St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-25
The Rest

AulS - tnc SuUJcCt VI
The Rest LUG OLIVER NELSON'S
in celebrated painting.
The scene Is a sandy
desert, from the center of
whice rises the imposing figure of the
Sphinx, beneath whose friendly shadow
three weary travellers have stopped for the
nights repose, They are the young car
penter of Capernaum, his youthful bride.
and the infant of immaculate conception,
fleeing from the cruel vengeance of HERoD.
The jaded ass, stripped Of saddle and gear.
and tethered to a picket, crops the few
punches of green heritage within reach.
Tired out with his days travel over the hot
sands of the desert. JOSEPH has stretched
his weary form on the sandy plain. just at
the base of the grotesque statue. The Vir-
gin Mother has nestled down On the pedes-
tai between the ponderous paws of the
Sphinx. holding close to her breast the
sleeping infant around whose head is play
ing a halo of ineffable glory.
rs
AS one contemplates that Christmas
scene of 1886 years ago, and looks upon the
Holy Family's rest. in the midst of desert,
with no canopy above them except the sky.
spread out like an ocean hung on high. be-
spangled with isles of light, the inclination
to draw a comparison between Christianity
in its primitive stage and Christianity in
the nineteenth century is irresistible.
Christianity Then and Now!
Then there were no sects.
Now there are Romanists and Protestants.
Greeks and Mohammedans.
Then there were NO denominations.
Now there are Calvanists. Lutherans.
Wesleyans, Campbellites, and sub-churcn
divisions without number.
Then the founder of Christianity had not
where to lay his head.
Now His disciples repose In mansions
rivalling in splendor the temple of Solo
MON.
Then the preacher who spake as never
man spake, served without salary.
Now the minister, who gets $4,000 a
year, grumbles because it is not sufficient
to support his family i'll style BETTING the
| rank of the pastor of fashionable church.
Then the Mother of JESUS gladly awaited
herself of the stone arms of the Sphinx i'll
which to find nights rest while she sang
her child to sleep with Christmas lullaby
full OF grateful recognition Of the mercies
of Providence.
To-day the Christian mother will sit in
her upholstered pew. and murmur bercause
the preacher is old-fashioned and the
church hasn't stained windows.
tx
After all, there may be morbid tinge to
these reflections. The Christian world may
not be as IN Christian in appearance as VI
| imagine it. Thank God, there are to-day
men and women in the Christian church
just as devout. unselfsh and self-sacrlhcine
as in that day when the Judean carpente
| took his bride and the infant child and fieI
into Egypt in obedience to the divine man
date.
The recurrence of the Christmas tide
brings its lessons for study and reflection.
Let US take our rest in Egypt to-day.
This one day in the year let us forget that
we are Romanists and Protestants. Lei
there be no Presbyterians to-day. no Metho
dists.5 no Baptists, no Episcopalians. no
| Unitarians, no Universalists, no sects Oh
denominations.
Let US be Christians,
With Faith and Hope and Charity in
scribed on our banner,
Then our Christmas will be the Christian
worlds rest in Egypt.