The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-01-24

s,mprN IEx1-~uiory " uo1 ~ tho
..rhcst. and on earth peace, goodwill
ssssard mar.,-Luke 2:i4
T,ur-About six months after tho
-, lesson. Tho last Of December.
No 4 Four years before the COM
..cemcnt OF our common era, A. y. 4.
n.n: or ruE BinrH or CIInlsT-lt IL
very perplexing to many 70 lind that
sesns was actually born four years be-
sers The time from which we count His
Nth. Tho simple reason Is that no one
-~,,.o1ated dates from tho birth 81 Christ
su, centuries after lie was born, and
sh.c pionysius Ezigook, the monk who
..hlished the calculations In a. y. 500,
r,adc 4 mistake Of four years. lie
s,.ced the birth OF Christ A. y. In the
rear Of Rome a.. c. 754. But Hcrod
~ Great, who slew the innocents Of
bethlehem, died in April OF the year Of
p<rne r5O: so that Christ must have been
horn several months before or not later
shan the last Of 749. Jesus was proba-
Nv horn nj tho very close OF sc. 8,
which would DO only four years before
an era for in . week after the 25th Of
DpccmucT> ~. ~ ~ ~ "@o """'e@f ~ - -.
Since il Is impossible TO rectify tho
dates in all books and records over the
world. we simply apply the true dates TO
he life 81 Christ. lie was five years old
AZ the close Of A. d. 1.
y, Aer- Bethlehem OF Judea, village
ave or six miles south OF Jerusalem. Its
naroo. Eeth-lc-hem ("house OF brcad'),
vns due 70 the fertility Of the adjacent
ccrn.dclds. 1t was the town OF Ruth
md goaz. and was called the city Of Da-
rid because IL was his birthplace; it
now contains about five thousand inhab-
itants. The exact place of Christs birth
was nrobably cave in the southeastern
mart AZ the town. where Is now q Latin
ronyent. Andrews. Tho field Of the
.bcnherds was about mile from the vii
lsge-
ceror Of Rome. lIcrod tho Great (the
iirst 81 the seven IIcrods mentioned in
shc New Tcstament, King OF Judea,
hut Palestine and most OF the known
world we're subject TO Augustus.
c,pcrNsrAxcES Six months pass
away after the birth OF John the Fore
runner. and then came the birth OF Jesus,
the Messiah. the most important event
in the worlds history, tho most marvel
Gus proof OF Gods love to man: the ris-
ing above the horizon OF that Light
whose dawning rays have been our
theme. and OF which John was the Morn
Ing star.
ExrLASArcnY--I. The birth Of Jesus
thG Christ. lis pre-existcnce (John
H1-s). The Word, who became Jesus
.dn earth, was with His Father in Heaven
from eternity by Him the worlds were
created IIcwas with God. and was God.
From His glorious home He came to this
world. a. highest expression OF Gods
1. !. 10 takf upon Himself our human
M. re for tho salvation OF the world
from sin to holiness and Heaven.
+, n The Heavenly messengers nnounc-
I'm, rs birth.-vers. STA 8. dnd hero
o<yys1ry.Ssespe country. In the fields
y Bet9'e,s4ena ThetSsdjtioRal place
about 2 nilo ffom Che town; 'the
anne ilelds rom which David had been
ummoned Y feed Jacob, God's people,
md Israel His inheritance. Cam
ridge biIle. Shepherds abiding in the
ae'ds. ms ead OF in the town. as was
usual WI m farmers in the East.-P.
The shc$p Of Palestine are housed ct
nightofly in tho very coolest parts OF
wintcr'j not always even then. The
siitpnfrds watch the mat night. sleeping
on the ground or on beds made Of
branches Of the trees. and wrapped in
the heavy cloak or burnoosc.- Abbott.
heeptng ratch orer their focks Jy night.
Literally. keeping the nirht-watches.
lnieyes' wild beasts and the dangers OF
'sne rough precipiccs form the chief rca-
sons for a night-watch over tho flock
frof Isaac Hail.
~. The song OF the Angels vcrs.
~ ~ ~ Ind snddenly there ,cas nth
~ unga munitade Of ne hedrenN
mc' Literally, Of tho heaven ly army.
ine YAH between the seen and the I'M
scen was rent, and the sky above Beth
,enPm was peoplcd with hosts or angels,
ior 1ne King Of angels was horn there.
"nen Elisha was in certain city il
va surrounded with chariots and horses
- hrc' much more would angels circle
.ouna tnc birthplace OF the Only Begot-
Nn,--sadler. Prnsing God. Even tho
angels could find nothing more worthy
nv praise than Gods love in tho sal
walton Of men.-P.
~ seeking and finding the Saviour.
-sers. l5-2o. Is. Let ~ mons %. At
once without delay. So should wecvcr
se.h me Saviour. They had 50 much
'Ii'n N the angels message that they
preceded to investigate and Geo for
themselves. So should all do who have
Aearo others tell OF this Saviour.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
\ Gut OF times Of enforced rest and
Silence as by afiiiction or poverty or
1'oaness' often comes the best work Of
rur hves; as this Benedictus from
. - ninc-months' silence; a. the
trim Progresssrom Bunyan' s twelve
Years inprisonmexa, when he was shns
out from preaching.
- ver.s57. 1t was not that Zacharias
49, niicu with enthusiasm, filled With
slrnestncss. filed with knowledge, filed
az, am poetic fervor; but that he was
h hnea with the Holy Ghost; that gave
.a ~ words pswer. To he good parent, q
mr. E;ss teacher, good preacher. good
' student, good man or good