The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1904-12-24

l
~ I'm marvellous spread
of the Gospel. and
| the almost univer-
Gal recognition among the progressive
| and enlightened nations of the earth OF
| the fact of Jesus advent into the
world and His vicarious mission. We
| speak of the Christian nations, and
mean those nations which have been
| dominated by the enlightened spirit Of
righteousness and truth of which
| Jesus was the expression and expo
nent. The mustard seed has grown
| to be the great tree, spreading Its
branches everywhere, and the nations
| the birds of the air-have found
odgment therein. To-day the Christ
mas bells ring round the earth, and
peal forth their message of joy and
| good cheer, even though the notes of
| its truest message often are not heard
| A large part of the world to-day has
| its Christmas, but has it the Christ?
| 1t celebrates the browning event Of the
ages, but does it appreciate all that
! that celebration shoald mean? Is 1t
| the stable where the Christ has been
given place and welcome? or is it the
| inn crowded, and busy, and resting in
ease and comfort with no place or
| provision made for the Christ? Our
text suggests contrasts so sharp and
| painful that we cannot but De i'm
pressed by them as we mediate there
OIL. The stable and the inn. The one
for the beast, the other for man.
| The one poor and cherries and COM
fortress, the other fitted at least with
the common comforts and conveniences
which could minister to the needs Of
Fan. The one the only place where
the Son of God could find shelter, the
other the place which was so crowded
and filled that it shut out the Christ.
Z, HE fact that Christmas, the anniver-
i sary of the birth of Christ, is cele-
brated is not enough. One may share
in all the activities and pleasures OF
the day, and still be an inmate of the
Inn, and stranger to the true signifi-
canoe of the birth in the stable. One
may hear the wonderful Divine mystery
whereby the Son of God left Heaven and
became flesh through the operation OF
the Holy Spirit and still be blind to the
Divine light that filled the stable re-
cesses. Think you not that the inn was
astir next day with the news of the
events which had transpired in the
stable? Think you not that every one
was talking of the Babe in the Manager,
OF the sto.'y of the shepherds and their
Visit In the early morning? Ere the
mornings sun had climbed the Beth
lehem hills and g.ided the distant noun
tain heights with its golden splendor.
lfeel sure that the mighty secret of that
stable became known not only to all in
the Inn. but to all in the little village
OF Bethlehem. And SO to-day the story
OF the birth of the Christ is known and
rehearsed among men, they celebrate
the event with eagerness and low and
sun the Christ is absent, kept out by
the crowded condition of the inn. The
news of the birth of Jesus has reached
the inn and 1t freely joins in the cele-
bration OF the event, but the stable
where room is found for Jesus is the
place where the true celebration is held.
iou may be content with the festivities
OF the inn, and never care to enter into
the deeper joys Of the stable where
Jesus Is. AS of old. it is the question
OF the stable or the inn Where are Won
content to celebrate the Christmas fes-
tval7 verify believe the saddest day
IN heaven is Christmas day because as
/ -
the angelic hosts look upon earth they
Denoid all manner Of revelry and fes-
uViues In the name Of Jesus, while the
one whose birthday 1t Is is shut out
NO place for Him in the inn. There Is
100 much going on. There are too MANY
plans laid. There are too manv otbe,
friends to be entertained. And so IL Is
the inn instead of the stable. The
Christ is shut out!
SoME one has told the story of a lady
~ VINO, one Christmas eve. was walk
Ing In the beautiful city of Berlin. She
stopped to look at the large store win.
dow, where was laid out in elaborate
display the scene of the lowly stable a,
Bethlehem. Before the window stoot
TWO little girls, their faces beaming with
pleasure, while they talked to anothe,
, little girl between them, and aroun,
whom they had their arms. This dea
child was quite blind, and to her boo
! sightless eyes the pretty window toll,
no story. But the loving little friends
told the blind child Of the rude stable
the hay, the cows and the sheep, tn,
sweet mother beside the manger II
which the Christ-child was sleeping
the open door through which the won
dering shepherds were coming and tn
bright star above which shed a soft lIgh
over all. The little blind girl listene,
with absorbed interest, drinking II
every detail of the window decoratio,
as 1t was described, and reproducing 1
In her minds eye, until her face lit u,
with joyful smile, and. ciasping he