Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-17
TRANSLATING \ SONG INTO
WORKS
(By William T. Ellis.)


A world-conquering missionary cru
sade was inaugurated by the angelic Il
host on that first Christmas morn. II
The angels have returned to heaven,
but they have left to men the duty of
repeating their refrain. This Christ 4
mas gospel is TO be proclaimed every Il
day and everywhere by all who be-
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ
Somehow. thoughts of Christmas
enlarge the borders of ones neigh II
borhood. 1t is not easy to be mar
row or provincial on Christmas Day. =
That Notwithstanding event, in old Al
Judea's little town of Bethlehem, was H
too big for any province or country or
planet to claim. Even the stars in /
their courses felt it; and the silent
heavens broke their immemorial still u
ness TO jubilate over it. We recall Il
that it way because God so loved the Il
world"-not merely Palestine, or the
chosen people. or that particular CEN
tury, that He gave to all manhind its
first Christmas Gift-a Babe who !!
should for all time and in realms
personify mans brotherhood and
Gods love.
Christmas is Gods definition of love
for man.
, He is sharing the work of the l
: Christmas angels who by any means l
is telling the world that God loves it.
Christ Himself came, Not to be 4
ministered unto, but to minister" and Il
He puts the same spirit into the u
hearts of His loyal followers. Not get, I
but give, is the royal law. To-day the .
world is filed with a shining company
OF men and women who are following
in the train OF Jesus, and spending
themselves, as best they knew how, in
labor for the welfare of their fellow
men. Every Red Cross Stamp" that |
appears on a Christmas letter is but |
an expression of this spirit. So are /
all the thousands of Christmas dinners ,
that will be given to the poor. So are
the wide-reaching ministrations of
foreign missions. So are the multi
tude of altruistic activities which, /
though they are not labeled with the
name of Christ, are yet born of His
Spirit.
There was light for all the world .
in the shining of the Christmas star.
Christ's coming was not merely into
the Holy Land. He came into all the
world. True, much of His coming
must be on the feet of His disciples,
but that is part of the Christmas mes
sage. The greatest truth of this day
is missionary truth.
When the shoemaker of Antwerp
came to die,
And in fear and trembling faced the
Lord most high,
To the question stern and awful, !
What has thou
For the King of earth and heaven
done below?'
Lord he answered. Others serve
Thee, I alone
Have no talent. naught to offer at
Thy throne;
Only this one thing to Thee, Lord,
dare I tell;
have pleased the children, and they
loved me WELL
Game the sudden wondrous shining
of the smile that lights the skies. /
AS the King of Heaven answered,
'Laborer in My vineyard rise
Though thou dids't it for the children,
thou has done it unto Me.
While a child on earth is living, thou
its living saint shall be-"
The Christmas spirit is winning do
minion over an increasing number of
individual hearts daily, and in that
sure and irresistible way. Christmas is
conquering the world.
Great gifts are common nowadays
a babe, living a normal life, perform
ing divine ministry, and dying a
The average man can read of a ten
million dollar bequest to charity with
only languid interest. Mr.. Carnegie
alone has given away s40O,O0O,OOO. {
There is nothing new or sensational in :
the practice. Instinctvely, the nor
NAL person realizes that the greatest ;
gift is not of money, no matter how
vast ii may be. The benefaction |
which counts for most is the gift of |
life. Only life can meet life's needs .
God might have sent a new philosophy
= into the world to redeem the race, or
a new organization of human society,
or a new law on fresh tables of stone
But His way was better. He sent the
best that heaven held of life-His own /
nature, personihed in His Son. born as
vicarious death. Jesus brought life '
it more abundantly.
Tis life OF which our veins are scant,
Life more life, and fuller that we
want"
God made no mistake in His Christ
mas gift, and gave us the greatest pos
sible blessing when He gave us Christ.
james H. snowden.
Peace prevails where the Christmas
spirit rules.
Look on all His gifts around thee
gifts that make 1t joy to live;
Best of all, o royal kindness He has
given the power to give.
He has filled thy hands with blessings
which He bids thee scatter wide:
Calls thee friend, and not His servant /
FrfA e. Ii. - Il