Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-27

ing glainess into the hearts of other people.
We have gone about with burdens of bun
dies. We have had pleasant secrets and
lots of glad surprises. We have laid
awake thinking of new ways to multiply
happiness for little children. Our houses
are bright to-day, and Gods house is gar
n1shed with green leaves and fair colors.
We are going about wishing each other all
the Joys and gladness of a merry Christmas.
Short Millennium Began To-Day.
1t is a..week or two of the millennium. 1t
is brief excursion into heaven. But we
are living just now in way which we
ought to be living all the year round This
is real Christianity-all this unselfshness,
all these happy faces. For what does it all
mean? What are we glad for? "Good
tidings of great Joy bring you," cries the
Christmas angel. What are they? Why,
that unto us is born this day Savior, which
is Christ the Lord. That is the secret of it.
That is the heart of Christmas. Back of all
good happiness which shines out of our eyes
to-day lies this as the real reason for it: we
have Savior:
There has come One into this world to
save US from our doubt and Ignorance of
God. Is God our Father or is HI not? The
answer to that question changes the whole
significance of human life. Even if we say
we cannot answer it, our very evasion an
swers it. If we do not know it is as bad as
If we uttered denial. But we do know.
We are not left to guess at truth. We are
not left to the dim stars or the flicker of the
uncertain lanterns. God Himself has spoken
to US in the words of Jesus Christ. God
made man is the ground of certainty in re-
igion. Christ is the guarantee of the
Christian faith, and the authority Oh whom
fha Ua
whom we believe; and, knowing Him, we
know that what He saws is the very truth
of God. God is our Father. The world in
visible is close about US. Heaven shines
above US. Life everlasting lies before us.
We are saved from the darkness and despair
of doubt.
Balm for Every Sorrow.
And He who came on Christmas Day has
saved US from the depths of hopeless sor-
row. Those whom we love go on before US
somewhere. And we want to know where.
And we look into the grave and find no
answer, except an answer which we
cannot bear to think Of And we
look up into the sky, and the sky
is as silent as the ground. And nature
about us has no voice of consolation; goes
on cheeringly, unconcerned, unheeding, Ut
terly careless of US, there is no gleam of
abiding comfort anywhere. All the world
is in the night; and all the consultations of
our friends are as unavailing, as the stars
are unavailing to warm our hands at. And
then Christ comes to comfort US. ''Come
unto Me-" He says, "all ye that are weary
and heavy-laden, and 1 will give you rest. A"
"Peace leave with you. My peace 1 give
unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid" And we look rp,
and Christ is close beside us. and the cloud
has cleared away. He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows; and we put our
hands into His hand, where the scars of the
nails are, and we let Him lead us; even
through the valley of the shadow Of death,
fearing no evil.
The Example OF His Life.
And He, of whom the Christmas angels
sang, is also our Savior from our sins. By
His death He saved US: that is true-but by
His life, also. For what is it that we need
that we may be saved from sin-from our
sins, not from the penalty of them at the
end, but from going on any longer in them
what do we need to help us to amend our
lives? We need a lesson in the sinfulness
of sin, that we NAV realize what sin actually
is; and that, Christ gave US every day He
lived, from the humiliation of his birth to
the shame of His death, in His blessed
teaching. We need an assurance of the
love of God; and every word that Christ
blessed divine love- and every deed that He
did, too. Day BY day, He went about
among us, manifesting God, making God
clear and plain to us, and making us sure
of Gods fatherly love. That helps us out
of sin more than anything else-that knowl-
edge and certainty of Gods love, and the |
realization which goes with it that every |
evil thing we do is done against the heart |
of God And, then, we need, too, lesson
in the right way to do Gods will We
want to know how to please God.
The Lesson of a Complete Life.
And He who was born upon Christmas
Day, began our life at the very beginning
of it, that He might be an example to US all;
that every single one of us, even the young
est, might be able to ask in every crisis of
of temptation, in every moment of conflict |
and distress, What would Christ do if He |
stood here where 1 stand? and might get an |
answer out of that blessed life.
No wonder We are glad on Christmasi |
No wonder we keep the feast with music |
and rejoicing! Unto US is born Savior. |
Set that first in all the gladness of this |
Christmas season. Make it a Christian |
Christmas. Do not let any other kind of |
happiness come in between you and this /
beatitude. This is a religious
season. Emphasize the spiritual side of it.
Do not let the little children hear so much
about Santa Claus that they will forget
about the Christ; nor be so occupied with
their gifts that they will take no thought OF
that great inestimable gift which God gave
Us on this day. Sing the Christmas carols,
ell the Christmas story; make the Christ
mas season Christian.
GEORGE HODGES