The Pleasantville press., 1913-12-17
DECEMBER
FIRST GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT

'He gave His only begotten son."
The world stands upon the thresh-
hold of that season of the year when
the thought of christendom instinc-
lively turns to the most gladstone day
in the annals of recorded time-the
birthday of the Savior of the World.
We may not be able without finite
understandings to comprehend the
height and depth of the great plan
which came forth from the mind of
the Infinite and which comprehended
the redemption of the entire human
race, but we find in the Inspired Word
this passage of unmistakable import.
"For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten son, that who
soever believeth on Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life."
In those words we find an epitome
of the Divine plan. The motive and
the reason are both set forth, and
while we may marvel over what was
comprehended in that plan, we accept
it as great truth and know that the
emerging of the world from darkness
into light dates from the hour when
the Star of Bethlehem flashed across
the Judean sky.
Jesus Christ was therefore Gods
first Christmas gift to a sad and
weary world. No wonder that Heav-
ems joy-bells rang! No wonder that
the gates of Paradise seemed to open
while angels looked down upon the
scene.
In that hour was born the spirit of
cheer, peace on earth, and good will
toward men which has never died out
during all the centuries which have
passed. There have been times when
it's splendor has seemed dimmed, and
when men appeared to forget the
sentiments of that first Christmas
message, but on Christmas day itself,
few there are who do not count 1T a
privilege to journey in imagination
with the wise men of the east, to that
humble cradle in the manger which
the Christ-child made holy with its
presence.
"Peacs on the earth, good will to
men,"
The Christmas message, repeated
from year to year for over nineteen
hundred years. How oft we hear it,
in the church, on the street, in the
home, in the theatre, on land and on
sea, on the mountain top and in the
lowest valley, in places of good repute
and in places of bad repute, from the
child to those who are about to leave
us, the noble message comes forth,
with all it's beauty, but so often with
out due thought as to its real mean
ing. The song the angels sang was
not pessimistic, but was optimistic.
And it was a message from God to his
people, message which should last
for all time. "Peace upon earth,"' the
loving benediction of a gracious father
to his erring children, a message OF
hope, a message for faith. a message
to be charitable Charitable-not in
the sense of almsgiving, but in its
true generic sense of love for all man.
kind. "Good will to men"-another
message of comfort, but also mess
age Of direction; one that we should
initiate, put forth by our acts, and by
it's practice show that we are indeed
the sons of God, fit subjects for the
realms celestial. In announcing the
birth of his beloved son, he showed
forth what his teachings and life
would be. ALI who have read the sto-
ry of his life know how we'll he kept
the divine announcement. How he
always lived the life of peace and
good will, and was ALWAYS happiest
when ministering to his fellow men.
None were too poor, none too lowly,
none too vile, for him to help. Nor
did he condemn with impunity, but
rather rebuked those who did; seeking
at all times to alleviate rather than
humble, ministering not Furnishing,
restoring rot destroying. He was the
uone great exemplar.
But we who profess to be followers