it
may be afar Off so far rs may he permitted
to our fallen humanity We can give as
the apostles gave, give ourselves chceriully
and heartily, to every good work. We can
practice charity charity in its highest
sense as implying love, and charity IN the
common acceptance of the word but glow
| ing at the same time, al over with love.
We can do our part toward retaining the
world from sin, vice. folly and ignorance,
and to this end can give ourselves, cheer
fully going where and doing that special
duty which it may please God 70 call US.
In these and many other ways we can give
"Glory to God in the highest and d, our
own part toward making ION earth peace,
good will to men a living, every day reali-
ty. Thus too will we acknowledge, in our
daily lite and conduct, the universal
fatherhood Of God and the brotherhood of
man." II we, or any of us, have so acted
before, it is well but we must continue to
serve on, even ceeking to attain higher and
higher planes; if we have disregarled all
these plain precepts. if We have neglected
! this great example, il we have never expert
enced the fuller and richer blcsscdness of
giving over receiving, let us turn, to-day,
and enter upon Il new and better day so
that the Savior of the world will not, as 10
us, have been born in vain.