The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-31

stand there we arc struck by the marked
setse OF contrast which Is suggested. To
the Mtaslah's advent into the wosi' tad
given all the prophets witness, In glorious
piesivtiVc .er1us. Tho angcle. too hnu lust
proclaimed the accomplished event IN
grand and supornM modes Of Testimony.
Rnt earth gave no welcome. no sign. cven.
and ncn know not that the Ereascsf
hour IN It's history had come lie ON whom
all divine prophecy ccntcrcd, and into
whose thlnss OF redemptivc power the
angels had Ions desircd to iock.cafne nn-
recognized 10 file own. Crowded out from
,iie nis ana under no homo roof but IN
fhrones 81 indifferent strangers filiing
little Bethlehem That night humble AZ.
tcndAnts and, perhaps. lowing cattle IN
the sirlghboring stalls fita first witnesses
Hes lie who was Ia Tho beginning With
God. Won was It TIM, the celestial mes
senger Ind already given the sign by
which the shcpDeria should know their
new born Prince Ia the city OF David
else their falth might have failed, 'Thla
shall be SIGN unto your 20 shall md
ghe babe wrbppod IN swaadilnR clothes
lying IA Manager hitting prelude the
decd. ana Introduction 20 HIS whole ife
Of humiliation. He who "vhnuAht K mo
robbery e 10 eQue, With Goa appears
move az the outset OF HIS career af "of
no reputAnon. root ont Of drv ground.
men hiding as & were. their faces from
Him. nofe IN advance IA this OF Hie,
whole exotic lifc - tho other strAngrre
Ia Bethlehem having thetr places OF 40
5nurn. the elsnnacrds or the hpisides
around having their homes, and the dumb
cattle their stalls even as elsewhere the
foxes Ind holes and the birds or the air
had nests aud tho Son Of Man having not
where TO lay Ills hcadl
Lingering beside the mhnEer cradle We
contemplate also the sacred mystery OF
that birth. There has been revealed TO us
what perhaps may not have then been
known by the shepherds which Is
born OF Mary 'lt OF tho Holy Ghoet.''
r1iuiil thou that art highly favored
that holy thing which shall be born OF
thfe Hhall he called tho Son 81 God" Re
hold the unqueness OF the nativity, which
We crlebrate--nono other beth IN mode
| like tnA. FIJI Y ~ that we put of tho
shoes frum our feet 10, the place wheracn
we stand II holy Rfound Here ie Efn-
manuel God With u.s. Tho miraculous
conception. had been told ~ angci llns
At the lowly Nazareth homo as truly
as The paeana Of celebration over the birth
we've nfterwWrd hung by angels Ia the
! Bethlehem sky, The one narrative ~
youchcd for euualiy With tho other. And
/ TO look upon that advent IN the world Ms
4 only IN the common order of the race Is
4 20 disest IL of Ia epnniai algnihcance, aud
| 10 make cur Ciiristmas testineny vain.
ON i-otdis strangely exceptional and
! r1ygterious birth liea at the very thresit-
I hold OF historic Christianity. We'll was
i he called "wonderEfl' Elsepticism seeks
"a uiscredlt the marvellous story on the
\ ground OF ITS ,nlilteness TO The manner
Of human origin now, Ard within church
4 lines today, rntionsllsffc criticism Is
darling 10 challenge The artlnie IN the
/ Apostles Creed "Concelycd hS the lfcis
\ Ghost All the more must revereft
| faith Insist on thS sublime and Scripture
given mystery
But we can moi finish our meditation he
\ side the Bethlehem uanger without ask
4 Ing the purpose ef that wondroue birtn,
10 BE- nude flesh md 10 be tabernacle
4 among sis ever ifnnrs1sve Rtfd exnltlng
\ OF humanity Us III htsqlf this fact would
4 he. Is no explanation az the question:
lt'SVhy lid uod become mnn7r We incline
but little 10 the speculative hypDthesia
/ that even had There been no ain earth
wnuld SEN have had the lncnrnatipn OF
the SON Christ came because sin hnd fret
como. The incarnation MAS only IN oraer
10 redenpiion. s.iinto vnn * born thla fny
l.tn the city Of David II savior The glory
Ito God and the peace on earth OF which
| the midnight choir sang whR accolnpHffifsig
not b. the mere fact that thu divine ma