The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-12-25
WHAT CHRISTMAS CELEBRATES.
(By Charles C. SINGLETON. I

by Charles C. Singleton
Almost nineteen hundred years
have drifted into the mysterious
past since angels with glad songs
of entrancing melody breatned
hope to the human heart on the
airs of Palestine. How long it is:
Let US, in imaginations, stand
in the old world as it was when
Cicero spoke in the Senate
chamber and crushed Cateline
beneath the fiery flows Of his
eloquence.
Rome vas the world. All ma
tious had!been conquered by her
legions and we're governed by
her laws.
When Christ was born the world
was at peace. Asia, Europe and
Africa were but provinces OF
Rome. Greece was beautiful as
ever, and as rich in stores of art
and marble cities and precious
sculptures, and had become the
teacher of her naughty masters
at Rome.
The learning, the eloQuence
and civilization Of the old world
had eliminated. Art had done
her best works. Philosophy had
uttered it's last word. For who
could come after Socrates, Plato
and Aristotle.
There are eras when human
thought needs a new impulse,
when the old forces have died
ont. This all history shows to
have been singularly true Of the
world when Christ was born.
The scholars of the time de-
spised the priestly religion Of
the people. The temple service
and state religion were kept up
The sacrifice smoked upon the
affairs, but faith had fed. Only a
hollow mockery remained. The
intelligence of the age despised
the superstitions and private
teachings of the priests:
It was religion without mo-
rality and worship without
faith. The world was waiting for
new revelation Of the Supreme
Father. The Jew alone had any
true conception of the Divine
being.
The ruling classes we're cor
rupt beyond the power ex-
preston. And there was
nothing in the manners,
customs, philosophy or re-
ligion that could be invoked to
reform the world.
In this great stress Of need for
the infowing of a new and fresh
life for the heart Of the world a
divine wisdom sent Christ. And
be was born not in the court and
palace of a king, but in a
manger at an inn Of Bethlehem.
His birth and childhood are
briefly told. AS soon as he be-
gan to teach, new life seemed
TO spring from every word he
spoke.
His inspiration went like hal
lowed fire, from heart to heart.
A sweet peace, a calm and low
ing trust came to loving hearts
and believing souls, and has
come ever since.
Great duties and great
thoughts are filing his soul.
The world is all before him, but
it needs the word he came to
speak, and more than all, it
needs the divine life he came to
live. 1t needs a Savior to salts
fy human aims and efforts and
to idealize human life by fresh
revelations of a divine life. The
grand secret Of Christ's mission
did not consist in giving the
world a new morality, but in the
imparting a new and higher
order Of spiritual life. He
brought GOD and the human
soul into sweet harm
ony. This harmony he
calls eternal life. And as the
mediator of this. he says, I am
the way, the truth and the life.
That divine life has been the
divine leaven that has been
working in the world ever since.
He Illustrated and unfolded the
supernal grandure Of the human
soul, as philosophy never knew
how to 30.
He has his work and mission
to fulfil, Peril brings no fear:
injury only wins a forgiveness,
and the cross no terror.
On the mount Of Olives he ut
tiers the key notes Of a divine
faith for all coming ages, for ju-
bilant hearts that grow strong
in trial for the tempted: for the
suffering and the lowly.
The hope Of the world, symbo-
lized in the star of Bethlehem
and consecrated by the cross,
will yet be realized in ages to
come, golden ages of universal
peace and good will in all the
earth IN a wedding Of every hu-
man interest and a reverence for
every human affection.