The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-20

HERE AND HEREAFTER.

~ Christmas comes but once a year
II and when it does ii sneaks up ON ever
Of one unawarcs. Chicago Record.
A praiseworthy Christmas decoration
q lining the pockets of the poor will
e gold and silver. New York journal.
= The love of man is involved in il
n love of God. There is no real love o
4 God that does not include the love ot
: his children. Rev. Hcman u. De
3 Forest.
4 When we go hence we shall find that
the fragmentary Christian earth-life
y with its principles and its loves and
= it's Christ spirit. is that out Of which
. heaven is made.
To disagree with man or a sect is
one thing: to be bitter and sarcastic
, aud prosecuting is another. The gov
|! eminent of the tongue is required of
all. x Rev. r. S. Pardington.
by building into ourselves princi
Piles, by creating in our souls holy
tastes, we are rearing the walls of
jasper and paving the streets of gold,
and identifying the eternal mansions.
No room for Him in the inn How is
it with you and me, this year of our
Lord? Is there place for Him in these
hearts of ours? Are we letting Him be
crowded out, either by the deceitfuness
of riches, the solicitudes of poverty, or
the numbering cares of business?
Margaret f. Sangster.
Go and do something for 1.-THE least
of these y That is how we work for
our Christs who have been lifted up,
| Do their errands: enter into the sacri
| Ean ba i,,ly in
the divine chain, and feel the joy and
the life of it. The moment you give
yourself. you shall feel that. a. ID.
II. Whitney.
1.-THE gift without the giyer is bare.
| 1t was not material or money valuation
that God put upon His great Christmas
gift to the world. No more ought we to
bring Christmas or any other gifts down
to the level of so many pennies worth of
love. II bought this for you in Dres
den. said one who brought a present
from over the seas land it cost me
Just day s board. " And the receiver of
the gift is always likely to think of it by |
the giver's standard days board. |
There is no soul in such book accounts
and he who in his giving gives himself, |
takes no note of balances. - $. $. Times.
The Incarnation opened the spirit
ual, the supernatural, the eternal. IL
was as if the clouds were broken above
this human valley that we live in. and
men saw the Alps above them, and
took courage. For, remember, it was
true Incarnation. 1t was a real AS
sertion of the possible union of human
ity and divinity land by all it's tender
and familiar incidents. by the baby
hood and home life the hungerings
and thrstings of the lncarnate Christ,
it brought the divinity that it intend
ed to reveal close into the hearts and
houses of mankind 1t made the su, ;
pernatural possible AS a motive in the {
smallest acts of men. 1t e
brought God so near that no slightest E
action could hide away from Him {
that every least activity OF life should {
not only lead their armies and make I
their laws, but rise up and go to sleep, c
walk in the street. play with their s
children, work in their shops, talk n
with their neighbors. all in the fear I
and love Of theLord - Phillips Brooks. t
The air seems to ring with good I
words, like chimes of bells. Every one
lears voices, telling us, each in the ?
Christ child's name, what We should n
10, the mercifu errands on which we
should run, the wrongs that we ought
% set right, the Christmas cheer that
We should carry. But suppose you k
rave been wronged, and the voice u
'omes to pour resentment aside and feel a
,indy to every one? 4 hard thing to D.
10, we must grant, il eight or ten dol u
ars "A week is all that stands between
our children and want, or when the OF
tronger and richer seem to treat you lie
ike machine. A thing possible, it 10
nay be while Divine Child's pres 81
nee warns your bare room and tells
on that God is here. and God cares, RI
nd entreats for sweet loves sake to pr
urn anger out of your heart Yes. IL
urely. good will is better than i'll Ia
ill: it is wiser, 1t is stronger, it has 10
ne universe forces behind it. BY and u
y it will be irresistible. -f Rev. C.. +. III
'ole. al
The holiday season is holy day sea =
IN with many a one for whom its re w
memories and associat ions az az
AXE heaven nearer and God dearer n
is not time of eager eyes and ~
irthful voices now, SO much as rec
lection of them. The glad days are G
ere, yet they stand at distance
raped in dreamike haze They lie
over about the victim of sorrow and ca,
,reavement like phantom which he
IN neither elude nor grasp. Longing An
as supplanted possession. The noise A.
merrymaking is permeated with a
lence more audible than the shouts En-
children on the street or in the H.,
ighboring home. 1t is time of coun
rparts. The same occasion metes out IN,
y here and sorrow there. One laughs
ain his welcome to Christmas tide. Nd
d just because it is Christmas tide r.,
other weeps his SORROWS all afresh. O'
nd yet it ought to be the day of re But
icing to all. Mirth has its holiday j.,
at makes life sweeter and links fam
es closer Sorrow has its holy day An,
at brings heaven nearer and makes
I'd dearer. S. S. Times. | 60
Christmas is essentially heart fes- Nd
al. 1t is a time not only for recall
e the birth of Bethlehem's Babe. Two
t for dwelling upon the wonderful The
.nificance of the Incarnation. God
the flesh, ~ is the way the But
ostle puts it. What condescension A
It God should stoop to earth and
ume human form and become par. Viii
Ter of our nature, The
mite condescension think of t. Has
eaved one, who misses a familiar Am,
&c and vanished hand at the
ristmas table. He took the beloved Lool
). but not for one moment has He Nj
gotten you: He will come in and be
That