Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-25


human beinsN a God who wanted to
creep into the human hearts affections.
even as the sunbeams would steal into
the heart and give new life to the
plant 1t was difficult in one sense.
for God to teach sinful men that he did
not want to crush them but TO save
them of their own free will II was
difficult for him to teach all men. both
jew and GENTLE that Christ did not
come as II Hebrew Christ. but as the
worlds Saviour. So, if we may use an
imaginative description. God the Ia
thcr might have spoken to Jesus Christ
in way something like this: 81 will
not allow thee, my only Son. TO be born
in palace. / will not allow thee to
enter the world as an earthly prince.
Sinful mon might then honor thee and
fear thee, but they might not then take
thee into their hearts and of their own
accord love thee and give themselves
to thee. | will send thee forth rs II
helpless babe | will let thee be born
in Bethlehem of Judra. so helpless
that the lowliest of the lowly will not
have more humble entry into the
world than thou. Go forth. my Son
not only to atone for the sins of the
world, but also to teach all sinful men
that | am God the Father. the God of
Love" Could the divine love have
been manifested in Il moro simple way
than by ChriSt'S cradle being the man
ger of Bethlehem of Jud:rop
The Lesson of the Nativity.
On Oct. 90. 1895, was brought face
TO face with the true teachings of the
manager Christ as never before. 1t was
one of the most overwhelming days of
my life. 1t happened in Bethlehem Of
Jud~a. | was sitting in tine Greek
Catholic church. which is supposed to
have been erected directly upon the
Identical spot where Jesus was born.
In that hallOwcd place | had read over
and over again the account of the ma
tivity until it seemed as though the
walls of the eastern edihcc were chang.
ed INFO stable and the light which
was burning upon the altar was n can
delight held in the carpenter Joseph's
hand, and while read the nativity nc.
count over and over | suddenly heard
t'n,d ,',,1 49, na., I.,1. ..,. - -,
No; am listening only to the echoes Of
my own mAgination" But the flint
chanting began To grow louder. Then
| saw II multitude of people coming
t,ro,,,,h rho ,.l,,,r,l, do,r 49,. ,,,o .l,,,,
horde ,,,,,.t bo,., ,.,,,,.,,.1 .i,,o,,.-,,
tho ant,.,rca of ,l,o o,,oiout .t,,,Io ,rho,,
tl,o rro,.o..;o,, o,,,,,, ,,,.,r,. ,,1 ,,,.,,.,,,
and I,i1 ,t INV fo,t +ho hod,. of q Iitno
child Az s3t ,horc and Inol,nd of tho
f,ca Of tho dn,I hol,v v.ho.o f,,no,al
u.,s no,, +ol.i,,, ,,1o.n nv. ham, ,,.o,,+
ont in symuotbv to the uoor mother
seemed TO he curried hack ia fine time
when the Divine Babe law in that sta
bic manager. shielded hy the mother
love which is always divine love and
standing by the Brthlohom manrcr
with the dead hodv of TINT VILLAGE babe
at my feet. could realize. as YOU in the
same SURROUNDINGS could have realized
that Gods love for all his children is a
y a.
love which "passcth all understanding"
aud which abdcS with us through life
and beyond death
The monrer Christ was given as
human cyamDIe for sinful man ia fol
low this side Of the grave. He came to
prove that bv the grace al God il is DOS
lr for a human being 10 overcome
sin: he came TO prove il. because Christ
was born lust ms we are bone of our
bone and flesh Of our flesh. He was
tempted Just as we are tempted. There
fore we must continually. 10y the Holy
Shirts power. strive to be like him or
else we can he none of his.
We all realize tho mower ar in.nirino
ex,mrla I'm naval and military life
Whom Admiral Dewey was osI,od what
vas his chief jns,,ir,tion which causnd
him to putrr Manila horbor tho horo
of tho Snon;sb- \mnric,n vvnr answer.
steamed tovord tho philinnlnas ! kont
eo,,n,, TO rvsaIf ,,hut u,nrld tina boro
of Nnhiln hov dn if no v.era in my
1,ocn9 Iosbrd in tbo riorino no
Ivould dafv tho tb,nodooe and crv IN
tho .r,,in,nrs ia On ahead o,d ca ir+o
Manila harbur | went The victory
Of the Pacific ocean was only the echo
Of Admiral Farragut's guns NJ Mobile
bay the daring exploit Inspired by
heroic example. In the darkest days