Milford chronicle., 1905-12-22
THREE CHICAGO
BANE2
Institutions Involved in


Of Johp. 3 ,sWaI- Of Nazareth
and his Cushis. as well as for his Joabs,
and Abishais, and Ittais. and Davids.
All, yes, the work of Joseph the car
penter caring for the helpless Christ
during his years Of infancy should
teach us all to honor God in our own
work in life, no matter how insignif-
cant it may be.
Canst thou not seize the inspiration
Of this lesson for the coming Christmas
[ layi one of the most beautiful pic
4 lures ever painted is that called "The
/ Carpenter Shop of Nazareth" There
tie great Master opens the humble door
for all the world to look in and see a
| beautiful family scene. On one side of
the room sits a woman sewing. Her
eyes are cast down, but her face is a
beautiful lace-so pure, so gentle, so
truthful Her fingers are busy. The
financial struggle of that home is a
heavy one to bear. "She layeth her
hands to the spindle, and her hands
hold the distam" She is Mary, the
mother Of Jesus. Al her feet is little
1aXen haired child playing The face
is that Of child but as you gaze on
those eyes and that wondrous face you
feel that you are watching q perfect
child-aye, a supernatural one The lit
tie child, Of course, is Jesus The floor
is covered with shavings The carpen-
ters implements are scattered around.
A OF fHH- tHt 81
is bending over a workman's table joiu-
ing together two pieces Of wood. This
Hebrew face is that of Joseph the car
penter-Joseph, who is earning bread
for the infant Christ. "Ah," l said to
myself as 1 watched that picture
''wOuld that I 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
during his years of childhood helpless
ness" Do you wonder that Joseph had
a 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
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 and sisters in a
moral and spiritual way was the same
Kind of gentle love that bound Joseph /
10 Mary and helped to mold the mental |
ife of the infant Christ, for, though |
Joseph the carpenter was not the ia !
her of Jesus, lie gave him parental |
are and must have received from that /
owing nature a boys gratitude. Still
more as Jesus grew to years Of discre-
ion and learned the circumstances of
lis birth would his love for his mother
nclude also the man who had protect
d her. Nothing more manly is found ]
n all history than Joseph's attitude to-
ward Mary when he found out she was
o. become the mother of the infant
'hrist.
Let me explain to you this history
lOre in detail. Joseph was an intense
IAN. He was one of those men whom
TOmen have hard work to influence.
lie was evidently an elderly man,
robably fifty years of age, but he
'as one who when he did surrender
is heart to a woman gave to her his
hole heart and not part He loved
larry with that deep, tender, holy af-
,ctiOn which only true, strong man
IN give to a truly good, noble, beauti-
Il woman. He loved her with love
at would willingly lay down his life
he could make the loved one happier
7 the sacrifice. He loved her so much
at her companiOnship became the ,
'pe, the joy and the heart Of his very
.istence. He loved her for time and
r eternity.