The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-12-21
Dntelligeartt
CHRISTMAS.

manity. 1t matters very little ii the 9th
of December was or was not the exact
day of the Saviours birth. II was about
this time, and the common consent OF
the religious world has made this day
one Of conservation and holy JOY from
the fourth century to this epoch and for
all ages to come On land aud SEA, in
the dim forest and the crowded mart,
il the raupcr's hu. and the royal
palace in the clen-i-les and amid the
desert, from the Northern Lights TO the
Southern ice field, from the burn
ing East to the tbrnbbing Wcstin all
climcs, in all tongues, and III a thousand
ways. one mighty allcluia will on mex,
Monday surge forth to greet the Babe
Of Bethlehem who was also Lord OF
Lords and Kings Of Kings.
1t inns always seemed to Us a wonder
fully thrilling tradition that there were
mystic warnings 10 the Pagan world
that their idols and 0racles were to cease
or suffer eclipse wilcn Jesus came into
the material universe II. God and Man.
Though sprung from the royal line of
Israel j. is IS MOS: suggest;"e though.
that Christ appeared not in the rarnpher-
ua!ia oi greatness and majesty but in
mcekness and poverty thereby, in the
language Of Burke, presenting himself
''in sympathy with the lowest Of the peo
pie" whose cause he cspoused most ten
dc.ly, and for whom, when righteous, he
has promised an exceeding great reward
beyond the stars. This is one Of the
most precious of the teachings of this
festival, and il should not he lost upon
those who have been allowed to prosper.
The poor always with us nre the special
trusts of Higher Power. and the man
who dcsp.s;s rr meglects them cnn not
in his heart or soul, be faithful follower
Of Him who, less fortunate than the
beasts Of the field had not oftentimes n
place to lny his head.
Among the wonderful testimonies to
the Saviour none are more striking than
those Of Napoleon, who in tie hey.day
Of his pride and pomp, appeared to for
get that there was IL Ruler Of Events.
Chastened by defeat and abnshed by
exile, he used these memorable words ::
"Across II ,1asm Of eighteeu hundred
yearB Jesus Christ makes n demand
which is beyond all others difficult to
satisfy. He asks that fer which phi
losopher may often seek in vain at tho
hands OF his friends, or father of his
children, or bride of her spouse, or a
man Of his brother. He asks for the
human heart. He will hav. il entirely
himself. He demands it Internationally
and forthwith his demand is granted.
Wonderful In defiance of time and
space, the soul Of man, with all its pow
ers and faculties, becomes an annexation
to the empire Of Chris.. Al! who ,in-
cerely believe in Him experience that
remarkable supernatural love towards
Him. This phenomenon is unaccounta-
Bile, it is altogether hey md tho scope If
mans creative power Time, the great
destroyer, is powerless to ex,inguish this
sacred flame; time can neither exhaust
it's strength nor put a limit 10 it's range.
This it is which strikes me most. This
it il which proves to me quite convinc-
ingly the Divinity Of Jesus Christ.
Alexander, Cesar, Charlemangc, and
myself, have founded empires; but upon
what do these creations Of our GENT DE-.
pend? Upon force. Jesus alone found
cd his empire upon love, and to this very
day millions would die for Him.
think l understand something Of human
nature and tell you, al these were
men-none else is like Him. Jesus
Christ was more than man."
These testimonies from the modern
Attila and Cesnr are the more remarka.
ble because they issued from one who
only too often arrogated to himselfa rule
Of conduct above that prescribed to com.
mon humanity, and who did not hesitate
to defy the altar that he had once raised
up among the ruins of revolutionary and
infidel France. Of all the voices from
st. Helena these memorable tributes to
the supernas power that had elevated and
crushed him are the most pathetic, the
most sublime, the most precious In
captivity the conqueror felt humility
thu. "::ss 81! :akGo~n 5of0re. and his
death, humble and repentant, at the feet
OF Jesus, is one of q thousand notable H.
lustrations of how the Babe of Bethle.
hem comes TO us when We are most for
eaken of men, and how He refreshes us |
wnea the fountains of human compas.
sion appear to have nerished ut their
source.
Though Christ came with love, peace
and good will to men, il is a sad re.
flection that thousands of people, even on
His natal DE-, make mockery Of His
holy name. Because His precepts are
defied, the world dwellu under the shad.
ow of the sword, and there lie a cry of
for redress snd vengeance over
the whole planet. Reviewing the war.
like. condition and tendency of all Chris.
tian countries. and confronting this
bloody status with Christian civiliza.
lion, certain form of modern philoso.
ply is disposed 60 question the benign in.
auence Of the Nazarene and his doctrine.
The 80 ,listry. of this view, we think, may
l l.. !. -P IA +