The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-12-30
The Christmas Festival
By william Rosser Cobbe.

festival day Of the church and {
the people. AT nrst thought one Nigh
say that. logically, Easter or Aseer
sion day should have priority. Man
whole being Graves Immortality. an
the only satisfactory answer to Job
earnest query: "If a man die. shall b
live again." IL found in the words o
the angel at the tomb OF Jesus at tn
early dawn OF that first Easter morn
"He is not here! He is risen," Con
| frmatory Of this was His visible ascen
sion into heaven. as witnessed by Pete
and Others of the apostles and by
number of His disciples.
Christmas. of itself has to do with
the birth Of a man-child, only. Ye
the herald song of the angels at thai
birth has come down through the ages
repeated by the glad voices Of children
and of age. II was the beginning Of q
life which during its short course ex-
emplified the most virtuous living and
that gave forth the most sublime teach
ing ever seen or heard of by mortal.
Perhaps the romance of His birth has
something to do with the interest
which attaches to the day. The youth
full virgin-wife journeying with her
carpenter husband through the hill
country from the village of Nazareth
to the proud and great city of Jerusa-
lem; the crowded inns, which forced
them to drag their weary feet four
miles away to the little village of Beth
lehem, where they could find shelter
in the stable of an inn, among surly
camels and lowing cattle; the birth
OF the child Jesus in a Manager: the
announcement to the shepherds; the
song of the heavenly choir; the won
derful star in the east and the visit
Of the magi bearing gifts for the
young child, and the efforts of King
Herod to find and kill the child Jesus
all these strange incidents appeal
strongly to the young. who hear the
story told over and over again, until
it is engrafted into their very being
and never loses It's freshness and
brightness throughout life.
Then, too. with the lapse OF time
there came to be engrafted in the OBJ
servance of the day the bestowing of
gifts upon the children of the house.
hold, in imitation of the gifts brough
by the magi to the child Jesus. Sub
sequently the giving of gifts was ex-
tended to the adults of the household,
and Christmas grew into a day of
and home festivities as
well as of devotional church service.
There is that peculiarly attractive to
in the child Jesus. Each |
mother as she thinks Of the Christ !
child grows more tender in her SYM
pathy for Mary and her love for the /
Child. The mother of the middle ages.
Is well as the mother of this genera
ion, never weariesS of teffMg her off
'pring the pathetic story of the birth
n the 1nanger at Bethlehem, and the
,earing of that story upon human life
ind human character That story
lever has lost its charm and never
will lose 1t, SO long as there are moth
rs in the world.
1t would seem to be the practice of ma
ions to commemorate the anniversary
( the birth of a hero rather than that
I some great deed or deeds of his.
'hus 1t is in this country, as in the
ase of Washington, Lincoln and
rant. So 1t is with the advent of
hrist into the world. This event is
iven prominence as being the be-
inning of career which abounded In
lcident, in miracles, in sdblime teach
lg and which closed in tragedy 80
,rrible that 1t caused the sun to dark
a and the earth, to quake and restore
s dead to life. The natal day com
rehends the entire life of benevolence,
mercy. kindness and intense suf-
ring. 1t Is given place above and
efore any single event, in that the
nth suggests al that He did. all that
e endured. The manger at Bethle-
EN- points unerringly to Calvary, to
lie tomb Of Joseph of Arimathea and q
the ascension. One meditates on ]
e Christmas day and IS lessons, and
ought follows the babe to youth and
anhood. 1t sees Him on the Mount 7
Beatitudes, as He utters the grand
t sermon ever preached. II follows .
Inn in His journeyings, in which the
ad are made alive and the blind are G
ade to see. 1t sees Him before PLATE,
d the scourging, the crown OF thorns,
Q driven nails and the thrust spear
low.
Yet Christmas is glad day and G
ould be Joyous one. The suffer-
Is Of the Christ are ended. He
ought glad tidings of great joy to all
. people. He introduced new relig- =
/ and q new and higher civiliza-
n. He confirmed hope Of irnmor-
ity into sublime faith, and made the 81
rid brighter and better and glad
rGHT HAVE KNOWN BETTER.