Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-12-25
THE DAY WE CELEBRATE.

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cordinp to the chronology of the christian era
would. it seems, be a vain venture in the art OF
composition.
For, in the nearly twenty centuries that have
elapsed since then, so many able, cultivated gift
ed and accomplished-devout men have spoken, or
published, learned disquisitions upon the birth and
life of the Saviour, that all the ground has been
gnoe over so often, and so thoroughly. that moth
ing new is left to discover, and naught that is new
and valuable may be said of the occasion,
To the writings of the Apostles-MattheW
Marks, Luke, John, Peter, lanes and Paul we
are indebted for the most authentic account Of
Christ's birth, his early childhood, the days of his
youth, his doings in the years Of his manhood, his
death upon the cross and his resurrection, after
the crucifixion.
But, alas, for the rarity Of human faith, the
scoffer here suggests:
What do you know Of these so-called sacred
writers?'
How do you know that the respective persons
named actually lived, and really wrote the respec-
tive books of the New Testament, commonly ascrib-
ed to them p
To that the BEACON makes answer:
We know it as certainly as the scolrer knows
that Plutarch's Lives were written by the great
Moralist and philosopher of that name-Who was
contemporary with Paul and other apostles and
whose compositions have been handed down to u
are, in elegance of diction and the high honors
of literature, second only to those Of the Holy
scriptures and have been more frequently quoteC
from or referred to by scholarly nel than is The
case with the writings of any other author save
only Matthew and his brother Apostles who mar
rate the sadly beautiful and pathet.' story of Christ
and him crucified that salvation might be free t.
erring mortals.
We know it, as certainly as We Know that Hon.
err wrote the great epic, The Blind; Virgil, the
Aeneid, or that Cicero is the author OF the |orati0ns
against Cataline, and that Demosthenes delivered
the Grafton on the Crown.
Leaving that alone, let us add that, no matter
by whom written. or when, one thing is evident:
No other such books were ever written by the
hands of memo other books have been read by
so many people, and no others have ever been, or
are even now so often quoted. And none have
exerted so wide and benefcent influence upon man.
Nor is that all:
The story they tell of Jesus, whose life and
character and tragic death inspired the authors. is
the most remarkable biography, in so far as it is
biographical, ever produced.
There is no more reason to doubt That Christ
really lived, and died, as the apostles describe.
than there is to question the fact that Caesar lived
and met his death at the hands of Brutus and his
co-conspirators.
The evidence is as clear, conclusive, and con-
vincing in the one case as the other.
From the truth of that statement there is no
logical escape.
Again, of no other person has it ever been writ
ten, or can it be truthfully said, 'he did no sin,
and neither was guile sound in his mouth"
His life. from the cradle to theerave-from the
manger in the stable at Bethlehem to his cruci6x.
ion on Calvary was free from feck or flow.
Watched all the time; bounded by his enemies
his persecutors-from pillarto post: sorely tempt
ed on many an occasion-tried as was never before
the case with any soul he stood all his DAYS as the
very highest embodiment of virtue.
He stood ever for love; was patient and lone
suffering; and on no occasion did he ever sin If
word or in deed.
Unselfshly, and sublimely, he stood for public
order and private happiness for public moralit,
and personal goodness-for love of God and the
brotherhood of man.
His Sermon on the Mount is the greatest dis
course ever delivered.
In the simplicity of its style and the grandeur
of it's teachings; in its c~learness, conciseness, anC
wisdom; its all pervading, never ceasing, illimita
bic charity, which is but another name for love. i
is not only the voice of reason but it contains tn,
noblest thoughts and sublimest utterances of undv
ing truth ever syllabled for the understanding O
man and the uplifting of the human race.
Sinless himself he suffered for the sins of 9th
ers, and became the foremost %vicarious sufferer O
all the ages from Adam down.
He endured the pains and penalty of the mos
cruel death his false accusers could devise. anC