Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-24

st. Lux 1-l4.
In the year Of Ro.ae 400, he En-
peror Caesar Augustus ordered agen-
Graf census Of the population OF i'ales-
tine 10 be tab. n, that nc might, with
exactitude. know toe resources OF his
pre- The Jewi h Il 500 had lon-
been tt.t n,-n should 10 re~isf .,ci
in his birthplace instead Of that of his
Iestuenee. D".4ng lac hvntn, OF Jam
uary and February oil Ihas year, all the
narrow pathways CT Judea wers CROWD
ed by cavalcadcs OF those VINO were
seeking heir native places to be- regis
tered according 10 The decree.
Amone these lowly pilgrims there
we've two. Joseph and Mary, from tn.
obscurs village o. Nazareth. Toiling
along through the ray ines Of Call e,
over the rlains CT Samaria and across
the hill country OF Judea, they journey
ed until the end of the fourth da. wiiep
they entered the little village of Beth
lehom about five miles south If Jeru-
salem.
So many travellers had entered the
village before them. there was no room
left in the inn. Perhaps even the sta.
BILE might have been refused, had not
the woman's condition appeal to the
heart OF the inn-kepeer. But there she
and her husband found a resting place.
Outside of the village stretched the
plains where hundreds of years before
David watched his fathers flocks.
On the same hill-tops shepherds tend
ed their sheep still. Ii was apparently
a serene and cloudiess night. Sudden
ly there appeared in the heavens. de-
scending from amidst the stars. the
form of an angel. The supplemented
shepherds .azed upon the wonderful
spectacle with alarm. The angel ia.
diant with heavens light, addressed
them. saying-"Fear not; for. behold,
] bring you good tidings of great JOY,
which shall be TO all people. For nm
to you j. born this day in the City Of
David. a Savior. which is Christ the
Lord. And this shall he a sign unto
you; We shall tind the babe wrapped
in swaddling-clothes. lying in Il man
ger" As these words we're uttered. tbs
babe was born; and Immediately there
appeared II vast multittud of the heaven
~ host, the rotinue which had accom-
panied the Celestial ~viSi.ant from heav-
en- 10 earth.
With simultaneous voice they sang,
while the melody float9d over silen;
hills, GLORY to God in the highest;
and on earth. peace, good will toward
priscd by the appearance of the star or
meteor Ct wonderful brilliancy. They
interpreted il as a sign that the long
expected Messiah was born. As they
approached the meteor it moved befor.
them. A deputation of their number
WAS appointed to follow il. II led to
Judea. 1t had led them from the plains
Of Persia, and sometimes vanished or
disappeared, yer appeared leading them
to where the young child lay.
They paid the divine child the tribute
of their homage and alteration, and not
returning to HcroJ!, they departed BY
an unfrequented route to their own
country.
The child grew. and waxed strong
in spirit. filled with wisdom, and the
grace of God was upon him. Through
Him We have Christmas at which time
we very selfishly forget Him."
= =
men.
The voice Of propheSy had announced
ages before that the -long-eXpected
Messiah should be born in Bethlehem.
Seven hundred years had passed away
since the prophet Micah wrote-and
thou Bethlehem. in the land Of Judea,
arc not the least among the princes Of
Judea, for out of thee shall come q
Governor that shall rule my people Is
rael."
Galilee was very densely populated
with energst tic hustling Inhabitants Of
about three million. 1t was about
sixty miles long and forty miles in
width. containing 204 villages and
towns; their average population being
$4,000.
Evidence is abundant both by Roman
and Jewish writers that there was a
general expectation throughout the
East that some enc was soon to be born
in Judea who would rule the world. The