Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-21

IL that Of q child, but as you gaze on
those eyes and that wendrous face you
feel that you are watching a perfect
a supernatural one. The lit.
tie child, of course. is Jesus. The floor
Is covered with shavlngs. The carpen.
ter's implements are scattered around.
A strong, powerful limbed workman
Is bending over workman's table join
ing together two pieces Of wood. This
Hebrew face Is that Of Joseph the car
who IL earning bread
for the infant Christ. "Ah," said TO
myself ns watched that picture.
"would that I might he 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 MS Joseph protected Jesus
during his years of childhood helpless.
ness" DO you wonder that Joseph had
q right to be standing near to the man.
ger on the first Christmas morn?
A Noble and Manly Character.
The ennobling example of pure
marital love was furnished by Joseph's
Journey to the Bethlehem manger. The
gentle love which bound your father
and mother together and nodded you
and your brothers aud sisters in
moral and spiritual way was the same
kind Of gentle love that bound Joseph
to Mary and helped to mold the mental
life Of the infant Christ. for, though
Joseph tho carpenter was not the ia
Their Of Jesus, he gave him parental
care and must have received from that
loving nature boys gratitude. Still
more az Jesus grew to years Of discre-
ton and learned the circumstances Of
his birth would his love for his mother
include also the man who had protect.
ed her. Nothing more manly is found
in all history than Joseph's attitude to-
ward Mary when he found out she was
to become the mother of the infant
Christ.
Let me explain to you this history
more in detail. Joseph was an intense
man. He was one of those men whom
women have hard work TO influence.
He was evidently an elderly man,
probably fifty years Of age, but he
was one who when he did surrender
his heart to q woman gave to her his
whole heart and not part. He loved
Mary with that deep, tender, holy af-
lection which only true, strong man
can give to truly good, noble, beauti-
full woman. He loved her with love
that would willingly lay down his life
IL he could make the loved one happier
by the sacrifice. He loved her SO much
that her companionship became the
hope. the joy and the heart of his very
existence. He loved her for time and
for eternity.
Now, when Mary was about to be-
come the mother of Christ all the peo-
pie Of her village knew it. They gos-
siped about 1t. They at once looked
upon her as q bad woman. In the
sight of those Hebrew people she was
social outcast. Joseph was at first
much troubled. The Bible tells us that
he was about to break the bonds Of the
marital engagement and put her away
prlvily." but when an angel OF the
Lord appeared unto him and said that
Mary was to become the mother of
the Son Of God, "for that which Is con-
ceivcd in her is of the Holy Spirit" at
came her protector. He knew that he
would be despiscd for marrying her.
yet he hesltated not one instant. lie
stepped right up to her side. He put
his arm about her. He said: Marry
me, Mary, and SANDER shall not touch
thee. shall give thee the protection
of my name" Then he turned and
faced the cynical, sncer.ng, scoffing,
deriding world as with flashing eye
he said: This is my wife. He who
strikes at her strikes ut mo-" Did
you ever read Of more noble and
manly act than this Of Joseph. who
gave to this trembling girl the protec-
ton Of his name at the most sacred
moment Of her life:
lam glad that the man who stood I'll
Jesus in the relation OF fnther should
have been so noble character and
that his boyhood was spent in a home
so hallowed by marital affection. II II
was important for Jesus, the Son of
God, TO have the example OF n loving
father and mother continually before
him during the years Of his childhood
is 1t not also vitality important for your
children to have the example Of low.
ing father and mother before them
The divine love is first revealed to 9
child through the Bible? Oh, no
Through what the minister breaches
In the pulpit or the Sunday school
teacher tells him in the Sunday school
Oh. no. 1t Is first revealed by the gen
tleness and kindness with which the
father Of that child deals with the
mother and the mother with the IA
Their. Beware. o parents, how you
lose your tempers before your children
Beware how you let selfishness creeI
into your hearts. Beware how you be
come jealous or fault finding. Befor,
you lower the standard Of love whicl
father and mother should bear to eacl
other before the children 90 with MI
for a little while back to the carpente
shop and see Joseph protecting hi
wife from the sneers Of the world an,
shielding her honor with his name
which he was ready to give her whel
before the priest he looked into he
eyes and said, MARY, thou art my be
loved wife until death doth us part"
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