The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-12-23
The Christmas Festival
BY William Rosser Coboe.

Christmas should be the greatest
. festival day OF the church and OF
the people AT first thought one might
say that, logically. Easter or Ascen-
sion day should have priority. Mans
whole being Graves immortality. and
the only satisfactory answer 10 Jobs
earnest query: III man die. shall he
live again?" is found in the words OF
the angel at the tomb OF Jesus at The
early GAVIN of that first Easter morn:
lie is not herel lie is risen." Con-
firmatory OF this was His visible ascen-
sion into heaven as witnessed by Peter
and others OF the apostles and by a
number OF His disciples.
Christmas Of itself has 10 DO with
the birth OF man-child, only Yet
the herald song Of the angels at that
birth has come down through the ages.
repeated by the glad voices Of children
and of age. 1t was the beginning of
/ life which during its short course ex-
empliiied the most yirtuous living and
that gave forth the most sublime teach
ing ever seen or heard OF by mortal.
Z Perhaps the romance Of His birth has
something to do with the interest
which attaches 10 the dag. The youth
full virgn-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 10 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 manger; the
announcement 10 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
I strongly 10 the young. who hear the
story told over and over again. until
it is engrafted into their very being
and never loses its freshness and
brightness throughout life.
Then, too with the lapse Of time
there came 10 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 brought
by the magi to the child Jesus. Sub
sequenly the giving Of gifts was ex-
tended TO the adults Of the household.
and Christmas grew into day OF
bringing and home festivities as
well as Of devotional church service.
There Is that peculiarly attractive TO
motherhood 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
I Chile. The mother Of the middle ages.
as well as the mother Of this genera
ton. never wearies Of telling her or
spring the pathetic story Of the birth
\ In the manger at Bethlehem. and The
I bearing o. that story upon human lie
and human character That story
rSver has lost its charm and never
will lose II. so long as there are moth
ers in the world.
II would seem to be the practice Of ma
lions TO commemorate the anniversary
Of the birth OF hero rather than that
Of some great deed or deeds of his.
Thus IL is in this country. as in the
case of Washington. Lincoln and
Grant. SO il is with the advent Of
Christ into the world This event is
given prominence as being the be-
ginning Of n career which abounded in
incident. in miracles In sublime teach
ing and which closed in a tragedy so
terrible that 1t caused the sun TO dark
en- and the earth to quake and restore
its dead to life. The natal day COM
prehends the entire life Of benevolence,
Of mercy. kindness and intense suf.
fering. II is given place above and
before any single event, in that the
birth suggests ali that He did. all that
He endured The manger at Bethle-
hem points unerringly TO Calvary. to
the tomb Of Joseph Of Arimathea and
to the ascension. One meditates on
the Christmas day and is lessons. and
thought follows the babe to youth and
manhood. Ii sees Him on the Mount
OF Beatitudes, as He utters the grand
est sermon ever preached II follows
Him in His journeyings, in which the
dead are made alive and the blind are
made to see. II sees Him before Plate.
and the scourging. the crown of thorns.
the driven nails and the thrust speaT
follow.
Yet Christmas is a glad day and
should be a joyous one. The suffer
ings OF the Christ are ended He
brought glad tidings Of great joy to all
the people lie introduced a new relig-
ion and a new and higher civillza-
ton lie confirmed hope of immor
tality into sublime faith and made the
world brighter and better and glad.
der.