The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-24

/ pleasure, while they talked to another
little. girl between them, and around
whom they had their arms. This dear
/ child was quite blind, and to her poor
/ siehtless eyes the pretty window told
| no story. But the loving little friends
| told the blind child of the rude stable,
/ the hay, the cows and the sheep, the
sweet mother beside the manger IN
which the Christ-chIId was sleeping,
the open door through which the Won
! dering shepherds were coming and the
bright star above which shed a softlight
over all The little blind girl listened
/ with absorbed interest, drinking in
every detail of the window decoration
as it was described, and reproducing it
/ in her minds eye, until her face lit up
with a joyful smile. and, clasping her
hands together in rapture, she ex-
claimed. again and again: .sAhI that
is beautiful" And all how many Tiers
are who, like the little blind girl before
the show window in Berlin, where the
scene of Jesus birth was depicted. stand
beholding the Christmas celebration
and yet because of blindness Of heart
they do not see and realize its hidden
beauty and meaning. All! how we
| would love to throw our arms about
such and try and tell them all the Won
derful story of Gods love and Gods gift!
How we long to bring such to open the
/ heart and make room for the Christ
Who has come into the world to seek
and to save the lost Why stay in the
/ inn, away from the Christ, when we
| may enter into His very presence and
| realize, as did the shepherds that night.
that unto US is born in the city of
David, a Saviour, Which is Christ the
/ Lord?" Between the experience Of the
inn and the stable there is the same diff
ference as that which marked the blind
girl and her little friends. God grant
that you may be as willing and as
eager to hear the message as the blind
child was!
/ MHAT is the message of the stable?
w What is the message Of the inn9
One stands for cooperation with God.
the other rejection and indifference to
His claims. One becomes the recipient
of blessing, and the medium Of exalted
service. while the other in narrow
selfishness loses both blessing and the
/ privilege of service The characteristics
of the stable and the inn are still to be
marked in the world to-day. There are
those who are willing to receive the
Christ, and who thus become instru-
ments in Gods hands Of great service
and blessing. On the other hand, there
are those who typify the inn and refuse
the Christ admittance, and maintain an
attitude of supreme indifference to Ills
claims upon them. At the glad Christ
mas time what Iapre fitting occasion on
/ which to consider this supreme aues-
ton? With you and me It is either the
stable or the inn. There Is no neutral
ground. The Christ child, the Christ
mas gift of God to men, comes to every
heart and seeks fer admission. Shall
the rejection of the inn. or the welcome
of the stable. mark our attifude2
m HE stable typifes open-nearted re-
L ception Of the Christ, willing sur
render of the best we have to the Christ,
and acceptable service rendered for the
Christ The first essential need lis the
i
condition of the inn may find its eoun-
terpart in our lives where the cares and
activities of this life would crowd out
the claims Of God upon us. aTld make lis
prone to tarn the Christ away with the
excuse that there is no room, that We are
i busy providing for the present guests
! who have found Judgment with Us. To
/ reject Christ does not require that we
show open enmity and hatred towards
Him. Christ was not driven from the
door of that inn at Bethlehem IN cruel
hatred. It was enough that Mary and
/ Joseph should be told, perhaps ever so
politely and regretfully. that there was
1 no room 1t served the same purpose of
shutting out the Christ, and SO with you
and me. We may know of no bitter OPP
position or hatred ruling in the heart
| which keeps the Christ out. AlIthatis
necessary is to be Sc filed and crowded
j with other things as to lead us to turn
Him politely away. and say. Some
day, when we are not SO pressed for
room and time. we will be glad to well
come you" But Jesus does not wait on
such invitation The opportunity OF
sheltering the Christ came to the inn
but once, and that opportunity lost was
lost forever, and soit may be with you
Jesus comes at this Christmas time. He
seeks for room and shelter in your heart
Will you not make place for Hin there
at once, even though every other thing
has to be turned out and given up Bet
ter have the Christ than all else that the
world can give.
A ND once within, let the Saviour have
i n the best the place affords The man
ger was not much. It was a rude rough
place, and yet as it was surrendered 1t
became the cradle OF the newborn King.
] What you have may seem mean and poor
/ and unusable But if it is surrendered
i to the Christ, He will find use for it.
He will glorify and honor it with His
presence. He will make 1t the medium
of blessing to Others. Il that humble
manger had had the power of speech and
had the spirit of some who have admit
/ ted the Christ to their lives and hearts.
imagine | can hear it speaking on this
wise: 81 would so Ike to do something
for this Christ. Oh. If I were only like
the bed, or even the cot, Of the we'll
/ appointed inn, how gladly would serve
| Hint OH III s0liIy had fl a far4ffr+ -