The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-08

here" "Oh, horror" you say, thar snuts
us all out" No. Christ came TO tne World
in one door, and He departed through an.
other door. He came through the door OF
the maneer, and he departed through the
| door of the sepulcher, and His one business
| was so 10 wash away our sin that after We
are dead there will be no more sin about us
than about the eternal God. know that ts
/ puttinr II strongly, but that is what un-
! derstand by full remission. All erased, all
washed away. all secured out, all gone.
tThat undergirdling and overarching and ir-
radiating and imparadising possibility for
YOU, and for ne, and for the whole race,
that was given that Christmas night.
Do you wonder we bring flowers to-dayto
that we take organ and youthful voice and
aueenly soloist to celebrate 1t? Do you
wonder that Raphael and Rubens and Titan
| and Giotto and Ghirlandajo and all the old
Italian and German painters gave the
mightiest stroke of their genius to sketch
the Madonna, Mary, and her boy?
Oh! now see what the manger was: Not
so high the gilded and jeweled snd embroid-
cred cradle Of the Henrys Of England. or the
Louis Of France, or the Fredericks OF frus-
sia. Now find out that that Bethlenem
crib fed not 90 much the oxen Of the stall as
the white horses of Apocalyptic vision. NOW
I find the swaddlinS clothes enlargls: ana
emblazoning into an imperial rooe iot
conoueror. Now I find that the star OF that
Christmas night was only the dtamonded
sandal of Him who hath the moon under his
feet. Now come to understand tnat tns
music of that night was not compietea
song. but only the stringing OF the instru-
men;s for = great chorus Of two worlds, the
bass 70 be carried by earthly Nations saved,
and the soprano by kingdoms OF glory won.
oh, heaven, heaven, heaven! I shall meet
YOU there. After all our imperfections are
cone shall meet you there. l look out to-,
day. through the mists OF years, through the
fog that rises from the cold Jordan, Though
the wide open doorof solid pearl to that re-
union. expect to see you there rs certain.
ly as see you here. What time we shall
have in high converse. talking over, sins
pardoned and sorrows comforted and battles
triumphant!
Some of your children have already gone,
and though people passing along the street
and seeing white Grape on the doorbell may
have said, est Is only child" yet when the
broken hearted father came to solicit my
service, he said, "Come around and comfort
US. for we loved her so much"
What Christmas morning it will make
when those with whom you used to keep the
holidays are all around yon in heaven!
Silver haired old father young again. and
mother who had so many aches and pains
and decrepitudes well again. and all your
brothers and sisters and the little ones.
How glad they will be- to see you! They
have been waiting. The last time they saw
your face it was covered with tears and dis.
tress. and pallid from long watching, and
one Of them can imagine to-day, with
one hand holding fast the shining gate, and
the other hand swung out toward you, say
ing:
"Steer this way, father, steer straight for
me;
Here safe in heaven am waiting for thee"
Oh, those Bethlehem angels. when they
went back after the concert that night over
the hills, forgot to shut the door! All the
secret Is out. No more use OF trying to hide
from US the glories to come. It Is too late
to shut the gate. 1t Is blocked wide open
with hosannas marching this way, and halle
iuiahs marching that way. In the splendor
Of the anticipation feel as If was dying
mot physically, for never was more well
but in the transport of the Christmas trans
fguration. s.N
what almost unmans me Is the thought
that II Is provided for suon SINNERS as you
and I have been. II 1t had been provided
only for those who had always thought right
and spoken right and acted right, you and
would have had no interest In 1t, had no
SUAL6 IL lIs YOU duu i WOuiu now ohoeh w
the raft midocean, and let the ship sail by
carrying perfect passengers from perfect
life on earth to perfect life In heaven. But
have heard the commander Of that ship Is the
same great and glorious and sympathetic one
who hushed the tempest around the boat on
Galilee, and have heard that all the pass
engers on the ship are sinners saved by
grace. And 30 we hail the ship, and 1t bears
down this way, and we come by the side OF
1t and ask the Captain two questions, who
are Thou2" and "whence?" And He says,
II am Captain of Salvation, and am from
the manger." Oh, bright Christmas morn
ing of my souls delight! Chime all the
BELLS Merry Christmas!
Merry with the thought Of sins forgiven,
merry with the idea of sorrows comforted,
merry with therapturesto to come. oh, lift that
Christ from the manger and lay Him down
in all our hearts! We may not bring to Rim
as costly present as the maS brought, but
we bring to His feet and to the manger to-
day the franhncense Of our joy, the prostra-
tion of our worship.
Down at His feet all churches, all ages. all
earth, all heaven. Down at His feet the four
and twenty elders on their faces. Down the
s'great multitude that no MIN can number.
Down Michael. the archsngel! Down all
worlds at His feet and wori;hip. "Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will to menp' .-.'-l