Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-25
pRE-EMrSExrLy A G,Fr-DAY.
Rev. Mr.. Rawlings ON Lessons ."
he Draxvu from Chrfstmas.


My word to your readers will be SIM
pie one. and. as / hope, word Of cheer
Christmas-Dayi what does 1t mean
Why were our shops and stores so crown
ed for weeks before? Everybody hunt
ing the most appropriate present for MS
friend. And that Is as IL should be. Inc
first Christmas-Day was pre-eminehtiy
eift day-when the Son OF God GYMS
Himself to earth becomes the Son or Man
The song Of good tidings' that over 'ne
hills heralded His coming TO the s.mpie
folk of Bethlehem was caught up In his
life. and it's keynote became hencetoftn'
Follow me-" II have given you an ex-
ample that ye should do as ] have zone
unto you" SO let the gifts go, In chorch'
and home, and community; think the SIM
pie custom OF glft-giving worth while the
observance OF the best. and make each
gift a simple but none the less real ana
sacred sacrament OF Gods greatest gift
to man.
Let us be careful, however, that the
giving shall go deeper than the simple
bric-a-brac Of our holiday celebration
LET this mind be in you which was also
In Christ"-a mind that beginning 10 give
did not cease till life itself was given on
Calvary. If the Gospel-Christs me
Chrstmas-Day means anything. ana II
does mean everything to US. 1t means that
in the mind of the Father great pur-
pose and destiny of unsefishness FOR TINS
world. He holds the reins and means 10
guide our all too incorrgible humanity
to a real Altruria. in which we VIII look
not every man upon his own things but
every one also upon the things of others!
Shall we not catch the spirit OF TINS
blessed season. and. letting our goodwin
toward men have it's way. give ourselves
anew to a life and so to Gods great pur-
pose of unselfshness?
1t should be an inspiration 10 think that
Gods purpose is being accomplished. III
is a selfish age. indeed. by all confessed.
But when our Lord was on earth. devils
too. went about among men, and ever
since IT has seemed a law Of the Kingdom
TO present together these antitheses OF
good and evil. If it is, as so generally
claimed, the selfish. we should not marvel
10 find II now, or fast becoming. the I'M
selfish age of the worlds history. l be-
neve It IS that. What are men talking
and thinking about to-day At seats OF
learning. great centres Of thought, on
platforms and I'm pulpits. in new books
magazines. and newspapers? II Is almost
a new word-sociology. and the question
asked IS: How shall we reach and lft
40 the masses?" And the very hard times
80 much talked Of. and so keenly felt by
most. have been, | doubt not largely the
Providential instrumentality. God must
literally Brighten us out Of our selnshhess
by sight of the gaunt and ravening VOL
of want In their mad rush 70 be ricn
men had absolutely to stop and lend a
helping hand or see their neXt-door nelgh-
Dor die for the very lack of bread. TIL
the tide seems turning, the old spirit OF
charity survives. and the contagion OF
ereat-souled deeds Is In the very AR.
Mary. with her broken alabaster, would
feel at home among us to-day. When
were men so ready. and, in the opinion
of presidential Judases so reckless 10
smash their alsbasters-this time their
purses-layng down their thousands anu
millions to found homes and hospitals 70
endow colleges and universities, to buila
churches and send missionaries? When
was our Lords gift so needed, when so
ready. so rich, so free. as now
f. II. RAWLINGS,
Pastor Clay-Street Methodist Church.