The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-12-24

gloomy without and gloomy within
II was built by the Empress Helena
the mother of Constantine, and Gale
the Church of the Nativity. IL mark
the spot where tradition says, stoo
the stable in which Was born I'll
Savior of men. Down underneath tn
floor of this old building. there is
grotto, and in the grotto there Is a
image of manger made of stone
Ii is trimmed up with beautiful tex
ture. and in the bottom star /
fastened Here the Christ-child frs
reposed that starry night long ago
On the edge of a hill near the city
there is "A group OF olive trees, and il
the midst of these olive trees stanC
the ruins of a stone tower. 1t Il
called the Shepherds Tower. Here
As Shepherds watched their flocks
by night,
All seated on the ground.
The angels of the Lord came down
And glory shone around.
When, on that first Christmas Eve
an angelic host filled the heavens and
announced TO a group of wondering
shepherds that the long-looked for
Messiah had come, it was again
evidenced that whenever God has any
thing especially important TO make
known to the world. He often delivers
His message 10 the lowly people of
the earth just as whenever He wants
an especially important mission per-
formed, He frequently appoints for
the purpose some obscure individual.
of whom the world has never taken
note. Who was Moses, and what was
he doing, when God called him TO
lead his people out of bondage? \
waif. an adopted child of the
Pharaoh, shepherd down in Egypt
caring for Pharaoh's flock of sheep.
Who was David, and what was his
position in the world, when Samuel
came and anointed him to be the
future king of Israel? \ shepherd
also-a boy playing his Tyre on the
hills of Judea Who was Carey. and
where did the Lord find him, when
he wanted man to carry the gospel
to the people who SIT in darkness?
A shoemaker living in obscurity in
England. Who was Moody. and
what was his vocation, when God
sent him out among men. aflame
with holy zeal. and preaching the
Sayior's love for sin-lost world?
A young clerk. toiling behind the
counter in a dry goods store in
Chicago. So when emissaries from
the throne sang their tidings of great
joy and uttered their shouts of
Peace on earth. good will toward
men, and told of the Savior's
presence in the world. il was to
few peasants of Israel who listening
to 1t all, believed.
There was just one of two things
that night that those shepherds could
do. 1t was to believe. or not to be-
lieve. and they believed. They
might have thought that it was all
joke. or a delusion. but they didn't.
They came with haste. and found
Mary and Joseph. and the babe lying
In manger. And when they had
seen it, they made known abroad the
saying which was told them con-
corning the child" That's the best
part of it, After they had believed.
and seen, they went and told others
about it. Suppose they had not be-
lieved? Suppose they had not SEEM
What privilege they would have
missed! What an opportunity they
would have lost of proclaming the
advent of the Savior. Two thousand
years have sped, and the glad story
comes to you and me. this day. Do
we believe? If so. are we telling
others? Are we telling others not only
of the birth. but the life. the death.
the resurrection of Jesus-something
which the shepherds could not do?
A few Sundays ago, | spoke of the
fact that a great many would like TO
join the church, but they still want
to do every thing that church MEM
ber ought not TO do. They are like
the young lady, who was told that If
she united with the church. she must
give up dancing, something that she
never could do. One day she said TO
the minister: "Will you take me
into the church. if Ill promise never
to dance with any one who is not a
Christian" And the minister smiled
and answered: Yes, If you will
promise never TO dance with any one
who is not a true Christian, I'll adj
nit you to the church" And on that
basis the young lady became a mem
Der of the church. In due time there
was a dance on hands, and the
young lady was present And a
young man came up to her and said I:
May | have the pleasure, etc" and
the young lady said: Are you q
Christian" And the young man
said: What's that got TO do with
it," And the young lady said: well
I've promised never 10 dance with
anybody but Christian. And the
young man said; Are you Chris.
TAM" And the young lady said
Yes" And the young man said
Well, all I've got 10 say is, this is a
mighty poor place for a Christian.
There are a good many Christians
who have done the things they ought
not to have done, and who have left
undone the things they ought to have
done. And many who have heard a
the coming of the Christ have sadly
neglected to tell anybody else about
il. What of the millions in heather
lands? What of the multitudes in
our very midst 20 whom the gospel
is never preached? What of the
many to whom there comes no
Christmas cheer?
MANY of us have heard the story so
often that we have become indifferent