Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-20
A Christmas Message
Sermon by
REV. FLOYD w. TOMkINs.

SlA1otLIldS message !,
Sermon BY i
REV. FLOYD w. TOMkINs
Topic: IAN Unseinsh ILfc"--PhiL II. Lii
once more the greeting comes as
fresh and dear of yore. and with
sincere hearts we cry. Merle Christ
mas: 1t is little difficult, when
we remember how many thousands OF
our friends are suffering under the
crucitics of war. to arouse the old en-
thusiasm in connection with Christ
mas. How can we sing carols and
give gifts and be merry when the
clouds are SO heavy and we feel the
woes of others as our own? But let
us remember that this very sympathy
Is a part. large part. OF the Christ
mas spirit. The fact that we care, that
we mourn with the Borrowing and
tnat we arc indignant at injus:ices
and cruelties. proves that the old mes
sage is still living. Before Christ came
men did not care very much for each
other. and ono nation had no regard
Tor the suferinss OF another nation.
Gifts were not sent to help the wound
ell and dying and to care for the wild
ows and orphans: nurses who would
go on the battlefield and help were
unknown: ships filled with food and
clothing and toys for the little chill
not sent to bring a little sunshine in
tho midst of darkness That lonS-ago
first Christmas gave birth to new
spirit. the spirit of unsclhshness and
II Is the saving spirit of our human
life.
MESSAGE CAME FROM
GOD. WHO LOVED THE WORLD
1t came from God. who SO loved the
world that He sent His Son, to save
the world. 1t came from Christ. who
laid down His life that we might
live. From the Bethlehem hills rang
the message OF new and glorious
relationship between God and man
and between man and man. and that
message has never ceased its blessed
music. but ilgs come to all lands as
comes to-day. proclaiming a truth
which even those who fight know to he
the one and only truth for humans
to obey. and that Ia why they are all
eagerly claiming II as the justinca-
ton for their warfare. Is it not rather
lne thing that even the ferccyt
OF those who are battling feel that
they must try to Justify their deeds
TO the world wide judgment OF brother
hood?
There is another fact to remember
AT Christmas time we make no boast
ing or what we are, that we have
attained noble and blessed excellence.
II we wished each other a Merry
Christmas" because we were all good
then the cry would languish on our
lips. but we look to Christ who was
born In Judca. 1t is because of Him
that we are glad. 1t is because He
came that the world keeps Christmas
Day. II we looked into our hearts and
lives most of US would be ashamed TO
laugh and sing. II we looked at the
worlds life and struggle we would be
speedily silent. Thank God. for once
we look beyond these near things to a
Being who loved and who loves still.
and who. because He Is God. has 4 pur-
pose which He Is working out and
which neither Satan nor corrupt hu-
inanity can defeat.
CAROLS AND GREETINGS
ASCEND TO GOD
The carols and the greetings ascend
to Him. and then from Him come back
TO us and make us glad. We sing be-
cause He bade the angels sing. We
worship because He alone is worthy of
our alteration, being the Way. the
Truth and The Life. we bring
our cvergreens to church aad home
because the Bethlehem message is an
eternal message. We give our tokens
OF love because He has given us the
glorious gift of Himself. And through
IT all there breathes the more or less
conscious desire to be what we know
we ought to he. and what we know
lie wants us TO be. and what we can
he through His help. So cur Joy leaps
over the trials and tumults of life: it
speaks, even though our sorrow is for
the loss of Il friend from our side: it
sings. in spite OF gui.s and all the loud
inhumanity of war; for X remembers
the angels carol sounding over the
Bethlehem hills. and IL sees the man
ger and the Baby King, and II hears
the cry: This is the Prince OF
Peace
There is yet another fact which JUS
,ifics our Christmas rejoicing. namely,
that ii IS the children's day. and we
all become children as We keep it, and
so are little nearer perfection than
we could otherwise he. because the
Master has hidden us to become as lit
tie children. Now. children cannot un-
derstand big and awful issues as men
and women can. They have n wonder
full trust I'm the power which rests
somewhere to make things right. and.
while they may have transient
knowledge OF trouble. II Is soon dis
placed by a glorious optimism.
EVIDENCE OF GODS CARE
FOR LITTLE ONES
When Mrs. Browning makes the cry
Of the children sound in our ears with
such tremendous power, she reads the
cry, as II were. into their stunted lives:
hut outwardly, in their ignorance OF
what ought to be or might be theirs.
these children have and are capable of
having vast amount Of JOY just be-
cause they arc children. IT is Gods
care for the little ones that holds
them from a knowledge which over
whelms their wiser elders. Therefore.
we ought not to take from them one
whit OF the inherited Christmas hap
piness which should be theirs in spite
of general sorrow. One of our daily
papers had a picture of a poor little
child watching the loading of toys to
he sent to the Belgian children, and
she said. as she looked ut the attractive
things. 81 wish | were n Belgian" The
lesson is, not that we should hold a
mite of all our possible gifts from those
suffering abroad. but that we should
not forget cast needless shadow
over the dear children at home. 1t is
their day, and they have n claim upon
it's holy cheer which nothing can be
allowed to take from them.
And all this makes more forcible the
joy OF unselfish living. First. we must
he thoroughly unSeliish ourselves. and
then we must teach children the bless
cducSS of unSelfiShucSS But tho I'm,