Daily Republican., 1879-12-23
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C0HNBlh1 -
One day more and then the day that
10 have been taught to set apart and
honor a. Christmas, will be upon us
With all its sacred memories. There Is
NO holiday in the year that imprssses
m with the same feelings Of avs and
importance IS Christmas, and yet 1t il
. lamsntable thought that there are
thousands who will enter upon It's OBJ
ssrvancss, in such manner as to ban
ish all feelings Of solemnity and rover
suoe FROM their minds. There 10 no
real certainty that our Savior was born
on the 25th Of December, but that
matters not so long as there is a cor
tainty that he was born and that he sp'
pearsd upon this sinful earth as the
babe of Bethlehem in the oxen's man
ger, and growing up to manhood in his
mature years he went about doing good,
healing the sick, making the blind to
see, the do # to hear, and the lame to
walk and with the power of the AL
mighty Father bringing the dead to
life, Therefore while the discussion ~
to the exact date of Christ's birth may
be left to chronelogists q grateful peo
ple will observe tho day set apart as he
anniversary of his birth with true
hsart-fe manifestations Of joy. 1t
matters not to them whether Christ was
born on any other day of the year, or
whether December was the month or
not, they know that he was born, that
he lived on the earth and that he died
upon q cross on Calvary's summit, and
they kno v that as their Redeemer He
still lives, not in earth but in Heaven,
and that they shall yet meet Him. In
all the discussions that have taken
place in regard to the exact date OF
Christ's birth, the month has been al
most unanimously agreed upon, and
with the most acute reasoners but few
DAYS, or but few hours have inter.
yeued between the time they claim fol-
His birth and the tine usually celebra.
ted by the whole civilized world. The
main thing in the case is that we have
had a Saviour. a fact which admits of nc
dispute by real Christians in heart, for
they feel like Job did when in the in
tsnsity of his aftliction with wife and
friends all turned against him and his
property destroyed he said, 81 know
that my Redeemer liveth." There il
something pathetic and yet joyful in
he birth of Christ that goes continually
70 tn Ihearts Of the masses of the people
In Him the poor have an especial in
tsrest. Poor Himself, He was born il
the Oxen's manger, for amongst the
dignitaries and notables that wen
No to Jerusalem to be taxed and
who occupied all the choice places
of comfort, "there was no room
for them in the Inn," and like the pool
people nowadays who have no money
the parents of the blessed Christ were
crowded out of the public houses and
con PEELED to lodge where the oxen fed
But that stable, ere the sun rose agair
in the gilded east, became a palace o
rejoicing. Shepherds who watched
their flock by night were visited by the
angels and hailed with the reclamation
of s'Peace ON earth and coed will tc
mep." Joyful shepherds unto you
is born to-day a Saviour which il
Christ the Lord"
The sound OF revelry and mirth may
be progressing at the public houses in
Bethlehem, but there is greater joy in
the humble manger outside. In the
taverns are the rulers Of the land, in
the stall where lay the infant Christ
are the wise men of the east bringing
their gifts of gold, frankincense and
myrrh, laying their offerings at the
Christ. child's feet and amounting his
God-like head. In the thronged public
houses a hckering taper sheds but q
ftful light while over the stable which
contains the infant Christ shines the
Star of Bethlehem, and divine glory
penetrates the darkest corner of the
stable, now transformed to palace.
This is the reason why Christmas has
become such a season Of rejoicing
amongst all christian nations, and it Ii
meet and proper that the scene Of the
birthplace Of Christ should DO impressed
upon the hearts of the people and that
those hearts should show their love and
yeneration for him in deeds Of charity
and benevolence.
"The poor ye have always with
you" comes to US in the times o
Christmas rpjoicings with peculiar
force and while the wealthy are max
ing gifts to their own children anc
friends they will be doing Christ homo
by remembering the. poor. The pres
,e,,ts made to the children of toll ant
poverty are the gifts, the gold, tn
- Al - ..,u..l tlot m