Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-01-05
Christmas Tree at Emmanuel Church.

The Episcopal Sunday school held
their Xmas festival in the church build
ing at 500 o'clock Christmas eve. The
services under the personal charge of
the Rector Mr.. Robertson were very
interesting and though intended es-
pecially for the children were appar-
emily enjoyed equally by the older
part of the congregation.
The Ladies Guild from part of the
proceeds of their Dairy Maids Conven-
tion last month provided the ample
stock of presents for the young folks
and even the choir. The Rector and
themselves seemed to be well remem.
bered.
During an intermission in the sing
ing of the carols, Mr.. Howard tried to
explain some of the Christmas Joy to
the little ones as follows:
MIR. HOWARD's ADDRESS.
/ want to tell the little folks some
thing, think they ought to remember
at Xmas time and always: Some
weeks ago when few of you came to
church on Thanksgiving Day, told
you | was surprised and sorry, but |
guessed you did not know any better.
Now / did not mean that you did not
know anything or could not learn
anything, but | meant that you did not
understand that it was for your own
good, as well as for Gods glory, that
you should do as President Mckinley
asked you to do. He said that all the
people should lay aside their work and
their play and go to the same church
that they went to on Sundays, and
join in the service of public thanksgiv-
ing to God, so that all the world would
know that they were a God-fearing,
God-loving, God-serving and God
thanking people Now 1898 years ago
Or about 1900 years ago-Jesus Christ
was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the
hills of Palestine and the angels sang
"Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth, Peace, good will to men" That
means love, that Jesus Christ was born
to teach love. "Glory to Cod" that
rIeans love to God. Good will to men,
that means love to all your neighbers
and to everybody in the world. Now
| want to ask these little folks in front
of me on this side: "Don't you feel
better when you like your father and
mother ?'' Yes? why of course you do.
The only way to learn to like and
love them is to get close to them, and
to ask them questions about what they
are doing, and why they do it that
way, and if they think you will ever
be big enough to do things as well as
they do. And when you climb up into
their laps, you are happy. [ do not
mean that you are happy first, be-
cause sometimes you are crying. But
just as soon as you climb up and feel
that you are close to them, you begin
to feel happy, don't you? Now do
you know that is the way you ought
to do with God? That is what | want
ed to tell you. That is what the Sum
day school is for. That is what we
have the Christmas tree for; that God
is your Father, and that His Son Jesus
Christ came to tell us that God wants
Us to be happy, and gives us all the
good things in this world to make us
happy. When you come to Sunday
school your teacher asks you how old
you are, and have you been baptized.
That means did your mother ever take
some water on your head, and mark a
cross on your forehead, to show you
that God is your Father and that you
belong to him. And the minister tells
your mother that God loves you, and
that you should learn the Apostles
Greed, and the Lords Prayer, and the
Ten Commandments, and all about
God in the Bible; and that she should
bring you to the church to hear the
bible read and explained, SO that you
should learn to know your Father in
Heaven and like him. Now when you
get larger and are confirmed, the Bishop
will tell you to come to the Holy Com
munion and to draw closer to God in
your hearts at the Lords Supper; but
you do not need to wait until you are
old to get close to God and to like Him.
A little boy can like his mother just as
well as big boy can; and little boy
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