Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-12-19
The Meaning Of Christmas.

The Meaning OF Christmas.
What profound emotions of graft
, tude should swell up in every hu
+ man heart at the mention of this
, now well-nigh universal holiday =
But it is to be feared that q vast ma,
: Jority of those who observe it have
J no true conception of its meaning
. Even many of those whose idea OF
, it is that it is a time to bestOw and
J receive gifts do not fully compre-
bend what is meant by this hallowed
and common custom.
Christmas not only commentaries
the birth of Christ, who gave His
life as a ransom for a sinful world,
but typifies the ineffable gift of God
who $50 loved the world that He
gave His Only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on Him should
not perish but have everlasting life. :"
Paul tells us that salvation "is the
gift of God" from whom, as James
says, is "every good aud perfect
gift" Paul also declares in writing
to the Ephesians that when Christ
assembled upon high He led cap
tivity captive and gave gifts unto
men,"
What are some of these gifts
which are thus typified and intended
to be commemorated by the custom
of gift-giVing on Christmas-tide p
" Peace on earth, goodwill to men, 1"
is the boon it brings to mankind as
whole.
The coming of Christ was the
manifestation of God to men. There
is no full revelation of God any,
where save in His incarnated Son.
He is the fulness of the God-head
bodily. Christ was the ideal man,
called by eminence "the Son of
Man." In Him we mark the full
fillment of all human capabilities
By Him is reconciliation of sinful
man and an offended God. Faith in
Christ cruCified-the gift of intinity
to man-is the secret of salvation
from the consequences Of sin. The
gift of everlasting life is to be had
for the taking.
Christmas, as commenoration of
the birth of Christ, without refer
ence to his sacrificial atonement,
would be meaningless. True, He
taught grand lessons of love and
duty, and of self-sacrifice for the
good of others, but the sublime cli-
max of all these teachings was His
suffering and death on the cross on
account of the sins of mankind
This has been aptly called the trag-
edy of the world-a tragedy in
which every human soul has an in
terest, because it provides for hu-
man wants-a balm in Gilead, foun-
tain for uncleanliness, redemption
from sin, and JOY forever.
These personal and spiritual gifts
are not the only advantages that
have been conferred upon mankind
by the coming of Him whose birth
is celebrated at Christmas. The
world as a whole has had an uplift |
in direct ratio as the lessons of His
life and death have been revealed to
it. Genuine and helpful civilization
wait on Christianity.
The sign of the triple cross is not,
as Ingersoll in his books makes it,
the emblem of superstition, hate and
cruelty, which he transposes to tele-
graph poles labeled "for the use of
man." but the cross, typifying Chris
tianity, ever precedes enlighten-
ment, invention and all that tends
to human progress and human hap
piness. The later cartoon, repre-
senting the Christian church as a
woman carrying the cross and the
bright light of Christian truth, and
thus penetratiog the dark recesses of
ignorance, tyranny and superstition
which are dispelled before her, while
the emblems of civilization, the
railroad train, the telegraph, the
church, the schoolhouse and the busy
city follow her this cartoon, L say,
tells a truthful story of human pro-
gress. The most progressive. most
enlightened, intelligent and strong
est nations of to-day, with the most
of happiness among their people,
are the Christian nations. Mr.. Glad
stone, the greatest statesman of this
or any other age, lately said {: "Talk
about the questions of the day.
there is but one question, and that
is the gospel. 1t can and will cor
rect everything needing correction.
All men at the head of great move
ments are Christian men. During
the many years l was in the cabinet
i was brought into association with
sixty master minds, and all but five
Of them were Christians. My only
hope for the world is in bringing
the human mind into contact with
divine revelation" How impor-
tant, then, is it that in commemo-
rating Christmas we should have
true conception of what it means!