The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-12-26
ON BATTLEFIELDS

ON BATTLEFIELDS
ooh, wonderously glad and joyous that
first Christmas of old! And the gladness
and the joy of that first of all Christ
masses have never died out in the world,
never will die out. Ror 1900 years the
angels songs have been echoing; they are
echoing today and drowning the noise of
cannon on Europes fields of war. The
love and the peace of the Child Christ
brought from heaven of old have stayed
the deeds of blood today on the long,
waverins battle line where French and
German stand at arms Today, amid Rus
sian SHOWS and Montenegrin hills, amid
Alpine Businesses, where Austrian and
Italian are graphing, there is a lull and
a truce. What the peace lovers of earth,
men of mind and of millions could not
effect, the memories of today have effect
ed and from every battle front prayers
ascend and love finds lodgment in hearts
where hate has long had dwelling. Is
not this fact alone enough to distinguish
today from all days, to make Christmas
stand out e-eminently the day of days,
the gladdest, greatest day of all the Chris
ton year?
What causes this joy today? The
memory of the olden joy. Then, of old
heaven in mercy stopped and gave earth
the kiss of forgiveness and love. The
clouds rained the Just One He who was
born that first Christmas night was really
and truly the Son of God, the eternal
word, the second person of the blessed
trinity made man. No earthly child was
He, born of earthly parents, but His
Father was God eternal His mother a
creature, true, but creature of all
creatures blest,' the fairest, the most
highly-favored of Ewes many daughters.
Mother, yet ever virgin by Gods august
design The Babe then came in love, in
mercy to be our brother, to be one of
US. to give US, for three and thirty years,
proof after proof of love, till the final Gull
minatng proof immolation for our sal
walton. Today Is then a joyous day of
| joyous days, for it is the gift day of
God, the day when God gave man the
greatest gift that even God could give
| His sole begotten Son, Christ, true God,
J true man.
DAY OF GLADNESS
To-day, then. is the birthday of the
wonderful Christ child Today first APP
peared to all men the grace of God the
! Savior; aye Gods own very self in
form of helpless babe Today, then is
the children's day of gladness: aye. and
not alone children as ordinarily under
stood, but children of a larger growth,
| for somehow on today the gentle sweet
ness of childhood's days return to world
weary men. A very wave of love and
| tenderness and mercy sweeps over earth
a breath from heaven the abode of sin
lessness. sheds fragrance over the world
| the abode of sim Today, no matter how
| far men have strayed from God and
| Gods law, no matter hoy they have set
| at naught the moral precepts that should
guide jthem Alright there is at least a
yearning, a longing for past innocence
and peace, for the happiness of child
| hoods days. Aye, and thank God fol-
ma 40 c-jno 10 fro oil tod into -
ton; many, like the prodigal in the par
able, arise and leave the husks of swine
and return to their Fathers house. enjoy
| their Fathers welcome regain the
blessed peace that surpasseth under
standing. The star of grace points out
the way and they follow. The little child
beckons and they come to the crib. with
| hearts humble and contrite and He
| blesses them and gives them peace, for.
| giveness, love.
| Yes, today is the day of the Child
! Christ. 1t is the day of children, of chill
dren young and of children old, for we
should all be children today. To-day
God is with us. not lin the dread robes
| of splendor He wore on the mount on the
day of His ire, but in the swaddling
| clothes of baby boy. The awful voice
before which the hosts of Israel fell pros
| trate in the plain is not heard, but We see
beckoning hands and the gentle smiles
1 of the baby boy come in mercy to bless
us and to save the world from sin. Let
us all then be children today, and heir
that Child to do the task He came tc
do. All. truly
/" "A little boy of heavenly birth,
But far from home today,
Comes down to find His ball. the earth,
| That sin has cast away.
! o, comrade. let us one and all
Join in to get Him back His BALI .