Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-12-24
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CHRISTMAS,

UOOD WOhDo LIN Al |
THE CHURCHEs--MUsIC AND DECoRA-
TIoNs-wHAT HAS BEEN AND Is TO BE
/ DONE CHRISTMAS,
&C.. &C., &C.
This is Christmas Eve. and our readers
WILL of course, want to know all about
how to spend this evening, and tomorrow.
They will find below all the news, as well
as some good advice.
A SEASONABLE SERMON.
At the First Presbyterian Church, Sun
day night, Rev. VIM. E. Baker preached a
sermon appropriate to the holiday season,
from the text sLet us watch and be So
lemn." He showed that in our lives there
is worldly intoxication against the dan
gers of which the only remedy is to be
found in watchful sobriety There is
another drunkenness besides the literal |
drunkenness against which the temperance
societies labor, and which, while the one
lays its devotees in the gutter of the streets,
lays the hearts Of its worshippers in the
moral gutter, and the former is far more
general than the latter, and is the root,
while the other is the branch. The crop
of the branch, philanthroplc men remove
year after year, but the root remains. Any
enjoyment which intoxicates us with de-
sire for it, and leads us away from God, is
that against which the apostle warns us
to ''watch and be sober.'' The world has
it's bar at which spiritual, as " ell as spirit
uous liquor is dispensed to fire up the de-
PRAYED appetites of the soul. We should
be watchfu that mere natural vivacity
does not in the end become riotous;
that youthful gaiety does not glide into
hurtful liberty--we should be watchful
against that, and keep our armour on, and
above all beware Of self-con6dence. We
should take alarm at the number we have
seen fallen around US, and remember that
many fall as deeply as the drunkard, whose
fall is never known. Many who are IA
vorites in society suffer as keen a torture
as others Who are outcasts from society.
This watchful sobriety is necessary i'll
order to keep us near to God. Whoever
is enthusiastically lover of pleasure
cannot be lover of God. Temperance
in earthly things IS consistent with piety,
but intemperance is not: We may be dill
, gent in business, and interested in present
, delights, but there is a heat and ex-
| travagence against which we must take
warning, which rather deters than pro-
, notes happiness. 1t prevents us seeing
the real beauty Of the world; it destroys
, healthy appetite, and the man wrapped
up in the world passes thousand sources
of innocent pleasure, finding satisfaction in
, nothing that is not spiced with sin. To
, say that man must be devoted to the
world to enjoy life is TO say that a man
| must be sot in order to receive, pleasure
, from the delicaces and beauty Of nature
The conseuuer ces Of this worldly intoXi-
, cation are like those Of literal drunken
' ness--terrible. AS one separates us from
t the temporal society of the good, the other
$ separates us from the eternal love Of God.
The speaker commented on the brevity of
life, and the fleeing pleasures of the
world, and urged his hearers to swatch
and be SOBER" with a watchful sobriety in
the love and service of God, which, in
stead of being ghostly and gloomy thing
appropriate only in age and adversely.
: would tighten the lghtest Of their hearts,
: and brighten the brightest of their cheeks,
for true happiness comes from temperance
: and not from intoxication.
TIE CHURCHES.
Trinity Episcopal church is the only one
!. of the churches that has made any special
l arrangements for music Christmas morn
ing. The opening piece will be the quar-
9 tette, s'Holy! Lord God Of Saboath!' from
a oanctus of Mozart, to be followed by
) LIQUIDS ''Venite." Thomas ''Te Deum''
and Millard's "Jubilate'' will be the other
: selections. This choir is composed Of the
y following ladies and gentlemen: Miss Fan
L ME Gay, soprano; Mrs R. Phillips, So
prano; Miss Mag. Sheffey, contralto; Mr..
1 Chas L. Cooke, tenor, and Messrs. Hugh
L. Powell and G. Men Whittle, bassos;
organist, Prof. Hamer. The church has
been handsomely decorated with ever
green. Over the chancel are the words
sArise! shine! for thy light is come -
On the left of the pulpit is the word
> Emanuel and on the right, ''God with
: u.s. and in an arch over the organ the
l word "Rejoice."
At the Lutheran church the side walls
and gallery have been festooned with ever
greens. An evergreen arch runs over the
pulpit, surmounted by the words in gilt
5 letters, ''Glory to God in the Highest"
On either side of the pulpit are the words,
s'Peace on earth" and "Good will to men. "
In front of the pulpit is Passion cross of
evergreen, with the letters, l. H. S. The
. choir will sing the ordinary Christmas an
thems. 1t is composed of the following
ladies and gentlemen: Mrs. Geo. P. Baker,
soprano; Mrs. Virginia Hamilton, soprano;
Mrs E. l.. Ide. alto; Miss EVE Piper, alto;
Mr.. David W. Drake, tenor; Messrs. Henry
Brown and Geo. 2. Baker, bassos; organlst,
Prof. Ide.
At the Catholic church, at the O'Clock
mass, Peters mass in G will be sung, and
at the 1O4 O'Clock service, Peters mass in
D. Miss Lena Scherer is the soprano of
the choir; organist, Prof. Richard. The
decorations here are very handsome. The
walls are thickly covered with festoons of
evergreen, surmounted by wreaths of the
same. Over the altar are the words,
"GIoria in Excelsis,' enclosed in ever
| green.
THE PROMENADE CONCERTS.
The Promenade Concerts have drawn
together large numbers in the Grange
Hall. On Tuesday night: the West Au-
| ruSta Guard pumhprinU 40 men llndar