Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-12-23

are also essential places. am glau no
has his places for his Marys, and his
Marlhas. and his Ellzabeths, and MS
moor widows of Zarephath, and his
,,nochs. and his Josephs of Nazareth,
and his Cushis, as we'll as for his Joaps,
and Abishais, and Ittais, and Davlds.
All yes the work Of Joseph the car
Denter caring for the helpless Cnrist
luring his years of infancy should
teach us all to honor God in our own
work in life, no matter how insignln-
cant II may be.
Canst thou not seize the inspiration
of this lesson for the coming ChrlstnaS |
day? One Of the most beautiful pic
lures ever painted is that called "Ihe
Carpenter Shop Of Nazareth" Inere
ihe great Master opens the humble door
for All the world to look in and see
beautiful family scene. On one slue OIL
the room sits woman sewing. Her
ewes are cast down, but her face IS
beautiful face-sO pure so gentle, 80
truthful Her fingers are busy. 1ne
financial struggle Of that home Is
heavy one to bear. "She layeth her
hands to the spindle, and her nands
hold the distaff" She Is Mary, tne
mother of Jesus. At her feet is little
aaxen haired child playing. The race
is that of a child, but as you gaze on
those eyes and that wondrous face you
feel that you are watching a perfect
cbIld-aye, a supernatural one. The lit
tle child. of course, is Jesus The noor
Is covered with shavings. The carpen-
ters implements are scattered around.
A strong. powerful limbed workman
IS bondIng over a workman's table join
ing together two pieces Of wood. This
Hebrew face is that Of Joseph the car
nenter-Joseph, who Is earning bread
for the infant Christ. "Ah," said to
myself as l watched that picture,
"would that l might be able to have
some soul leaning on me as the infant
Christ was dependent upon Joseph
Would that | might lead some one TO
Christ and then carefully protect him
and help him during his years of temp
tation. even as Joseph protected Jesus
durin.r his years of childhood helpless
ness" DO you wonder that Joseph had
n right to be standing near to the man.
, ger on the first Christmas morn!
A Noble and Manly Character.
The ennobling example OF a pure
I martial love was furnished by JosephS
tourney to the Bethlehem manger. Tns
gentle love which bound your fathef
and mother together and nodded you
, and your brothers and sisters IN q
: moral and spiritual way was the same
r kind of gentle love that bound Joseph
( to Mary and helped to mold the mentai
: life of the infant Christ, for, though
= Joseph the carpenter was not the IA
ther of Jesus, he gave him parentai
care and must have received from that
loving nature a boys gratitude. Sun
, more as Jesus grew to years OF dlscre'
. tlon and learned the circumstances OF
: his birth would his love for his mother
include also the man who had protect
cd her. Nothing more manly Is founu
;, in all history than Joseph's attitude to-
!, ward Mary when he found out she was
70 become the mother OF the Infant
= Christ.
+ Let me explain to you this history
q more In detail. Joseph was an intense
4 man. He was one Of those men WHOM
:. women have hard work to influence
o He was evidently an elderly man
n probably fifty years Of age, but h'
= was one who when he did surrender
70 his heart to a woman gave to her Ms
q whole heart and not part lie ioNeC
Mary with that deep, tender, holy al
!, lection which only true, strong maj
>, can give to Il truly good, noble, Deau'i
fnl woman. He loved her with low
70 that would willingly lay down his liz
~ if he could make the loved one happle
~ by the sacrifice. He loved her SO muci
~ that her companionship became III
~ hone. the Joy and the heart Of his yer.
oxietence He loved her for time ant
r. for eternity.
=. Now. when Mary was about to DC
- come the mother Of Christ all the pee
- ple of her village knew it. They gos
% siped about it, They at once looKe
- upon her as a bad woman. In IN
~ sight of those Hebrew people she wa
~ a social outcast. Joseph was at mrs
~ much troubled. The Bible tells US tina
he was about to break the bonds OF I'd
- martial engagement and put her ava
nrivily." but when an angel or IN
" Lord appeared unto him and said tina
Mary was to become the mother 9
:" the Son of God, "for that which Is col
~ ceiyed in her is Of the Holy Spirit"
=, once this brave, noble carpenter o'
- came her protector. He knew that L
- would be desplsed for marrying he
I.t vet he hesitated not one instant. ID
~ stepped right up to her side. lie p'
his arm about her. He said MARI
od me, Mary, and slander shall not touc
~ thee. I shall give thee the protectio
~ of my name" Then he turned an
80 faced the cynical, sneering, scofnn
- deriding world as with flashing eJ
~. he said: "This is my wife. He WI
1,a strikes at her strikes at me-! ID
- vou ever read of a more noble al
'4 manly act than this Of Joseph, WI
m gave to this trembling girl the prote
~, ton of his name at the most sacr'
,od moment of her life?
ON am glad that the man who stood
~ Jesus in the relation of father shou
have been so noble a character al
that his boyhood was spent in hon
so hallowed by marital affection. II
aS was important for Jesus, the Son
,eu God. to have the example of a lovil
the oI' - r,othor continually befo
VI him during the years of his childhoo
0, Is it not also vitally important for 20
iau children to have the example Of 10
10 ing father and mother before ther
ace The divine love is first revealed to
child through the Bible? Oh,