St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-01-23

of the angels would not have been COM
plete if they had not been sent with
the message of good tidings to all
people" But earth's sin was not so
great, nor earth's sinners SO many, that
sin could not be cleansed by Jesus
blood and every sinner saved. Jesus
began by curing the worst cases OF
disease, by cleansing the foulest sim
ners, by raising those who were dead
and rotting in the grave. See His fol-
lowers: Despised Galilean fishermen,
publicans, harlots; Mary, out of whom
seven devils were cast; the man OF
Gadara, who had been possessed Of a
legion of devils, the scarlet woman of
Samaria, the thief on the cross. Think
of those whom Jesus gathered during
His earthly ministry as His followers.
and see if it does not include all types
and grades and classes. There were
the proud and cultured Nicodemus and
the rich Zaccheus. The rich and
the poor, the cultured and the igno-
rant, found in Jesus deliverance from
sin. And few years later the chief
est of sinners, Saul, was brought to the
feet of Jesus as he neared Damascus
gate. 1t is Gods will that all should
know the true JOY of Christ and Christ
mas. And it may be known by that
act of faith and surrender which for
sakes self as a lost sinner, and ac-
cepts Christ as the only Saviour. Then
the first Christmas joy is the present
Christmas joy, or, as Phillips Brooks
SO beautifully says:
Christmas once IL Christmas still:
The gates through which He came.
And forests wild and murmuring rill,
And fruitful field and breezy hill,
And all that else the wide world I'LL
Are vocal with His name
"Shall we not listen while they sing
This latest Christmas morn,
And music hear in everything,
And faithful lives In tribute bring
To the great song which greets the King
Who comes when Christ is born?"
MYTH the true joy of Christmas in
w the heart, what should be the ex-
preston Of it in the life? It must find
expression. AS we'll try to dam up the
Niagara or turn the suns light into,
the darkness of night as to try to stife
the joy of the heart which is rejoicing
in Saviour born. Heaven could not
contain the Son of God because Of His
great love and the love of His Father
for the lost human race. And the
heart cannot shut up the joy of Christ
mas which vibrates and thrills with
the message of Saviour. It must find
expression. And how? Listen again
to the song of the angels:
GLORY to God in the highest,
And upon earth peace
Among men good pleasuree'
A triple expression of that Joy: Praise
to God, the giver of the Saviour! Peace
through the Saviour upon the earth!
Good pleasure among men by the op-
Grafton of that supreme spirit of love
and service which comes from fellow
ship with the Christ. II the world has
taken Christmas day by violence, and
filled it's sacred hours with thought
less revelry, if it he's crushed in the
mire Of it's sin and pleasure its bless
ed memories, let the Christian be not
dismayed or disheartened, but let him
drink into his soul all the sacred, ten
der joy of the Christmas time, of Sa-
viour born, of a Saviour received, and
give expression to that JOY in a way so
full and free that it must needs ex-
ert its influence upon all about. How
shall we give? Give as God gives to
thee. From Him come,
christmas gifts for thee,
Full and free!
Precious things from the Heavenly store,
Filling thy casket more and more;
Golden love in Divinest chain
That never can be untwined again;
silvery carols of joy that swell
Sweetest of all in the hearts lone cell;
Pearls of peace that were sought for thee
In the terrible depths of fiery sea;
Diamond promises sparkling bright
Flashing in farthest reaching light.
christmas gifts for thee,
Grand and free!
Christmas gifts from the King of love,
Brought from His royal home above;
Brought to thee in the far off land.
Brought to thee by His own dear hand.
Promises held by Christ for thee,
Peace as a river flowing free,
Joy that in His own JOY must live,
And love that Infinite Love can give.
Surely thy heart of hearts uplifts
Carols OF praise for such Christmas gifts!
Oh, how God gives, gives, gives! Shall
we only sing carols of praise to Him as
expression of our joy? When the true
joy OF Christmas is so little known and
when God intended that it should be
UNIVERSAL can we do else than ex-
press our joy in way that shall awak-
en- others to know that same joy
which we feel? The message of the
angel is our message to the world:
Behold, l bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to Ill people