The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-12-24
CHRISTMAS.


Jesus Christ was born in the city of
David, and there were i'm the same
country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their flock
By night An angel of the Lord
came upon them, and the glory or the
Lord shone round about them; and
they were sore afraid Then the
angel said. Fear not; for, behold,
which shall be To all people," As
the shepherds watched their focks
there appeared to them the beautiful
star of Bethlehem, and following its
course came to the manager where
they found the Christ child wrapped
i'm swaddling clothes. Though his
birth was humble the story has been
repeated through the ages yet to
come. Though 1t Is an old, old story
it is good and beautiful and its in
fuence II decidedly greater today
than in past ages. This story is the
\ instrument OF the communication Of
human and divine love.
GLORY to God i'm the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward
men; should be kept in our hearts all
the time. Let us know no man after
the flesh, but as brothers and sisters.
Let III help those in distress; raise
them from the depths of disappoint-
ment up to the glory Of the cross
| The delay of moment often means
crime Now il the time to act;
there Is no moment without some
duty. We can scatter sunshine every
where; ii ID the path by which true
upliftment must come. But we can
not do 1t alone; we must have the
love of Christ in our hearts. Seek to
glorify God i'm winning souls and
widening His Kingdom.
God % loved the world that Tie
gave to us His only begotton son that
we might have eternal life. Jesus
Christ humbIed himself unto death;
even the death of the cross that we
might be saved. What Is life? Life
is thought; yet it is more than iv-
ing in this world-it il the childhood
of our Immortality.
n The greatest longing of the human
soul is for life and light, and the
greatest dread is of death and dark
ness. The Great Physician comes as
the destroyer of death, the dispenser
or darkness and the giver or life,
! light and Immortality. Why not be-
come a Christian that you may enjoy
! life in abundance and light IL all its
effulgence and glOry2 Gods gift of
salvation is free to all OF every ma
ton. Jesus Christ did not come to
save only the rich-He came az the
| Saviour of mankind.
\ Today III love we bow before Him,
Saviour. Lord and King. Today
while Christmas bells 30 sweetly
ring we lift our hearts above to God
and I'll will smile upon Us al. 4
hope, that the shining stars OF the
midnight sky will CLEAN and glow
AZ they did one night when the wise
men from afar were led by the beauti-
\ full star on Bethlehem to the manger
where they found the Messiah and
those who do not know Him will see
the Stars Of Hope and be brought
| into fellowship of the heart of the
Eternal God Is love and love Is the
! bridge that unites heaven and earth.
Christmas il the presence OF God
| in the Heart of Humanity, kindling
love in the human breast and bring
ing us back to that lost Eden and
the old paradise. + am glad We are
marching on beneath the light OF
Bethlehem's guiding star and will BE-
heirs together OF an eternal kingdom
| of glory.
III sounds false when We utter,
Peace on earth, good will to men"
for we know there il neither peace
nor good will abroad in the world
today For almost two thousand
years we have been preaching the
word of Him who died on the cross
to save us and yet most OF the ma
lions of the world are now contest
ants i'll the greatest, most needless
and cruel war in history. 1t would
seem that civilization and even Chris
tianity itself is before the bar for
trial and might BE- proven failure.
| The nations at war are fast APP
preaching the most terrible crisis Of
their national existence. In a great
time of unparalleled trouble, which is
even now imminent, they are about
to reap what they have sown. They
have sown to the wind the seeds of
selfishness, greed and jealousy and
now will reap the whirlwind of terror
and the destruction OF all law and
order and of national and social or
ganization They have poured the
sweet milk of concord into hell, there
by creating war War il a dread and
awful calamity and sucks at the
hearts of the nations like rampire.
What can we think-or do?
Humanity i'm general are question
ing III exactly the same way There
is fearful unrest among the people
who seem To be beset by doubt and
fears. This war has staggered hui
mainly for the conditions are un-
paralleled in the annals Of the very
darkest ages Most all nations are
divided-the chasm seems endless in
its immensely
Last Christmas we had hoped that
another year would see the end of
murder-today there are more ma
tions engaged than when it began.
The present hour il dark and the
future more menacing still. Millions
of homes are i'm mourning for fathers,
husbands and sons, who have been
called to give their lives in battle
fighting their fellowmen. This hor-
rible conflict is not their making but
they are the sufferers, they and those
dear ones at home.
This war seems to be shaking our
faith in Him whose birth we celebrate
today We ask, 'If God is king of
kings why does HE allow this war?
Why all the suffering and grief?
Many feel forsaken In the hour OF
Deril From the human DOint of view