Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1877-12-29
Wseklg gntellieenfer.
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER.
CHRISTMAS.

surroundings are simple to the de
gree of positive humhleuess. its
mother is u stranger in bethlehem, al
though it is her native town. The
accommodations of the village inl.
are inadequate To the extraordinary
demands now made upon It's hospi-
tality. The mother therefore finds A
resting place in the ~caravansrri,
whose humble apartments furnish
shelter both to the traveller and his
beast. SO this child has the COM
pamionship OF camels and apes.
Low lies his head with the beasts
of the stall"
IT'S night. Orion blazes with
brillilucy III TIE sky. The sweet
influences" of the PIeiades shell forth
a me!lowcd radiance. The plains OF
Bethlehem are suddenly illuminated
with 4 light that belong not to earth
nor even to the starry heavens. y
shining host. whose couuteuancrs
glitter with the brilliaucy which be-
longs 10 lAt tcitsllai tItN, rs Sttu "
the exile of Patmos, stand around ii
company of bcwildered shepherds.
and to them. that IA great
king has been born, whose reign il l."
bring glory to God. peace Oh eartt,
and good will amongst men.
This King j. that simple Jewish i'll
FAINT, not yet able To prattlc or co" al
answer 10 its mothers tcuGrr fond
ling. But look . the doorway to the
manger is darkcncd by the approach
of visitors. They entcr,amd prove to
be wise men from Persia. whose steps
have been guided by II lamp, hung
amidst the heavens and directed by
All angel. haad, until it has led them
to the Lowry portal. whose thrc<h
hold they have crossed. Trey pros
trnte Themselves 1T obci-stcc before
the child. ami Jay At his feet 4 royal
tributs OF gold. and franklin c'sa,and
nIyrrh. 1t is Gentle expectancy
welcoming the Messiah of Judaism.
The whole earth had been in ira
vail for a Deliverer. Mytho!ogy,com
merce and philosophy had, each and
together, striven to meet the aspira-
tions of the human soul. They had
failed, though each had had its
golden age Of prosperity. The soul
refused to be thus satisfied. Soc
rates, Plato, Aristotle. Cicero, ami
Cato had striven TO III nut for them
selves and others a pathway from the
wilderness of ignorance, error, SUI
per>tition and depravity. They have
partially succeeded but only so far
as to make the bitterness of their dis
appointment the more intense. as
they were finally compelled to lie
down IL that miserable wilderness to
die, far away from truth, aud light.
aud liberty. Who can tell tue prayers
which ent up from the darkness for
light
That babe grow to be a man, and
he is crowned and eutLromed. His
crown is made Of thorns, and lis
throne il a cross Of agony. But he
:alked like a king: and he acted like
q King and he was II King. Consult
the annals of royalty i'll all the past.
Waste net your time upon the OBJ
cure. Look only at those crowned
heads, who are among the
Few, the Immortal uarnes,
That II ~ nor ltI n In 10 -
Where, amidst all these royal speech
es aud royal deeds, can you find
aught to compare with the sayiug>
an,i doings of the Jewish King?
Jewish King, did We say? No; h..
Was not a Jewish King, o u Roman
King, nor II Persian King. He wa
the first of earth whose dominion
knew 20 the boundaries of sea, or
river, or mountains, or tongue, OF
race. Others had vaiuly sought to
make themselves the Hing of mon.
Some, perhaps, had vainly thought
t!.at their ambitious hopes had been
realized. But where are their king
"'lI- lo-ihN u hl'S'i'Hi ~ Nv
Jewish babe, Graded 1877 years ago
is as universal as the race of man,
and as everlasting a. his immortality.
His was IL mind that embraced the
entire family OF man. His was n
heart in sympathy with us all. His
was a love, that 10 earthly barrier
could limit. HIS is a dominion that
shall never cease, until TO his gra-
cious scepter every knee shall bow.
Nearly nineteen centuries have
wrought their changes since this babe
was swaddlcd in the mamger At Beth
lehcm. How is it. to-day: The in
tel!igcnce aud enterprise Of the race
listen to his words, aud declare that
eve man spake like tails man"
Millions upon millions, constituting
the civilization ofthe globe all proud
to bend the knee before him, and
gratefully acknowledge that he has
been the beginning of a new iif'
within their souls. lie has taught
the rich to use their wealth for the
good of others and we see them in
Difference to his will, expending their
Thousands and millions upon schools,
and hospitals, and in sending the
light of truth to the beui9hted ma
tiOns. He has taught the poor that
there are other riches than those OF
earth hat the Ills of life, if right,
received, are the sicppirg-stones T.
spiritual refinement and elevation
that the pure, though poor, are Il
constitute the royal family of Heaven
To-day there are more hearts tina
love and honor Jesus than ever be
fore; or than even owned the spirit
ual kingship of any other being.
Christmas day Yes, and tn,
world knows 1.-THE birth-time o
Jesus. How many know when
Socrates was born How many car
to know ? No greater, purer. unin
spired man eve lived. Who know
or cares when Alexander or Ca a
or EOnaparte came into the world