Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-02-05
&eadiuq fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.


REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lorlgInal.l
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
The birth of every babe is an important
event and is usually so regarded. "Lo,"
says the Psalmist, "children are Gods her.
itage, the womb's fruit his reward" The
main feature, however, connected with the
birth of child is rarely taken into serious
consideration. Few parents reflect when
they look with smile oflove and pity upon
the tiny form of their helpless child that its
frail body contains an immortal SOUL Meth
er do they take into consideration that God,
by making them parents, has Increased their
responsibilities to an extent which is bound
ed only by the line which separates the
finite from the infinite. Into their care has
been placed being upon whose existence is
stamped the seal of immortality. Sun,
moon and stars may grow old and their
light fade into darkness organism may dis
solve; affinities cease order drop back into
chaos, and worlds melt into nothing; but
the soul of the tender babe can never die.
Upon parents the eternal destiny of this inn
mortal soul, in the providence of God, de-
pends. "Take it," God says, land train it
for me-" In the cradle and around the fire.
side children are trained by their parents
an important event attaches to the birth Of
the humblest of the human family, what
must be the importance of the birth Of the
babe of Bethlehem?
| In that event angels seem to have been
intensely interested. No doubt the whole
event was to them shrouded in mystery, but
they saw through this darkness grand dis
play of divine benevolence heretofore un-
known to the holy inhabitants OF heaven;
All the inhabitants of a certain district had
assembled at Bethlehem to be enrolled. 1t
would seem that none were exempt. Fe-
males as we'll AS males were required to ap-
pear before the enrolling officer. The inn,
or place of public entertainment for strang-
ers, was full to its utmost capacity. Joseph
and Mary, his espoused wife, were among
the multitude in the city, who could find no
place to lodge. Jesus was born, it seems to
me. in the street, and his mother, for the
want of any other place, laid him in man
ger-a trough-not in Il stable, as is often
but enormously said. No event was ever
more public. Every attendant clrcum-
stance was calculated togive itpublicity. 1t
is only conjecture, but it is surely probable
conversation. Every man and woman in
Bethlehem was soon apprised of the tact.
No one could keep it concealed. 1t was de-
termined that it should be made public.
Angels were sent out from the courts of
heaven to announce the fact. No doubt
they made the announcement to many.
We know they appeared to the shepherds,
who were watching their flocks by night.
We know that the glory of the Lord was
made manifest to them in some wonderful
way, causing these humble shepherds to
fear and tremble. TO dissipate all their
fears, the angel of the Lord said unto them
| Tho 1r,hu fhnv NOT
fear is given in the words: "Behold l bring
unto you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people," Then follows the
words explaining in what the good tidings
of great Joy consists. 1t is the fact that to
you Saviour is born; and farther to allay
their fears the Saviour is stated to be the
aaointed Lord.
Many things are suggested to the mind by
the language quoted above. The following
are worthy of our prayerful consideration :
First, when did this event take place?
Dates are all important in history and law.
They form the framework around which
all other facts are firmly gathered, as the
bones form the frame around which all the
other parts of the human body are arranged.
In law tits important to be able to fix dates
accurately. Here, however, is most won
derful event, the date of which no antigua
rian is able to fix with positive certainty.
! IT was during the reign Of Augustus Cesar.
It was during the time that Irenius was
Governor of Syria. This is definite and it
is indefinite. Neither the year nor the
month nor the day of the month is men
toned. The fact is recorded indefinitely
that it might be true that he was without
beginning of days" ;.
The event occurred at peculiar period in
the history of the world. 1t was the full
ness of time. The civil and religious insti-
tutions of the world had exhausted all their
powers in attempting to reform man and
ameliorate his miserable condition. The
Jews, Gods ancient people, presented a
mournful spectacle of moral decline and
physical mysery The sceptre had depart
ed from Judah, and the law gone from be-
tween his feet. The language of their faith
ers was lost and in its stead they spoke dl-
alect of their conquerors. All the former
greatness of the Jew was gone, and ne STOOD
on the very threshold of being a people
withouta country, nation without nome.
The other nations of the world WereIn even
worse condition. Rome-proud imperial
Rome-had reached the acme of her g.ory.
The period of her decline and fall had al
ready begun. In her proud temples she
had placed the gods of all the nations OF
the earth and there they lost their divinity.
The foundations of civil society were rotten
and the superstructure was totterlng ana
ready to fall. The false religions, which
for ages had satisfied the inhabitants of the
world, were despised. Men had ceased to
be even superstitiOus. A cloud OF despera-
ton hung over the world. 1t was the time
of mans greatest extremity. Remedlless
ruin threatened the world. This was the
time that the Saviour was born in Bethle-
hem.
The next thing that demands our atten-
ton is the event itself.
The first remark we have to make with
regard to the birth of Christ is that it was,
if we except his death, the most wonderful
event that ever took place on this earth
For four thousand years the event had been
confidently expected. Holy prophets had
predicted it, inspired bards had celebrated it
in prospect, in songs which will never grow
old. Not only so, but even heather poets
had caught the spirit and sung in noble
strains, this wonderful event. Virgil
thought or said that a new order OF things
was soon to be established in this world,
in the birth of some noted parsonage, OF
whom he had, no doubt, learned something,
either from the Scriptures orSfrom assocla'
ton with the Jews, he looked forward to
grand change in the order of nature. The
Serpent will die says he, and the last vestlge
of crime be wiped out. The inhabitants OF
the earth shall, he continues, no longer be
subject to continual fear. O, says the heath
en- poet, that some part of my life may re-
main, that l may sing thy noble deeds.
The word was made flesh. The maker OF
tba rniyarSa clothed himself in humility.