The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-12-22

star that gui ded the wise men to the
place where the Infant lay. Day of
memories of bright days in the sun
plastic heart was nodded to enduring
affection because Of the thoughtful
love of the loved. Day of home
gathering, of unseltish regard for
others, of presentation trees, of
well-tilled stockings, of tables groan-
ing beneath their burdens of tooth
some edibles, of tender expressions,
of song and laughter and mirth and
innocent games. Where in all the
world may there be found such
another anniversary, and so laden
with the fragrance Of love. or so
Astounding in thought that ennobles?
Here we have Christ-child in the
stable at Bethlehem, scene that APP
peals to the sympathy and regard of
the young; and the mother holding
the Babe to her nurturing breast,
| warming heart-tOuch to every
mother loved the world over; and the
angel promise: ..He shall save His
people from their SINS thought
that lifts the soul to the heights of
| the Infinite.
What care we whether He came in
| the day named and commemorated
by the church. when the air of Judah
was chilled by the snowy breaths of
Herm0n; or in the springtime, as
| many teach, when the birds trilled
heavenly music and the valleys were
| tiecked with myriad flowers. whose
| perfumes were as incense from the
| upper temple OF God? The Christ
| work is universal and the Christ-dav
belongs to all the people of the whole
! world. Here the Christmas day
| dawns upon scenes of ice and snow:
there upon wealth of tropical
| foliage; but everywhere it is a dav
of heart warming, and gift bearing,
and glad carols of praise for Him
who first opened His eyes in
| manger and whose love has given a
new name and a loftier purpose to
advancing civilization. The time of
the event counts as nothing before
the majesty of the glory of the event
| itself.
Bethlehem was an insignificant
| village clinging to the outer skirt of
majestic Jerusalem; yet greatest of
all the cities of the world did it be-
| come in that it was the birthplace
of the Christ. Here the King of
Kings appeared in the helplessness
of initial infancy, 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 wretched village of despised
galilee; yet the name of Nazareth
shines as the briuhtness of the stars
and shall be as enduring as the firma-
| ment.
Christmas day. the first Christmas,
was the beginning of promise old Is
the fall of man; the Christmas Of
| to-day shows the fulfillment in large
degree of the prophetic assurance of
mans redemption. The light Of the
Star of Jacob has spread until its
| rays have reached the darkest corners
| of the earth, and where they have
| penetrated they have blessed always.
Christ in the heart. Christ in the
iliS, Chi lSl III tHc EOIue, CnrlSJ In
| the world that is to be; such the in
fuence Of Him whom the Magi wor-
shipped in the manger and of whom
the angels sang in their song to the
| shepherds on the plains.
Gladdest of the fiesta, DAYS in
dissolubly linked with Good Friday
and Resurrection day and Ascension,
it is an ever-present lesson of the
sureness of all the promises of God.
AS the first Christmas dav told of
the hope of Israel so each succeeding
one declared the development of the
God-thought in the incarnate, God,
until the climax of Divine goodness
was reached on Calvary. And after
ward, as the Gospel spread over the
earth, its peaceful fruits, the de-
velopment of the Christ spirit in
man, foreshadowed and do fore
shadow in steadily increasing
strength and beauty the final cul-
mination when the Babe of Bethlehem
shall be in all and all n all among the
children Of men. Then shall every
day be full of the gladness shat
makes Christmas day the brightest,
cheerlest and happiest of all the
day OF the year