St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-22

disciple of the Lord Jesus the sun
shines on forever We have a secret
+ which helps us to face trouble and to
Danish fear, and to- be serene amidst
perpleXities. and ir' the midst of trial
to abide in peace. 1t is the secret
which the angel toj1 the shepherds on
the night before O ~ristmas, out of the
Syrian sky.
! Christmas is the feast of gladness.
; The old songs have their sweet echoes
in the Christmas anthems. All our
hearts are lifted up. For a month past
we have been at pains to contrive
ways of bringing gladness into the
hearts of other people. We have gone
about with burdens of bundles; we
have had pleasant secrets and plots
of glad surprises. We have lain awake
at night to devise new ways, to multi
ply happiness for little children. Our
houses will be bright on Christmas
day and full of our best cheer. We
will go about wishing each other the
joy and gladness of merry Christ
mas. 1t is week or two of the mil
lennium. 1t is a brief excursion into
heaven. But we are living just now
in a way in which we ought to be liv
/ ing all the year round. This is real
Christianity-all the unselfsh deeds
and these bright faces.
For what does it all mean? What are
we glad for? Good tidings of great
! joy 1 bring you," cries the Christmas
! angel. What are they? Why, that unto
us is born this day a Savior, Christ the
! Lord. That is the secret of it. That is
the heart of Christmas.
There has come one into this world
to save us from our doubt and ignor-
| ance of God. Is God our father or is
He not? The answer to that question
! changes the whole significance of hu-
! man life. Even if we say we cannot
! answer it, our very evasion is an an
swer. But we can can answer. We are
not left to guess at truth. We are not
left to the dim stars, or to the flicker
of the uncertain lanterns.
God Himself has spoken to us in the
words of Jesus Christ. God is our
father; the world invisible is close
about us; heaven shines above us; life
everlasting lies before US. Whoever is
content to take the work of Jesus
Christ is saved from the darkness and
despair of doubt.
And He who came on Christmas day
hopeless sorrow. 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
one which we cannot bear to think of.
And we look up into the sky, and the
sky is silent as the grave. And nature
about us has no voice of consolation,
goes on cheerily and unconcerned, ut
terly careless of us. There is no sight
of comfort anywhere.
All the world is in the night, and all
the consultations of our friends are as
unavailing as the endeavor to warm
our hands at the cold stars. And then
Christ comes to comfort us. We look
up, and He is close beside us, and the |
cloud clears away. He has borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows, and we !
put our hands into His hand, where the !
marks of the nails are, and we let Him
lead US even through the valley of the |
shadow of death, fearing no evil
And He saves us from our sins. Not |
His death only, but His life also was |
for our salvation, that He might deliv- !
er us from sin itself. And this He does, |
partly by the revelation which He |
brought us of the love of God, and |
partly by the blessed example which |
He set us for the better living of our
life. When we follow Him, the path is
plain before our feet, and leads on into !
the kingdom of righteousness and |
peace.
The night is past; the sky shines with |
holy light. Every year the Christmas |
season begins earlier and lasts longer. |
What we want is Christmas every day; |
and the joy of it, and the love of it, !
and the great truth that is at the heart |
of it, all the year round.