The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-12-23

the tidingS; the Christ day, hcradod 10y the
entire angelic choir and signai2cd by the
bethlehem star that guided The wise men to
the place where the Infant lay. Day Of
memories of bright days IN the sunshine of
,mc,ouded youth, When the plastic heart was
nodded to enduring affection because Of the
tLoughtful love Of the loved. Day of home
gathering, OF unscliish regard for others, Of
present laden trees, OF we'll filed stockings,
ri tables groaning beneath then burdens OF
toothsome edbles, OF tender cyprcssions,r
OF song and laughter and mirth and inno-
cent games Where ia Ill the world may
there be found such another anniye' gary,
enc 30 laden with the fragrance of love, or
so Astounding in thought that ennoblcsy
Here we have a Christ.child in the stable
1T Bethlehem, scene that appeals to the
sympathy and regard of the young; ami the
mother holding the Babe to her nurturing
breast, warming hcRrttouc to every
mother loved the world over; and the angel
promise: lie shall save Ills people from
their sns;' thought that lifts the soul to
the heights OF the Infinite. Z
What care we whether lie came ia the
day named and commcmoratcd by the
church, when the AIR OF Judah was chilled
by the snowy brcaths OF llcrmon; or m the
-prlngtlmc, rs many teach, when the birds
TITLED heavenly music and the valleys were
l'eckcd with myriad flowers whose perfumes
we're a. incense from the upper tcmple Of
God: The Christ work is universal and the
jhrist-day belongs to all the people o, the
whole world. Here the Christmas day
lawns upon scenes OF ice and SNOW; there
upon wealth OF tropical foliage but every
where it is a day OF heart warming and gift
hearing, and glad carols OF praise for Him
vho first opened His eyes in a nanger and
whose love has given a new name and a
letter purpose to advancing civilization.
the time OF the event counts as nothing be-
lore the majesty oil the glory OF the event
itself
Bethlehem was an insignificant village
cln3mg to the outer skirt of majestic ,lcru-
salem; vet greatest of all the cities uf the
world did II become IN that it was the birth.
place OF the Christ, Here the King OF kings
appeared in the helplcssness OF initial infan-
cy, watched and nursed, as other helpless
children of all ages, by His youthful and
adoring mother honored above all women
who have lived or who shall live. Joseph
and Mary had their home in a wretohed
village OF despised Galilco; yet the name of
Nazareth shines as the Brightness OF the
stars and shall he MS enduring as the irma-
ment.
Christmas day, the first Christmas. was
the beginning of Il promise old as the fax
OF man; the Christmas OF to-day shows tho
Iulfillment in large degree of the prophetic
assurance of mans redemption. The light
n the star of Jacob has spread until it's
rays have reached the darkest corners Of the
earth, and where they have penetrated they
ave blessed always. Christ in the heart,
hrist in the life Christ in the home. Christ
in the world that is to be; such the influence
Of Him whom the Magi worshiped in the
manger and OF whom the angels sang in their
song to the shepherds on the plains.
Gladdest of the festal days, indissolubly
linked with Good Friday and Resurrection
lay and Ascension, it is an ever-present les
son OF the sureness of all the promises of
Cod. As the first Christmas day told of
The hope of Israel, so each succeeding one
declared the development of the God
thought in the incarnate God, until the eli
max of Divine goodness was reached on Cal
vary. And afterward as the Gospel spread
over the earth, its peaceful fruits, the de
'elopment Of the Christ spirit in man, fore
ihadowed and do foreshadow in steadily in
rreasng strength and beauty the final cul-
when the Babe of Bethlehem shall
be in all and all in all among the children
ot men. Then shall every day be full of the
badness that makes Christmas day the
brightest cheeriest and happiest of all the
lays of the year
-'-''''" SossEn coHBE.