The Tupelo journal., 1904-01-08

' WClC EAST, tHe HAL Vi
Gadara, who had been possessed of q
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 il 1t 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 a 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 hat 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 a. 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 is Christmas still;
The gates through which He came,
And forests wild and murmuring rill,
And fruitful field and breezy hin,
And all that else the wide world fill
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? 1t 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 stiae
the joy of the heart which is rejoicing
in a 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 a Saviour. 1t 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 pleasuren'
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 OPP
Grafton of that supreme spirit of love
and service which comes from fellow
ship with the Christ. If the world has
taken Christmas day by violence, and
filled it's sacred hours with thought
less revelry, if it has crushed in the
ed memories, let the Christian be not
dismayed or dishecrtened, but let him
drink into his sou all the sacred, ten
der joy of the Christmas time, of a 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 a 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 upIifts
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 a 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.
For unto you is born a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord" And the song of
the Heavenly host must be our song
of GLORY to God in the highest, and
OF earth peace. good will toward men,"