The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-12-30
from Saturdays Daily.
THE ADVENT.

her chief festival, aud to sanctify her pleas
ures in the light that broke from the sky
upon the shepherds, and that shone from
the manager upon Mary more than 1900 years
ago. Christianity is yet like an ungrown,
stumbling child; it is not yet aware that it
must he about its Fathers business. It's
first impetus was trem ndous, aud It's first
triumpils superhumau, but afterward it held
its place more by the power of inertia and
possession, than by the force of living in
spirntion from heaven. Christianity from
the fourth 10 the eighteenth century is not
a thing To he proud Of Its wars, cnIeities,
brutalities, woridduess, hypocrisy, would
better befi' tte religion Of the devil than
the relig"n Of Jesus.
! Cur times are better. A decided and
general reaction toward the spirit of Christ
has begun. Not that Chris,iauity yet con-
trols aad mpulds the lives of it's adherents :;
but there is steady increase of good among
US. The number of those who shake them
selves loose from selfshness and worldliuess'
! is yearly increasing. If there is as yet no
mighty movement of the masses toward
spirituality, such as the world saw once
and such as it viii see again, yet the leaven
Of it works everywhere. The light o. u new
morning has touched some souls who, like
Huuntain tops, are elevated enough
10 receive it, and it will steadily
spread downward to humanity's plane
THIS hight is not yet clear in. doctrine, but
it is clear in practice; it does move and
unite men in Christianity's first pure hu
manitarian spirit. 1t is u return to the al
fections, sympathies and principles, which
the founder of our religion lived and taught.
The Christmas of our times is, therefore,
no mockery. We are connected by true
sympathy with the angels who sang its first
anthem, and the Magi who made its first
gifts. -Hu... 0.....I. .-l
Concerning who the worlds Redeemer
was we may still differ; concerning what
He did, we do not. The historic Il utn of
ChTist's birth interests US less than the pres
ent truth of His veritable rebirth in the
hearts of mankind. We spend no time in
deciding when and how the Lord was born
eighteen centuries ago, for we. know that
He has been born sgaiu in the good begin
nings, true reforms and noble promises of
the nitn teenth century. We ourselves are
the shepherds to whom the angels have
sung: we are the .Masi Fastening with our
gifts 20 the cradle of new religion ana a
new Civilization. The star of religion west
-.
ward took its way, and has now completed
the circuit of the earth. AS it moved it has
descended, until now, having reached the
sunset shore of America and being about to
rise again upon its native East and reappear
in hoary old Asia, it strikes its rays lower
into the affairs of men than ever before.
1t has reached the roots of things, and by
its light the foundations of liberty, labor,
society and State are all to be relaid. The
Gospel OF Christ, absorbed in the all-cOn-
queriny forces of this tremendous age, and
working like a sec md hereditary nature
il .hebrains Of men, will plow through the
slumbers of the world and flash a new sun
rise upon it .r...f .-r r....-.|
The idea OF a second advent or another
descent of forces from the spiritual regions
and sources of power, which pervades the
sacred writings from the first gospel to the
biza,re visions of st. John, is fulfilled in the
scientific ana philanthropic spirit of our
age. This humahitariauism, all devoted to
beuerng the natural and temporal condi-
ton of mankind; this kindly sympathy
aud charity for man which is the main
foree.of our century, and which has found
such astonishing expression during the last
five years, is the second advent of the son
of mau, Here is something altogether
unique in human history, tremendously
revolutionary in its tendencies, and sure to
give new religion and new civilization to
the world. This modern conquest of space
and time, this girding the earth with lines
OF thought and travel, this rock-readin2
of creations story backward, this stealing
of the suns secret, and invasion of the
hoary silence of the stars, these lives OF
large-minded men with their love of sci
encc, their study OF natural facts, and theil
gospel OF universal law-all betoken that
Christianity has already entered the second
great arc of that orbit W hich measures the
perfect circle of humau development. The
| Son Of Man beforetime began his work upor
spirit; he begins it now upon matter. Thai
which has been last and despised shall now
be first and honored. e.
I And these new forces of the new advent
are to be permanent. They are to possess
are to work in and through the very foun
dations of life. The heavenly is not to su
persede, but to control the earthly. Man.
love of the material and the tangible is to b
fully satisfied, and il, like Thomas, he viii
net believe in his Lord unless he can handle
Him, that will also be done under such con
vinclng wonders as will compel belief.
The Christian era from whose completed
cycle we have just emerged has been Ions
one, and has yet accomplished little. Th'
world win begin the next era with greate
I thOroughness and breadth. The descend
:. ing forces which We to-day call new, ar,
) really the same that began 1900 years ago
= and were checked. They are now forcins
! their way down to the bottom of man ant
nature. until the. way shall be opened TO
the spiritual to enter and fill the natural
science will be married TO revelation, AnC
= heaven descend to earth. 2 W
SAD PICGUsR or A CITY II
RUNS.
We have often written very plainly an,