Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1899-12-27

anything about our eat-grandpar-
ents, although they may have been in
describably better than their children
or grandchildren.
Another shadow OF the Christie cradle
was that it stood under depraved
king. Herod was at that time ruler
and the complete impersonatiou OF all
depravities. Ii was an unfavorable time
Tor innocence TO expect good treatment.
80 dark was the shadow dropping on
the cradle from that ubiquitous throne
that the peasant mother had to lift her
babe out OF it and make hasty flight
DEPRIVED habits OF those in authority
are apt TO he copied by subjects. and
from the immorals of the ucrodic
throne judge OF the immorals OF Il na-
ton. There WAS a malaria OF sin in the
air when the infant Christ first breathed
IT. Jhickest shawl could not keep the
babe warm when in that vintry month.
with his mother, he became a fugitive.
1t Was while the peasant and his wife
were on a visit for purposes OF enroll
ment that Jesus was born. The Bible
tr@aSlators got the wrong word when
they said that Joseph and Mary had
gone TO Bethlehem To be taxed" Peo-
pie went no farther ;hen to Get taxed
than they do now. The effort Of most
people always has been TO escapc taNn-
ton. BESIDES that. these two humble
folk had nothing To tax. The mans
turban that protected his head from the
sun was not worth taxing; the womau's
sandals which kept her feet from bein.
cut by the limestone rock. of which
Bethlehem Is mostly made up. were not
worth taxing. No: the fact is that a
proclamation had been made by the
emperor that all the people between
Great Britain ana Parthia and of those
lands included should go To sorle ap-
pointed place and give their names i'm.
be registered and announce their loVal-
~ 10 the Roman emperor. They stood
up before the officer OF the government
and answered the questions: What is
your name? Where were YOU born?
Where do YOU live now? Lift your hand
and swear that YOU viii support the
empire of Caesar Augustus" During
that patriotic and loyal visit the first
CRY OF The Divine Boy was heard.
They had walked so miles over n
rough road 10 give in their names and
take the oath of allegiance. Would we
walk 50 miles 20 announce our ale
glance TO our King. one Jesus? Caesar
Augustus wanted to know by the rec
ord on which that man and that woman
wrote their names, or had them writ
ten, just how many people in his en-
pire he could depend on in case Of cXig-
encY. How many men would unshcath
sword for the Roman eagle. and how
many women could be depended on to
take care of the wounded on battle
fields? The trouble is that in the king
dom OF Christ we do not know how
many can be depended on. There are
so many men and women who never
give in their names. They serve the
Lord on the sly.
In all our churches there are so
many half and half disciples. so many
one-third cspouscrs. They rather think
the Bible Is true, at any rate parts of
it, and they hope that somehow Chris
tianity will diSenthrall the nations.
They stay away from church on com
munion days and hope when they have
lived aS long as they can in this world
they can somehow sneak into Heaven.
Oh, give in your names. BE registered
on the church record down here ard
in the Lambs Book Of Life UP there.
Let all the world know where YOU
stand. II YOU have to 20 as far "a Joseph
and Mary walked. il YOU have 30 20
50 miles before YOU find just the right
form Of worship and just the right
creed. start in this modern December.
az all L -,
December. and amid the congratulate
tons OF church militant and church tri-
umpEant give in your names. 1t was
while Joseph and Mary were on visit
Of duty and obeying a reasonable com
mand Of Emperor Augustus that The
star pointed so the place OF nativity.
ChriSt's oratory was unlike anything
that went before or came after Even
the criticism Of the world said: Never
man sp1ke like this man" Dramatic?
Why He took mp child ont of the uu-
dicncc and set him on q table. and by
the embarrassed look of the child
taught humility. lie sent the prosccu-
tors Of 81 poor. sinful woman. blush
ing and con founded. out Of the room by
one sentence Of sarcasm Notice iii,
power Of emphasis. and cnuuciatiou
when lie revealed Himself after Ills
Resurrection. by the peculiar way lie
pronounced the ono word MARY" His
power Of look shown by the way Peter.
the great apostle. viitcd under IT, The
book says: Tho Lord turned and
looked upon Peter" ]; was am ON
nipotcut facial expression lie looked
upon Peter. Power Of distinct utter
aucc. so that every ono could hear. "He
opened His mouth. saying" so mum
Jliug and indistirct u;tcrancc. He
opened his mouth His voice which had
been developed by open-air speaking.
was resonant and souorous voice. or
lie would not have taken the top OF
the rocks Of the Mount Of Beatitudcs
for q pulpit, for shat pulpit is so high.
as ! declare from observation. that no