St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-01-14

y of the Gospel, an
the almost unive
sal recognition among the progressi,
and enlightened nations of the earth
the fact of Jesus advent into tn
world and His vicarious mission. w
speak of the Christian nations, an
mean those nations which have bee
dominated by the enlightened spirit {
righteousness and truth of whic
Jesus was the expression and expo
nent The mustard seed has grow
to be the great tree, spreading 1t
branches everywhere, and the nation
! the birds of the air-have fOun
mas bells ring round the earth, an
peal forth their message of joy an
| good cheer even though the notes o
its truest message often are not heard
A large part of the world to-day ha
Its Christmas, but has it the Christ
1t celebrates the GROWING event of tn
ages, but does it appreciate all tina
that celebration should mean? Is i
the stable where the Christ has beer
given place and welcome? or is it thu
inn crowded, and busy, and resting il
ease and comfort with no place OF
provision made for the Christ? Oul
text suggests contrasts so sharp anG
painful that we cannot but be i'm.
pressed by them as we mediate there
OH. The stable and the inn. The one
ct fh1
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.
DUT there is brighter side to the
~ contrast. The stable, though poor
and bare of comforts, shone with the
holy light of Gods presence, and well
coined the newborn King to the best
it could provide, while the inn had
only the feeble light of mans pro-
viding and missed the glory of the Di-
vine presence. The stable became
Parked on the chart of Gods pur-
poses, whila the inn was indelibly
stamped with the stigma of inhospital-
ily. The stable became the center of
interest for the angelic hosts as they
sang of the Saviour born, and told the
shepherds where the Babe
was to be found, while the inn passes
into the obscurity of oblivion. The
stable passes down into history glori-
fed and dignified by the distinction of
being the birthplace of the Lord and
King, while the inn has no place of
Eonor on history's page, but stands out
as the monument of missed opportu-
nifty, in having turned the expectant
mother from its unfeeling doorway.
Such were the contrasts upon that first
Christmas night. Do the same con-
rasts exist to-day? Have we still the
stable and the inn-the place that
makes room for the Saviour, and the
place that crowds Him out? Every
where to-day we hear the song of the
angels caught up by man, we see the
badness and joy of the Christmas eel
bration, and amidst all the festivities |
Fay we not we'll ask ourselves: Is it
he stable or the inn?
HE fact that Christmas, the anntyer-
/ sary OF the birth of Christ, Is cele-
rated is not enough. One may share
4 all the activities and pleasures OF
ne day, and still be an inmate OF the
IN, and stranger to the true signifi-
ance of the birth in the stable. One
lay hear the wonderful Divine mystery
hereby the Son of God left Heaven and
scame flesh through the operation OF
le Holy Spirit, and still be blind to the
lvine light that filed the stable re-
'sses Think you not that the inn was
stir next day with the news of the
tents which had transpired, in the
able? Think you not that every one
as talking of the Babe in the maneer
the story OF the shepherds and their
sit in the early morning? Ere the
ornlng's sun had climbed the Beth /,
hem hills and gilded the distant noun
IN heights with its golden splendor.
eel sure that the mighty secret OF that
able became known not only to all in J
e lnn. but to all in the little village :
Bethlehem. And SO to-day the story ,
the birth of the Christ is known and :
hearsed among men, they celebrate
event with eagerness and Joy. and
VI the Christ is absent, kept out BIZ !
crowded condition of the inn. The /,
Ws OF the birth of Jesus has reached
inn and it freely joins in the cele- :
alton OF the event, but the stable =
lere room Is found for Jesus is the !
ice where the true celebration ia held :
u may De content with the festivities :
the Inn, and never care to enter into /
deeper joys of the stable where =
'us IS. AS of old, it is the question =
the stable or the inn. Where are Won q
atent to celebrate the Christmas fes- '
a.! verify believe the saddest day .
heaven is Christmas day, because as q
angelic hosts look upon earth thew =
1old all manner of revelry and fes- :,
tiles in the name of Jesus while the Il
whose birthday it is is shut out =
place for Him in the inn. There Is Il
much going on. There are too many II
ms laid There are too many other O
ends to be entertained. And so it il b
Inn instead OF the stable. The Il
rist is shut out! =.
JME one has told the story of q lady
VINO, one Christmas eve, was walk
IN the beautiful city of Berlin. She
pped to look at the large store win