Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-01-13

TON or me s0Ie mn1y 15yfm facr Yof
which "the most benehoent of the
Christian days" stands-its proclama-
ton of "Peace on earth and good viii
toward men" And this, II scarcely
need be said, In no more rhetorical
phrase, but II il a blessed fact which
points at once to the Office of redemp-
ton, which tells Of q Heaven begun on
earth--for the peace and good viii
promised are not gifts to be bestowed
in that Heaven to which all the sons of
God are fastening, but Il comes TO the
pure soul even here and now.
And there IL significance in the very
phrssing. For the declaration Ia not Of
good win and peace, as IL the latter was
the outgrowth OF the former, but con-
traxiwise Of peace and good will-hrst
comes the peace, and then out Of II flow
the fountains Of goodwill And how
can we quarrel with those with whom
ourrslations are those Of perfect peace?
or yet, to go further. with the world
everywhere disposed to peace, how shall
It not result In good win, as, souls get
ting closer TO souls, we see the better
and the higher side Of human nature 2
you must have the bird In the heart be-
fore you can find him in the bush" says
that great prophet Of nature. John Bur-
roughs. And what Is true of birds Is
true of the whole field Of nature, In
Guiding mani you must have love for
your fellow men IN the heart before
you can discover their true worth and
appropriate to yourself the blessing
which always comes to noble souls as
sociated together. Nay, more-it is only
as we have the love of God In the heart
that we are enabled to realize His low
ing, sympathethic, compassionate ma
ture. Indeed, It In a quesion-rather Il
is scarcely a question at all--if those
WHO are earnestly striving to conform
their viii to the divine LIE ever wholly
rid themselves of the feeling that the
Father Of Us all is a stern parent ever
waiting to chastise us for the slightest
departure from the path Of rectltude.
But how wrong all this is-how false
to the real fact-it II the province of
the blessed Christmas-tide to remind
us, with Its ceaselass declaration Of
peace on earth and good will to men
for that truth shall never pass from
earth until the final day Of the consum-
nation of all things.
And not alone this recitativs sung by
the angels out Of Heaven tells us of this
giadness, but as we regard God In the
Light OF His real attributes, how clear
and radiant this truth appearsi In God
almighty, is He omniscient, IL He all
wise 2-we have but to carry the fullness
Of these attributes into those qualities
which he commands ua to manifest In
our own lives, and we shall find Him
also TO be all-compasdonate and all
mereifuli the summing up of all we
shall find In the apostles declaration,
God Is love-" And 20 we read joyfully
and hopefully, and say with the poet:
For mcrcifui and compassionate,
And fun OF sweet assurances
And hope for all. the Language is
He remembreth eur frame,
he knoweth we are dust"
Merciful and oompassionatel He re-
membereth our fremei Peace on eartbi
Good viii toward meni-rinr Il out I'm
tho clear, frosty air, Christmas bells!
Shout II, rejoicing souli Sing II, glad
hearth Let us In all the now OF feeling
exclaim with the rapturous poet of &c
centuries ago, -Arise, shine-for our
Light is come, and the glory OF the Lord
10 risen upon usi" May that glory and
that light be the priceless possession of
everyone Of us on this blessed Christ
mas tdei-Christian Work.