The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-26
HIS IDEAL CHRISTMAS,
Rev. Philip Graft Treats on the
Greatest Event in Chris.
tianity.
WHAT THE FESTIVAL MEANS.
It Consists Not of Sentiment and
Gifts, But of a Glorious
Reality.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALL,t
EOS Broadway, Dec. Is. I
The Free Baptist Church, on Twenty
first street, was filled with an audience
this morning who were drawn together to
hear the pastor, Rev. Philip Graft, speak
on IAN Ideal Christmas"
In brief, the speaker said: "Christ's adj
vent is unquestionably the greatest single
event of all history, making God and
heaven not far-off hypothesis. but q
present realization. Indeed, Christmas Is
something more than little keyhole peep
into Gods universe. 1t is a whole, full
visioned window. fronting such moral
sunrise as the world had never before OBJ
served. With the manger cradle God
came as new beauty and inspiration into
workshop and kitchen, sheepcote and mar
ket-place, wedding feast and Gethsemane
struggle, and by gospel OF mustard seed
and lily bloom, salt crystals and thrifty
talent, broken alabaster box and Samarl-
tan ointment, shed anew glory over COM
mon days and paitry duties.
An ideal Christmas is flush ofinspira-
ton, not a chill OF discouragement, a
strain OF enticing music alluring humanity
to mount the heights, not the crack OF a
cruel taskmaster. Sunny and buOyant,. its
angel song in the Bethlehem sky makes
ashen lips smile, turns tears TO laughter,
rehnes the feelings OF culture, sweetens
and broadens the seEse of brotherhood,
spreads the gifts of benevolence and decks
the brow of happiness with a coronation
splendor. It's lip is not ruffied with
snarl OF complaint, but thrills with note
of Thanksgiving, even though its table be
not graced with gold plates or favored
with the dainty or succulent flesh OF some
toothsome wild fowl, A hallelujah chorus
is truer than set OF sanctimonious growls.
Better far than to titilate with the thrill
of the epicure's palate for oneself Is 1T to
look after the loadess miserles OF the poor,
and garnish their crusts and bones with
pieces of royal turkey meat and dishes OF
cranberry sauce.
christianity is something finer than
view of poetry, something nobler than
choice stock OF truths, something more
tangible than system OF transcendental
philosophy. Christmas fails Of its high
significance if it does not introduce
loftier charm of manner and bearing,
lovelier Willingness of character and con-
duct into daily life. More fascinating than
lucidity OF intellect Is crystalline trans
parency Of soul. To cheer the faint; to
ease the irk and fret of the heavy-laden;
to erase the wrinkles of the careworn,
whet the spirits of the dull, refresh the
iadded, tighten the load of the yoke-bound,
Sud tut ItGleIS VI lilc Cupbifc 1iiO ncdi VIC
broken hearted-this is the mission and
gIadness of an ideal Christmas.
ITO work out into practical life the vision
of an ideal Christmas is not a holiday
jaunt or a trick of elegant phraslng. A. New
Jerusalem on earth is not attained by
primrose path in silkep slippers, but rather
by steep, rough climbing and iron-shod
sandals. 1t is not the easy going, lux
urious egotism that ripens the salntllest
qualities. Unless each one tries sincerely
through infinite st uggle and. aspiration
10 incarnate the Christ-life i'll everyday
word and deed, the ideal Christmas will
remain kind of captivating but rides
cent dream. When Christ is fully loved
and honored every where, then Will come
that golden age OF which prophet and
poet have SO long caught glmpses of en-
chantment, when the angel song will
biessedly dominate cot and palace, great
and small, Tyre and tripod, scalpel and
scepter, mind and heart, and then no lon
ger will an ideal Christmas be a mere hope
and fancy picture, but a profound and
widespread reality"