Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-12-22
SOME CHRISTMAS tHoUGHTs.

III.
author for their exclusive publication
soME CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS.
To Won whose hearts are crushed with
dumb sorrows that you cannot tell 70
YOU whose burdens are heavy and chN-
ing: 20 YOU whose way Is narrow ana
dark: 10 you who are puzzled as TO the
meaning of life and your own existence
TO YOU write.
Re patient az this season Of rest and d.
version 20 ponder the words OF a humble
soul gazing upward 20 interpret To HIM
self the hghtning-fiash OF unanimous
thought that leaps from country 20 eouh-
try at Christmas-tide.
The great and the headwise are often
wrong: while the humble and obscure
serve TO make and transmit the pHoi'
opinion that gradually overthro~s error
Note that the triSe men were turned Ssiu'
20 Jerusalem while the simple shePerd~'
patiently doing their weSrisome duties
by night. untroubled by the pul<ilnS
questions OF the Msgi, learned more thSn
these about peace and goodwin.
since their dsy each sge has through
IL ,riSf>f tried 90 rvCrrate and interpret
anew the fragmentary career OF the low,
" man. They have dSrSened his coUnsei
with words. they have smothered the
breadth OF his purpose, they have tried 10
wall around the sea of his goodness, they
have attempted 20 seal up and contne the
sunshine Of truth. But over against the
Imiters OF light the mouoPollst> 81 heSN-
IN the head-Wise interpreters. must DC
set the heart Of the common people, Who
like the man born blind, cannot srgue
down sophistries and puzzle out intricate
faiths. but can simply fall back upon the
unsnswerAble demonstration ot peace
snd GOODWILL whereas was blind now
$50 Because he was 80 real man,
tempted like themselves, the great com
mon heart has held fast TO him through
centuries Of rapine and RIGHTEOUSNESS
among his prOfesSed interpreters
through ages ofcreed-makiug and creed
breaking. through cycles of bloodshed
and persecution by the protested expo
nents OF peace aud goodwill. Have
miracles ceased: IL Is 4 miracle that any
OF his plain teachiugs should still i've
Vet steadily the light has climbed the
mountain sides Of perversion ana no"
shines full strongly down into the valley
OF the shadow OF death that We traverse.
Recausethen his friends were the low
lv. his mouruers the tainted and the De
ref. his most faithful servants through
all ages the oUtcaSts and the obscure
because also this l. the Peoples Age, th'
age Of democracy when the right 70 thinS
and 70 learn i no longer denied 70 Us oy
the lofty ones. may IL not have come 70
pass that this time Of all times most IT.
mote FROM the customs. the ideas that
surrounded Jesus. i the best lifted after
All To measure the length and breadth OF
the announcement Of peace aud good
will" that has 80 long remained echo-
less.
And what i he 20 Us, We anxious,
burdened workers: Whatever else sec
tsries NAV discover in him, 70 this soul
he seems 20 be lust one OF Us. We De-
lieve that his temptations were not mere
theatric displays. that his suffering was
not feigned. We know what agony l., not
less did he: IN our cases We can too Often
trace il back 20 a breach Of law; but not
so could he. and thus the greater polg-
nancy in his sufferings. We do not lower
him by thus thinking of him, but We raise
ourselves 70 4 higher, nooler humanity
Surely that was the work he came 20 DO
Because he Was a man, manhood i glO-
riouS because he triumphed over evil
manhood is helped 20 trSmple tempta-
ton under foot; because be remained
pure and undetiled, there i ever Just be-
fore u an examplSr 20 copy. We dis
cover him 20 De no splitter OF theological
hairs: no creator and enforcer OF set
belief. save 10 God, the father ofall. from
which cause We are His sons, and broth
ers 10 Jesus Deeds, not creeds deeds
ar, creeds, his forward cry. lis creed
enough 70 SEE In him a career 20 initiate
..Creeds first. deeds afterwards, the OPP
posing words of those who, by their hu-
man folly. would have darkeueG the light
that rose in the human heart from his
career.
Through him We see that those who
never understand their grandeur, whose
hearts never thrOb with noble purpose,
whose powers never rejoice 70 run the
race OF life. are those who look outward
from within perpetually, as though the
universe circled for them alone. To such,
wrapped up In self, whose souls needs
must be saved though all others perish,
willing "a take but unwilling 70 give,
dead though appearing 10 live; 10 All
such his life gives rebuke. From him we
learn 3 truth that the great world around
is fast grasping that he who gives most
gets most he i filed Nth good things
a .erN sr1arvs anH honor
perishable. Who scAttereth all OF good
that he has, that his soul Is best saved
whose soul il self-reckOned a. nsught II
he can but save others. TO breathe such
an atmosphere Of spirit after groyeilng
In agony as some of Us DO, afraid 10 I'VE
and vet more afraid 20 die, Is TO move
from the air OF the dungeon into the &c
stacy OF the mountain top. llte hVed 10
his way has infinite width 20 II. u l. IL
own great reward, Yet other rewards
there be. IL bushes the clamoring pas
siOns. il gives a man world citizenship u
enables him 20 see kinsman IN every TEL
low il thrills him even in ObscUrity with
a sense Of brotherhood 20 all the great
souls Of all the ages; it guides the hand
upward into the Divine, and the narrow,
dsrkened way broadens into q golden,
shimmering spread Of light up which 10
travel 70 the real center OF things.
Whether avowedly or not matters little,
il is his spirit that thrills the closing
wears of our century. Against the fatal
ism and materialism of Mohammed,
against the selfishness aud pessimism OF
the Hindoo anxious 10 escape away into
Inconsistencies against the slayish wor-
ship of the past by the Confueisns, we
see virile, aggressive, hopeful force al
work IN every nation that has fallen IN
der the influence Of Jesus. Hide-bound
Judaism never emsncipated the human
mind, AZ his influence has done. The
growing thoughtfulness of msn for man
is his work; the spirit of Jesus is abroad
20 bring US all together in one as human
beings with mutual obligations. He II Is
who makes Us feel kinship 20 the fallen
woman and the fallen man; 10 the ago
nized and the children for are they not
all bearing the image of humanity. which
he, the great unselfish one, the friend OF
sinners, also bore?