Daily Republican., 1881-12-24
DAILY REPUBLICAN.
sATURDlY, DECEMBER "a, 1881.
GllrlAtman.

Christmas, usually the most joyfu
season of the year, is upon us agair
with whatever Of joy or sorrow it ma
bring. The name for the holiday eS
plains it's character-Chrst for tn
great Savior of Mankind and Nj ASS tn
religious Observance Of his natal day
We have no authentic record of tn
commencement of Christmas observ
ances, but We may well suppose tha
they commenced early in the era of th
Christian Church. Knowing The i'm
portance which many persons attach t.
their own birthday at the present time
we may well suppose that the birth day
Of such an important person as our Dl
vine Master would have been borne il
mind, treasured, kept and celebrated
by his friends and followers ever since
the glad morning when the angels an,
nounCed the glad news of a Savior born
upon the plains of Bethlehem. 1t is
reasonable to suppose that in the early
age of the christianity of our Savior,
the correct day OF his birth was ce'e-
brated but that the 18th of December
is that day is now matter of doubt
indeed it is generally accepted by Bi-
ble commentators that the probabili
ties against that date being the correct
time Of our Savior's birth are the great
er. The prosecutions which followed
in after centuries, though they did not
succeed in annhilating christianity
and all who adhered to that faith ha Il the
effect to bot out all distinctive records
and in the arrangements which after
wards followed of the revolutions Of the
earth around the Sun, such confusion
ensued that the correct record of events
as to the time, has not been preserved.
This however does noC ohliterate the
fact that a Savior was born in Bethle
hem, little suburb city of Jerusalem,
This fact we have minutely recorded
and handed down to us in the sacred
scriptures and this after all is the most
important. That Savior was born in
Bethlehem CT Judea is not disputed
That angel choirs awoke the stiffness of
morning aud made the glad announce
msnt to the listening and astonished |
Shepherds, in language the most sub
lime and eloquent that mortal ear has
ever heard, is not disputed That these
same Shepherds i'm nediate'y started |
on a journey guided by star towards
Bethlehem wher, the star led them s |
not cantrovertel. That on reaching the |
end of their journey they found the
young child and his mother in the horn
ed oxen's shed, the child lying in a |
is not deniet. That they laid |
at the feet of the mother and gol-child
gifts Of gold frankincense and myrrh |
is well authenticated. No denial has
been made that Herol the reigning |
king destroyed all the yonng male chi,- |
dren in Bethlehem under wO years Old
that he might destroy with them the |
promised Savior OF Israel The mere
date of the birth of our Savior is not
auth zen tically recorded VINO that does
not know that dates are difficult things
to rem ember and records if not de |
stroyed soon wear out with age? 1t
impIants itself in the immortal mini |
and descends from age to age.
No matter then when the exact birth
day OF Christ comes, it is enough for lis to
know that Savior was born, and wise
men and philosophers have fixed upon
the 25th day Of December as the time
OF his birth. As we have already sta
ted, the date of his birth is a trivial cir
the great fact being Sa.
vior who was Christ the Lord, was born
into the world to save the people from
their sins. Then let every body re
JOice that a Savior was ever sent into
this sin cursed world. This should
stimulate every body to strict observ-
ance of the day appointed. But how
should it be observed? Not in bacha-
nalian revels, iu excesses which de.
grade that human nature which Chris.
came to elevate and lift up. Let every
voice be- tuned to song and every helrt
break forth in g!adness.
Though we cannot bring to the feet OF
the infant Christ gems from the noun
tain and gold from tie mine, we can
bring loving contrite hearts of gratitude
which are more acceptable to him than
the gifts of gold, frankincease aud
nyrrh laid at his feet in the manger
cradle at Bethlehem. The songs of re-
oicing that ascend to his Divine ear,
Will be music as sweet as that which
angels poured forth upon the earth Oh
ne glad Christmas morning of Our
'aviour's birth on the plains of BethlL-
EN- eighteen hundred and eighty lone
Iears ago. On this glad Christmas
festival, let every voice prepare song,
and every heart a throne.