Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-25
CHR STMAS.
ITS CAROLS AND CUSTOMS PROM A
CHRISTIAN STANDPOINT.
Ancient Usages and superstitions-Noels-
Church ohimes-Christmas Feasts
Plum PUDDING = Etc

The shepherds sing and shall silent be?
MY God, no hymn for Theef
LILY souls shepherd, too; flock it feeds
Of thoughts and words and deeds
The pasture j. Thy Word the streams Thy grace
L riehing al the place
Shepherd and hock shall sing and all my powers
outsng the daylight hours Herbert
Christmas Day has been set apart from
time iInmemorial for the camnemoration Of
our Savior's birth when, as Fuller, the
Church historian, quantity says, Though
Christ was BUNDLED to a mauger, the con-
tempt of the place was taken of by the glory
of the attendance and ministration Of angels. y
Historically viewed, the period of Cnrist's
birth was certainly one Of the deepest inter
est, Clearly marking the arsiyal of g the full
ness Of time appointed by the Father.
When we read il the page Of prophecy OF
the myrtle and the fg tree taking the place
of the brambie and the thorn-When we hear
of swords beat iato pruning hooks and plow-
shares-we are led to tx our attention on that
state of outward peace in the world which
was to form the commencement of the Gospel
age, and TO denote the time of the Redeemer's
appearance among men. Accordingly, these
predictions were fulfilled III a remarkable
manner at the date of our Lords birth, which
may be regarded as the commencement OF
His kingdom upon earth. Thus, the reign of
Augustus Cesar, after its first conflicts were
decided, was accompanied by a season of pro
found and settled peace. The Temple OF
Janus, at Rome. which had been shut up but
twice since the foundation of the city, was at
that time closed in token OF this public peace.
MANY sUPERsTTTIous
And some denloralizing Christmas customs
are now happily becoming "more honored
III the breach than the observance. The re-
mark has been maize, aud 1t has too much
truth Ia it, that q stranger to our earth wit
Messing some 81 the past celebrations of the
day, might lstly conclude that the advent
OF some notorious glutton gave the occasion
its interest.
Present celebrations are, we trust, more
and more serving TO connect the interest we
feel IN TIE Gay with the sacred character of
the Holy Ons who pleased not Himself, but
took upon Him our nature" ana bare our
sins, " that He might bec me tae Divine Ben
efactor Of our fallen race.
By no means Wouid we diminish aught
from the Joyous associations OF Christmas
Day. But we would elevafe, and so deepen
them. the keynote of cur observance should
be this:
Hark the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new born King:
Peace on earth, and mercy mild
God and slime reeoHeiled.
n OiIElSJlilh6 hCpb Al tic spun Vi LNSsC
words would indeed prove a merry Christ
mas The Joy of heaven would seem TO de-
scsnd to earth. Faith, hope and charity
would be guests in every home and the
Savior's birth would be regarded as the earn
est. not only of our birth into His kingdom
of grace here, but of our birth into His king
dom If glory hereafter.
AS means to this end, we should all earn
estly and thOughGfully ponder on Christmas
Day the questions, What think ye Of Christ :?
Whose Son is He?" And then the calls to
benevolence should be generously regarded
None are so poor but it is their privilege to
give. There are few who cannot give the
widows mite to cheer some one poorer than
ses. mite" possess the power of doing
Aindnesses. And
All worldly joys 90 Jesse
To the oue JOY Of dong Aindnesses. Herbert.
A word is often blessed gift. Spoken
elm season, to cheer the sorrowful or guide
the erring, no one can say how good it is. "
Whether Tich or poor, it is true proverb,
&" We get as much rs we give" We shall
get" q happy Christmas If we give
one.
But not to dwell now on these chief Christ
mas duties. or, as we would rather term
them, privileges-which perhaps more fifty
fail within the province of pulpit exhorta-
tion-ws wish to commend to our readers, as
at least a secondary help TO Christmas joy,
a deeper interest in one custom which we DO
not wish TO fall into dIsuse. We refer to
Christmas carols.
The word carol IS from an italian word
meaning a song Of joyous devotion. Accord
ing to Tsrtullian, the primitive Christians,
at their feasts, collected the singers in their
midst, and made them sing to God pieces
from the scriptures, of their own composing.
To great extent the
CAROL MUSIC
Now played is secular it ought to be sacred.
The custom evidently originated in imitation
of the hymn of the angels on Bethlehem s
plains, the first instance of this sort of holy
song. Jeremy Taylor says: " As soon as
these blessed chOristers had sung their
Christmas carol, and taught the Church a
hymn to put into her Offices forever on the
anniversary Of this festivity, the angels re
turned INTO heaven"
The music losing its sacred character, auC
piety losing It's fervor, the words of popular
carols became very unsuitable. References
to eating and drinking, often of a gross ma
turs, formed the substance Of many Of them
A few. however, retained right tone, anC
the influence of these was doubtless very
good. These were frequently sung on Christ
mas Day at church. In the I-le Of Man. tn,
people attended service on Christmas Eve
and, after the sermon, remained il the sacred
building, singing carols until midnight. w
give two verses from two of these old carols
Then be ye glad good people,
This night of all the year,
And Ii ht We up your candles
His star 1t shineth near;
And all in earth and heaven
our Christmas carol sing,
Goodwill aud peace and glory,
And all the bells shall ring.
Another ends thus:
Cod rest you all good people,
Let nothing you disnay;
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born GA Christmas Day;
To save poor souls from Satans fold
Which long had gone astray
Chorus-o tidiugs OF great conf TT
0 tidings Vi great joy
We have a strong conviction that gooC
service is being done by the modern publica
tioa Of
CAROLS AND POETRY