The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-03-07
"UNTo Us A CHILD is BORN

Does a mother dread her babes Did
Manoah's wife fear the knotting mus
cles OF her son Samson9 Would Rtchel
have felt estranged from her child,
Joseph, had she forseen his ascent to
the throne Of Z ,yPs7 Would Jesse
have been the less familiar with his
rudy faced David if he had believed
him to be the future king Of Israel3
Did Mary sing her lullaby less sHeetly
to Jesus because she knew He was the
Son Of God7
There was no maj 2s5y in Him
Which love could not come near"
Not many years go by before the son
becomes as the father, the daughter as
the mother, and the old people as the
children. The younger hands lift the
load, the younger brains solve the
problems, and leaning upon the new,
the older generation goes down the
slopes OF life. How beautiful this
changed relation! Yet it has it's dissp-
pointment. Children do not always
care well for parents. But there are
no disappointments with the strong
Son OF Man, in the household of faith.
He says to US: 81 am with you Away,
even unto the end of the world" He
never grows old, HIS strength never
fails, His patience never flags, His
thought. never gets obscured. He is
the Eternal Wisdom, the Almighty
Power, yet Immortal Youth; the Ever
lasting Father become for US the Ever
lasting Son.
Henry Grady, the genial Southern
statesman, used to tell Of his Oh: ist
mas visits TO his mother, and how,
looking into his face, and smoothing
his hair, as she used t do IN the years
gone 5y, she would tell for the hun
dredth time, what q brightness he had
been to her life, and how che thought
Of him whenever q boy Whistled along
the street. On to see the Christ home
coming 70 us as the years hasten.
a true child is very Jealous for the
good name Of his parents. d. ycu re
member the story of the beautiful
woman whose father had been branded
on the forehead for some rimeH When
the daughter had come to great estate
and praise, she stood by her fathers
chair among the assembled notables,
and rested her fair hand on his brow,
so that nc one else could see the scar.
Her own honor covered his disgrace;
her own beauty his hideous mark.
Thus Christ, the child of humanity,
cover the sins Of humanity. HIS
honor for our dishonor; His merits for
cur dement's.
A charming story brightens the dark
annals Of the Caree Of Alexander the
Great. Antipater wrote Alexander q
long letter, setting forth many faults
In the conduct Of Alexander's mother.
The great Conqueror replied: Anti
pater does not know that one tear OF a
mother efaces a thousand such letters
as these" It is because Christ is the
Sono of humanity, that he has ordained
that 4 genuine tear Of contriCion
shall blot out all the tell tale record
that the great adversary and accuser
Of souls can make against us9
And now Tor another story, one of
the most tender that ever was told
When Jesus vas being crucihed. He
looked down upon John, who had been
to him as a brother, and upon HIS own
mother, Mary, and said, now that He
was going away woman, behold thy
son" and B hold thy mother" How
naturally it is added: And from that
hour that disciple took her unto his
SFn home"
Very soon you and I will be home
less. We go the way Of all the earth.