The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-12-25
CIRISTN As.
~ COB. Il. prSoSwAY, ESQ.

q" Then Irvine the holly and wreathe the
bay,
I., ioy and gladncSS crown the dav,
For sorrow and signing are done away
On Christmas day IN the morning.
d" . sing of our life and Joy and peace,
OF sins decay and loves increase.
God grant the song may never cease
ON Christmas day IN the mornings!
While il cannot be considered essential,
vet it is of consequence TO the progress
and firm establishment oil the Christian
religion that day should be celebrated
~, commemorative OF the birth of our
Saviour
For eighteen hundred years has the
Advent been the fouutaIu-hcUd OF tn"
living stream from which the ministers
of the gospel have drawn their most in
spi-ing sermons; the animating subject
Of the greatest poems; the glorloHs theme
of The best cSsayIst,; the grand study Of
the highest painters, and "irom MusIr's
deep, untuhomed sea has it Quilted its
finest performances,
waking the soul To very tears ofjny,
With never. cndIng waves OF melody
1t would seem, therefore, almost out of
the question that anything new could be
said about this most wonderful of events.
To come to particulars in my own case,
the present must be ut lcastmy NltccHh
Christmas yiccc, and 50 | despair of
writing ANYTHING not before written, bu:
must again greet my readers with what
To me l. always new, the sweet words oil
Scripture which come down to us uu-
d.mlurd by the dust of centuries:
"And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock 10y night. And.
lu. tine angel Of the Lord came upon
them and the glory OF the Lord shonc
round about them; aud they were sore
afraid. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not, Tor behold | bring You good
tidlngs Of great joy which shall bc to all
people For unto you Is born this day
in the city of David Saviour which is
Christ the Lord. And suddenly there
WAS with the angel multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest and on
earth peace good vii! to men"
Naturally mems minds DO not tend &c
their spiritual interest; quite the con
trarv: and hence the great object OF al
Christian effort Is To awaken them to
moral rcApunsihllIly-thcl eternal We
t,rc; and to ard in this, the commem-
murntlyu of the Advent Is OF service, ioI
the Scrptural lesson, the sermons and
the hymns ut the Christmas tide must
lead AL Glasses To- the great central truth,
the birth of Jesus Christ. This under
lies all the rcoIcings of these festive
hours, and Is the key to the pleasant OBJ
-rryanceS which gladden. all hearts dur
ing these holy days.
The cyrr-muyIng stream OF time has
washed away maRy anniversaries and
celebrations, but has passed by the feSti-
val unharmcd; indeed, 10y times current
1t Is kept alive, refreshed, and in
yiroratCd. Like Il tree planted 10y
the river. It's leaf does not w!th,r; IN old
aye It fourishes and wldens It's influence
Even among the descendants OF the stern
puritaus. where not long ago it was en-
tIrcly ignored, if not rid!culed rs Poplsh
superstition, it is now generally and joy
fully celebrated; and in several Christian
sees which formerly paid no attention
To- tire day, at this time It'll duly observed
Come, then, my friends, let us enter
into the true spirit of the day, lis reIig-
ious element and Imagination. Again
draw near with true heart IN full as
suranco Of faith the Iowly birthplace o!
the Babe of Bethlehem, Offering the sac
riiices of "broken spirits and contritc
hearts, which the Psalmist tells US are
the sacrifices of God and resolving,
come what may, We will give ourselves
wholly TO his service.
Under these hallowing influences, and