The New York herald., 1879-12-25
CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE CHURCHES
The Lesson of the Day--What to Do
Where to Go-How To Be Merry
PROGRAMME OF TO-DAYS MUSIC.

their aocks upon the hilltop and the angel of the
Lord poured his glory all around them. to the pres
ent hour, when celebrate the 'brth Of Him that
no beginning knew is. comparatively speaking.
along time The earth and all there is thereon have
undergone phenomenal changes since then, and as
the Edsonian promise of electricity is to the oil
soaked wick Of the ancients so is the Christmas Of
1879 to that OF the first year of the Christian era
Mat have some things in common with the
people OF former times is evidenced by tho Holy
Scriptures, which say 'And it to pass in those
days that there went out decree from
Caesar Augustus that all the world should
be taxed" And when Caesar Augustus said
thing he meant it-a circumstance to which is due
the historic tact that the Saviour born in Behe-
hein to which place Joseph and Mary had journeyed
from Nazareth for the express purpose Of being
taxed. In these days we do these things with less
inconveniencethe tax assessors come to us. not we
to thom. The hotel accommodations In Bethlehem
were apparently of insufficient extent for guests
were compelled to seek refuge in the stables, to
which awkwardness due the significant fact that
the King of Kings disguised in babyhood, found
rest and sleep in "manger. "because there was no
room for them in the inn
Surely. that was and was not merry Christmas
morning!
Surely. it was fit type Of all that have followed
1t. s'
Then, now, the child element was the essential
ingredient in the celebration of the day. Then. as
parents and friends paid court to the baby and
showered gifts upon it. Then, too. as now. the night
before Christmas occasion Of momentous
Importance
The night before the first Christmas! What
subject for painter-to fail in.
1t divides itself naturally into two parrs-the
Heavenly Court and the stable in Judea. The
trumpet sounds. the skies rolled away, and be-
hold throne is sot in heaven and One sits thereon.
And He that sits is to look upon like jasper and
ssrdine stone; and there is rainbow round about
the throne, in sight like unto emerald. And
rpund about the throne four-and-twenty seats.
and upon the seats four-and-twenty elders. sit
ting. clothed in white raiment, and their heads
are crowns OF gold. And out of the throne proceed
lightnngs and thunderings and voices, while seven
lamps OF fire burn before the throne. which the
Scriptures. Before this blazing throne there
Is sea Of glass like unto crystal and in the midst
Of the throne and round about it stand four beasts
full Of eyes before and behind. Thousands and
thousands and tens of thousands, glorifed beings
Ill gathered about the throne and with the voice
Of many angels SING worthy the Lamb that
was slain to receive power and riches and wis
dom and strength and honor and glory and bless
Ing while the beasts and tho elders and the hosts
and thousands of thousands. fall down before the
throne and Him that sits thereon, saying, Thou
art worthy. Lord to receive glory and power. for
thou hast created all things. and for thy pleasure
they are and were created"
That Christ was the source and centre of angelic
JOY, and that His departure from these scones of
pomp and glory the occasion OF heavenly DEM
onstration. may well be credited.
The hour had come
1t was the night before Christmas. the eve preced
ing the seed form which grew 80 fast AID led up to
the final tragedy
Whereat the heav n put out his guilty eye
That burst behold so execrabe sight,
And sabled all in black the shady sky;
And the pale stars struck with unwonted fright,
Quencbed their everlasting lamps in night.
And at Hts birth. as all the stars heav'n n had
were not enow. but new star made,
SO now both now and old and all away did fade.
Above the skies the heavens rang with anthems
and procession of multitudes SO great that no man
might number them. led by angels and archangels
with tho everlasting trumpeters that stood at tho
four corners OF tho heavens panied the sacred
envoy to tho very verge. He left his glttering
crown and dropping like star brought Joy and
trouble to tho weary travellers resting on the
hay; while upon the adjacent hilops the angels Of
the Lord that filled the very heavens rang out prais
ing him and saying "Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace good will toward men,"
THEN AND NOW.
From the blazing glorcs of an eternal throne to
the dismal hospitality OF an unhcated stable
was the greatest contrast over known, but I'm
its extravaganza it aptly typifea tho conditions
Of the race from tho hour of Adams fall to that
of the HERALDs going to press to-day. Up and
down, rich and poor. happy and wretched. the
great company OF human martyrs como and 90
like puppets on the stage and ono is rarely the
better for their coming or the worse for their
going The world is so full Of contradictions
that wise men hesitate to say "a merry Christina
to any but the children OF the earth. To them a
rag baby aud q red checked apple bring as much
pleasure the gold frankincense and myrrh of the
mag did to the swalddled babe of I,s70 years ago
To them present is an indication of good feeling
and not token to be valued by dollars And vet
thore is difference. too in children. The simple
minded boys and maidens in a great measure have
disappeared. The boy to whom pair of skates and
new mittens would be Christmas treat is zone
The girl to whom pink sash. n pretty wax doll
and tiny ring would DO Christmas prize has
moved away Dollars and cents rulo now where
primitive simplicity once held sway, and donors
to be appreciated must make their givings large.
Glory and squalor were Christ's experiences ON
the night aud morning Of the original Christmas
Day; glory and squalor have been tho conditions
of the human race In all time. Tho millionaire
Jostes the pcBsar, inc pank president elbows the
tramp. To no ono can Christmas be always and fer.
ever merry" Sickness. disappointment, death
are the portion Of us all. and In the magnificent
mansion whose door is dockcd with Grape thoro is
much less merry Christmas to-day than In tho
broken wndowod shanty of a defiant squattcr on
the boulevard rocks. 1t is as foolish to say that
extcrnals not conducive 70 happiness or its op.
posite as TO urge that wealth and power invariably
bring poace and 'contcntment IN their train. Tx.
ternals have great deal to do with the inerrimcnt
Of Christmas. and. other things being equal, the
family that is we'll to DO In this worlds goods IL
more likely to have jolly time to-day than
1he family whose head is in the clouds, whilo his
'cet unshod, are covered with .chilblains. In
sho spirit Of the day-tho spirit which In angelic
phrase suggests peace aud good will to ment is to
bc hoped that common sense as we'll as common bu.
nlanity will suggest to readers that Christmas
Is a gnnd Ilpla In Mhicl 10 rc1neInLnr tho