The news & observer., 1905-12-24


{, branch Of faith. would stay the hand
F, of death and keep in safety unto eter-
nal life every soul that had feaAed on
| Christ whose sutferings were typified
| by the roasting of the Lamb with fire.
There was another significance in the
| Staying of the lamb. which the Jews
| did not then understand. The lamb
was selected on the tenth day of the
| month and slain on the fourteenth be-
tween the evenings--that is between
three and six o'clock Jesus entered
Jerusalem on the tenth day of the
| month, when the multitude went be-
fore him. crying. "Hosanrah" He was
| crucifed on the fourteenth day of the
month and died between the evenings.
| And His crucifiXion occurred while
| the Passover was being celebrated.
| In this history SO briefly given. the
reader gets hold of the thread that will
| lead him from the first promise, made
in Eden, to the night when the Shep-
| herds heard the angel saying: Fear
not; for behold l bring you good
| tidings of great joy which shall be to
all people: for unto you is born this
day in the city David. a Saviour which
thread we find that hundreds of years
| before the birth of the child at Beth
| lehem Isaiah said Behold a virgin
shall conceive. and bear son. and
| shall call his name m-manuel.
| unto us child is born. unto us a
Son is given.' And Micah. another
prophet. said this child, the seed of the
woman, of whom God spake in Eden,
| at the time of the fall. would be born
/ in Bethlehem
Four thousand years after God had
promised a Saviour. the infant Jesus
was born of n virgin as Isaiah prophe-
sled and in Bethlehem as was prOph-
esied by Micah.
1t is the birthday of Jesus we cell
ebrate on the 25th day of December,
which day we call Christmas. We
should not forget therefore, in the
midst CT our rejoicngs. that Christ was
Gods gift to the world-the greatest
of all Christmas gifts-and. that,
/ while We are giving presents to our
friends, the greatest gift should be
given to the Fa.her of all mercies
who tenderly and lovingly says: 'Son.
/ give me thine heart
| While | am writing the thought
| comes to me that many who read my
| Christmas article last year will not
| read this: and the further thought
| comes to me, that l may not live to
write another. But. this other thought
comes like a cheering beam of sun
light into the soul in the midst Of its
earthly shadows. that the child Jesus
| whose heel is bruising the serpent's
head sent word back to his disciples.
! 1fter his ascension to the Father: "To
him that overcometh / will grant to
sit with me in my throne, even as |
have overcome and am set down with
my Father in his throne"
So, if they wh) went up during
the last year. were faithful and we,
| who are soon to go. be faithful, we
| shall then know tle full meaning OF
Paul's saying: "Te live is Christ. but
| to die is gain"
Nav all my readers enjoy this
| Christmas season; md. if it be Gods
| Will may they live to see many more
returns of the DAYS that celebrates the
| birth of the child Jesus
To each and to al. a merry Christ
mas and a happy New Year MAY
/ all the girls have leaux and all the
boys have sweethears, and may all the
marry be as happy as they were
hoping to be: and my peace prosper
ty and good will abound in all the
| land
Raleigh n. G.