The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-12-21
CHRISTMAS.

of the nativity of the man of sor-
/ rows and who was acquainted with
grief, is lost in the musty archives
of impenetrable antiquity. There is
a wide divergence of opinion among
chronologists and historians as to the
actual time Of the advent of our
blessed Lord and Saviour into this
sin cursed world; and, indeed, there
was superstitious dread and unrea-
sonable awe on The part Of primeval
man in the early dawn Of our Christ
ian enlightenment to observe the na-
tivity of Christ as church festi-
Val, contending that the feast OF
Good Friday and the festivals of
Easter, Ascension ard Whitsuntlde
were the only institutions of this
character which were Of Apolist!c
origin and warranted by the ordi-
nances or traditions of the early
Church, and the sanction OF the
general council for it's observance as
festal day by the Church was
"deemed of later origin and lesser
! authority and regarded as an inno-
vation on orthodox Church doctrine,
and these early Christians were slow
to accept the day as one that should
be celebrated with supplication and
prayer to God, the Father for the in
estimable gift of Christ, the Son Us
a mediator and reconciler between the
purity of the one and the sinfulness
OF the other. While not so much cp.
posed to the idea that the natal day
should be fttingly commemorated by
the true believers in and followers Of
the King of Kings and Lord OF
Lords as the most important event
in the worlds history since the crea-
alton of man, they resisted the early
efforts to make it q Church festi-
val.
After the festival had become q
fxed institution of the then orthodox
Church, there was a considerable
discussion to fix the date on which
the earthly mission of the Prince OF
Peace commenced, and the work for
which he left the shining courts OF
heaven to pursue his tortuous and
thorny path to physical death that,
though the sufferings and agonies OF
that death, the demands of a broken
law might be filled and the wrath OF
Justly offended God appeased and
the way opened for perfect recon-
ciliation between God and man, was
really commenced. There were sew
eral sects in those days, as we learn
from the writings of Clement of
Alexandria, who contended for diff
ferent periods Of the year. Some
held to the belief that the Doth day
of May was the actual nativity OF the
child Jesus, while others were as
equally sincere in their belief that
the 2oth or 2lst of was the time of
the advent. Some held to the be-
lief that the birth and baptism Of
Jesus occurred on the same day,
namely, the 9th Of January. 1t was
not until something over 300 years af-
ter the birth of the Saviour, in the
times of Julian I, that the Eastern and
Western Churches settled on Decem-
Der as the day of days, as ''subsitute
to the customs of the various nations
who had observed a festival of rejoic.
ing that the shortest day of the year
had passed, and spanning the great
interval between Whitsuntide of the
one year and Good Friday Of the
next The 25th of December has
since been observed as the festival
of the nativity of Christ.
It is enough for US to know that in
the fullness of time the infant cries
of the Carist-child were first heard
in the manger at Bethlehem, as fore
told by the Prophets; that the glori-
GUS news of the advent of him who
had come to save the world from sin
was made known by the glori6ed and
shining messengers of heaven to the
shepperds on Judea's rugged hills,
and it is fully enough for US to know
that he fulfilled all the requirements
of the law; that he won the approval
of the Father in the expression,
This is my beloved Son in whom I
am we'll pleased" that he suffered the
pains of physical death; conquered
death and hell, ascended into heaven
and ever liveth and sitteth on the
right hand of God the Father to
make intercessions for US. In the
days of this Christmas-tide let US
all with grateful hearts for the be-
stowal Of these uupurchaseable bless
ings exclain
''All hail the power o! Jesus namo,