The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1904-01-09
The Day We Celebrate.
From the Commoner.


changed at this season Of the year are
small when compared with the great
Rift brought TO humanity by the meek
and lowlv Nazsrene In whose honor
Christmas day Ia observed.
To the Christian. Jesus came IA an
unspeakable gift, His face ilumined by
divine radiance, His life surrendered
in fulfilnent Of divine plan, His
resurrection fixing in the armament u
| star OF hope that shall never be dinmed.
But even those outside Of the church as
well ~ its members, share in the benefit
which humanity has received from the
example aud teachings of the Man of
Galilee.
In letter written to friend, Thomas
jefferson analysed the doctrines Of
Christ rs they relate to mans conduct
toward his fellows, saying:
His moral doctrines. relating to
, kindred aud friends were more pure
and perfect than those of the most COR
rect OF the philosophers, and greatly
more 40 than those of the Jews and
they went far beyond both IN inculcat-
! ing universal philanthropy, not only to
kindred and friends, To neighbors and
countrymen, but 10 all mankind gather
ing all into one family under the bonds
OK love. charity. peace, common wants
and common aids. A development of
this head will evince the peculiar sup
eriority Of the system Of Jesus over all
others.
The precepts of philosophy and of
the Hebrew code laid hold of action
only. He pushed his scrutinies into the
heart of man; created his tribunal in
the region of mis- thought, aud purified
the waters at the fountain head. -
Those who accept Jesus Ms the Son of
God and worship Him rs such, can at
tribute the marvellous spread of His
gospel to u supernatural force behind it ;
those however, who dispute His divinity
mnst find in the doctrines themselves
an explanation Of their increasing hold
| upon the human heart. No language
that can be employed by pen, no words
that can be spoken by the tongue, can
exaggerate the influence which Christ 8
philosophy has already exerted upon the
race, or estimate its future power.
Between the doctrine of might and
the doctrine Of right; between the
principle that propagates itself by the
sword and the principle that grows
through the persuasive influence OF its
own intrinsic merit between the grasp
ing, over-reaching spirit that enthrones
self and sacrifices all else to its own
advantage and the generous, manly
recognition Of the rights of others; be-
tween measure of greatness that
estimates man by what he has alb
sorbed from society and that which
estimates men worthy in proportion as
they do service and diifuse blessings
these differences surpass comprehen.
sion.
II Jesus had left nothing but the
Parallels His name would have been
imperishable ia literature; IL He had
bequeathrd to posterity nothing but the
simplicity Of his speech and the irresis-
tible logic Of His argument, He would
have had permanent place among the
orators of the world II He had given to
the world nothing but the command
ment 'Thon shalt love thy neighbor as
myself, enforced Ms it was by His
own example this one gift would have
been sufficient to outweigh all the
wealth of all the world; il he had left
no record but the Sermon on the Mount,
1t alone would have made His natal day
worthy of perpetual celebration
all these added to the matchless majesty
Of n perfect life and the inspiring in
huence of an all-prevading love, are
turning the eyes OF IN ever.increasing
number to the path that He trod from
the manger to the cross,
Love was the dominating force OF His
life and love Ia today the overlnastering
impulse whose ebb and flow mark the
retreat aud advance Of civilization.
! And love, too. sanctiiles the Christ
mas gift. With 1t the merest trifle
swells into an object Of Importance
without 1t the most expensive present
dwindles into insigpifcsnce, Love is
the alchemy which invests with price.
less value all that IT touches--the magic
wand that converts the humblest cot
tage into palace aud gives to earth 3
pilgrims glimpse Of paradise,