Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-12-20
Christmas Greeting.

the most marvellous event that ever
transpired upon our planet, it is alto
gether meet that tho yearly return of
the season should call forth expressions
of gratitude and gladness. Until men
shall fail 10 appreciate the blessed con-
seq ';ences that have come to all the
world from the Birth in the Manager of
Bethlehem, we shall not expect them
to allow this day to pass without an
out-gushing of joyous emotion. That
the day should be celebrated, all are
agreed. AS TO the manner of celebra-
ton, there may be differences of opin-
ion. The pietist, half of whose relig-
ion consists in making himself and
others miserable, would have it a day
of solemn devotion, when the lips
would utter forth none save lugubrious
strains, and no glad anthem of praise
would swell in joyous spontaneity from
the hearts of happy adorers. In the
rebound from this severe rule many
not culpably irreverent have gone to
the opposite extremes, and have come
10 celebrate this day when Heavens
greatest gift 10 man first came to earth,
with unseemly revels and carousals.
We would move between these two
extremes and SO would we have others
do. Upon the return of this day-the
day OF all the year most blessed-we
should rejoice and be glad. Our hearts
should be filed with gratitude that the
light of that Star which beganto beam
nineteen hundred years ago has
shone on through the generations, and
by its radiance untold millions Of care
burdened souls have found sure ease
for their sorrows, rest for their tolls.
We should bow in thankfulness that
the glad song which rang over the
hills of Judea on that morning of the
woundrous Birth was not less proph.
ecy than a prayer, and that wherever
these glad tidings have gone, mans
manners have grown milder, and tho
sum of human suffering has decreased.
The hearts of all should swell with
gratitude, that men full of 81 holy en-
I thusiasm are treading up and down
our earth, proclaiming even in its
waste places the great fact OF Heavens
good will TO men. signalized aud en-
phasized as it has been by the story
of Jesus and His love. This morn Of
the glorious nativity is fitting time
for us to think with grateful pride Of
how all other systems are disappear
ing before Christianity, and TO hope
for the early coming of the day when
the banner Of the Prince of Peace shall
wave over every land and every sea-
But gratitude TO God should not be
I the sole emotion that should fill our
hearts on this anniversary of our
Savior's birth. Mingling with this and
springing from it, should be warm
| love for our fellow man-an earnest
enthusiasm of humanity. Our thoughts
! should go out in search of some one
into the shadow of whose life we may
throw a ray of sunshine It may be
| that we shall find some one oppressed
| by q heavy sorrow TO whom kind
word may prove the lightener of a
burden beneath which he is just fall
| ing. Perhaps we shall find one whom
''unmerciful disaster has followed fast
and followed faster" until Despair is
settling upon him like night of un-
! broken blackness, and word OF en-
| enlargement from us may inspire
courage for one more effort There
are those about us who sorely need all
the kind words we can speak. We
| shall not 90 far from our own doors
| before meeting some one so sore from
/ bitter taunts or cruel frowns that it
will require the best We can say to
arouse again his faith in Gods justice
or mans love. No season is so appro-
| pirate as this which is eloquent OF the
| Supreme love of the universal Father
for scattering abroad words of gentle
ness and charity. Let us each see if
we cannot on Christmas morning make
some person who reeds it the gift of n
! cheering word.
But words-potent for good as they
may prove-may not be all that is re-
quired. The hand may confer as much
happiness as the tongue. There will
be those on this coming Christmas
morning who would receive a meal of
! good, wholesome food or a warm gar
ment with tears of gratitude. There
will be those who cannot afford to les
|
absolute necessities by the purchase of
any of those gifts that gladden. the
hearts of children. There are homes
to which none OF the joyousness of this
season can come until it is carried
thither by some good Samaritan. To
thoughts of such benefcence all of the
more favored are invited on this bless
ed day. These may, by increasing the
grace of giving, bring the richest OF
life's pleasures to themselves, while
comforting pleasure upon others.
Thrice joyous will come the dawning
of this natal day to him or her who
awakens with the consciousness of hav-
ing made some sacrifice in order TO
bring JOY to n house that had else
been joyless. With the pleasure aris-
ing from such knowledge, all the de-
lights of gay gatherings where the
wine cup flows and the dance prevails,
is not TO be compared
Dear readers, we wish you, each and
every one, just such a happy Christ
mas! Unknown to us as are most of
|