The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-01

was a darker or a more hopeless tline in Jewish history than when Jesus was born. Thus we find the Hebrew people longingly-oh, so longingly-looking Tor a Messiah at this time.
 Christ Has Not Forsaken Us.
 My brother, as Christ came to Jeru- salem at the darkest time of Hebrew history, can he not come to you this Christmas day. even though 1t may be in the dark days of your life? Is 1t dark for some of you? Is your life sad with sin, sad with sorrow, sad with bitter dis anpointment? Do you need SaVlour now? ",rhe whole thought and idea or all that is told about Christmas day, wrote Dean Stanley, suggests the con soling cheering thought that, however gloomy our lot however distressed our portion, the Almighty God has not TOT saken us" Even in the darkest hours or our lives Christ will come to us as he came to Bethlehem In the darkest hours of Hebrew history. Are we going to re- feet Christ as Piate and the Jews re- jected him?
 Having accepted the glad tldings of great joy that Jesus came to save, shall not you and I on this glorious Christmas Sabbath day start forth to announce, as did the angelic messenger, that christ has come to save all who will believe on him and be saved? Can any man hear this good news and not want to spread it abroad? Can we fully realize that through Christ we shall live and yet not want to go forth to herald the tid- ings that Christ has come to save our neighbors as we'll as ourseyesf
 Shall we not be as anxious to spread abroad the news that our Savious is born as were our ancestors to scatter the news, July 4, 1776, that the birth of new government had taken place in old Independence hall of Philadelphia? When the Declaration of Independence was about to be signed couriers were waiting upon the edge of the city to carry the news to every part of lne new nation. The signal was to be given to these messen- gers by the ringing of the old Liberty bell The aged sexton stood In the bel fry his trembling hands upon the rope. When the last member had put his name t0the immortal document the grandson or the sexton ran up the rickety stairs, cry ing Ring, grandfather, ring!" The old bell. worth to American sentiment more than It's weight in gold, rang so loud that it's heart broke. The couriers dug their spurs in the horses Hanks and rode from town to town from village to village and from city to city. They rode as fast as Paul Revere did when he carried the news of the British marching Into Lex ington and Concord. They rode carrying the news the glad news, that new na- tion was born. Shall not we do as did the joyful patriots? Shall not we carry the news of Christs birth not only to our friends, but to the distant islands of the seas?
 World Has Changed.
 The civilized world has grown larger than it was on that first Christmas morn. The geographical map has undergone many changes. Great exploring parties have discovered new continents. The farthermost lands have been found to be inhabited. During the life of the an- cient wise men and the shepherds there were comparatively few of the inhapi- tants of the world who heard of Chrlst's name Millions of the inha bitants of the world today have never heard of Christs name. A large part of the remainder Is entirely indifferent to the teachings or the gospel. Therefore to the Christians Christmas day ought to be the most op- perfume of all days for proclaiming the | Saviour's mission. Every home, every street corner, every family gathering should be place where the deeper holier purposes of Christ's life are to be l explained by those who have felt the 1 love and the mercy and the tenderness | ana tne nope lHdt nave Cohic bV Nic " lieving hearts that have gathered about the manager.
 So may this Christmas day find the love which binds mans heart to man as well as mans heart to God May God save us all not only on account or the | love Christ bears us. but also on account | of the saving Christian love we bear our | fellow men. In Brahman mythology there is a beautiful legend told that in | the beginning God created man and wo- | man and placed them in the center or an island. This island was called Para disc. Every tree branch of that island was an aeolian harp with a thousand | strings; every wind was a many fn- gered musician, thumbing the sweetest of music. Every day went arm in arm | with two other days. for there was no night there. not even star. Brahman told this bride and groom whom he had created not to leave this island, for if