Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-12-24
Christmas Again.

Christmas is here again for the
eighteen hundred and eighty-six b
time since our Saviour ushered In Il Q
divine gospel dispensstion Of "Peate
on earth and good will to men," Christ
mas is q compound Of two words.
"Christ" and Mass" implying q ser
vice Of praise and thanksgiving for
the gift OF Christ or Saviour. On this
eve OF another Christ mas the mind in
stinctively runs back for nearly nine
teen centuries to ascertain the canse
which makes Christmas OF so much
more Importance TO the people OF the
whole civilized world than any other
day Of the year, for there 10 no other
day that 10 30 universally celebrated al
over the world and by ell nations rs
Christmas. The observance OF that
day In some manner Ia common In
Pagan as well rs in Christian lands.
Our great national holiday, the Fourth
OF j uly, interests only the people OF the
U nited States, and other nations have
some local national holiday, bat here
comes Christmas rs world vide In
its obseI vances and rs boundless as the
love OF Christ. No other day claims
the homage OF the world. Why should
1t be q day OF world wide rejoicing?Le
us go away back amongst the centuries
aud find the cause. Unravel history,
and rs We roll OFF the years until We
come to the figure one, We ind our
selves In Bethlehem, q city of Jddea.
Here we meet the fulhllment Of the
prophecy Of all past ages Of a Messiah
promised long. There Is q great COM
m otion In the town OF David, but not
caused by the expeosant Messiah. II
was the time for the levying OF 8
general tax under Augustus ca sar and
all loyal Jews went up to Jerusalem to
be assessed or taxed. Such o grea,
crowd OF people collected mast neces.
sarily create Q great excitement Bat
this had occurred before and there was
no more excitement ut the first on this
event than on any other. A lowly
couple na med oseph and Mary, loyal
Jews had also gone up TO the ancient
town to be taxed. Nobody looked
upon them rs anything more than q
couple OF poor people. Only Mary, we
Are told, "pondered these things in hel
mind" the things Of which she
had before been told by an
angel. Standing upon the streets o
Bethlehem, we see this 10 WY pair turI
away from tine public house or inn
there was no room for them there, they
must seek more humble quarters. Blu
little did the surging crowd think tina
this lowly pair were to figure 30 !argel!
in the worlds history. But tired, weary
human nature mus. fnd place OF rest
There was no other choice for JOSEPH
and Mary to rest their weary linn os thai
In the manager where the oxen ted
That night the msnger was transformed
into q palace where the angels met uH
seen and sang over the birth OF q mes
born King who was none other than h
who was to be theSaviour OF the world
They wrapped him in swaddling cloth Q
and laid him in q mapger. AS "
stand upon the street corners OF Bethle
hem we see the increasing excitement
TheSe Is swift running TO and fro I
know what this event means. The al
Is resonant with the song OF the Ange!
and the Heavenly choirs. The stillnes
Of the night is broken with the joyou
tidiugs that unto you is born this da
in tbs city OF David a Saviour which 1
Christ the Lord"
We need not follow the history O
this child, that is contained In the Hol
Scriptures and can be read there wilt
more profit than in an editorial con
ment. 1t has been eighteen hundred
and-eighty-six years since this gres
event took place, and this is the ever
which will be celebrated all over til
civilized world tomorrow. Let every
body rejoice and enjoy rational happ
Christmas.