Show CHRISTS DAY CHRISTMAS BY 8 W christs jay day has baa come again that e chosen day to visit earth with angela to proclaim his birth as prince of peace the anointed one as aa son solm of goia christian people more common ly call it Chri christmas atmas the of december being the day ordered by the church that the feast of Cb rieta birth should be forever celebrated this thin order or of the church has been heretofore very generally ob al served but never more borto so than at present all christian people join oin this day in praise of that wonderful advent which made this the day of jays days to carthand eart earth hand and the inhabitants thereof of an event waited for nearly years by those to whom the promise was made and which ah they looked forward to with a living faith that he who come was anointed to be their redeemer and that he would have power to save all those who would believe f on him from the day of adams transgression the blood of animals was shed and sacrifice offered as typical of and to preserve reserve to in memory the sacrifice to 9 be made of him whose blood should cleanse from all sin the promise of a savior wal was made to many worthies who lived in early days and the blood sprinkled prin kled upon the doorposts door posts of the hildren children of israel while in bondage was a sign of their faith their deliverance from death was typical of that christ whose blood should deliver them of sin and death it was again typified in that serpent lifted up upon the cross on which all of the children of israel might look and live again it was confirmed by that holy angel who announced to mary that she should bear a son who should rule over the bouse of jacob forever and when born and presented in ther the temple empie as a the divine infant he was pronounced to be the light of nations and the glory of israel israe all these looked fithian eye of faith to the time of his comil coming and the miraculous manifestations of his power bance then history and many witnesses not only declare his coming but tell of his life his cruel death his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into heaven from whence he came to the home and glory of the father whose only begot i ten son among men he was let imagination for a moment contemplate the character of that divine mission which so grandly achieved a triumph over death and demonstrated the fact by actual personal experience that man may come to earth nil fill his big mission minion and despite of death break its bands and return in person from whence he came and further still must have been we way may query what the emotions of his spirit while contemplating tem plating the mission minion appointed to him during those four thousand years from the time he was chosen and ordained for it is written of him that he was wag re a lamb slain before the foundation of the world and viewing his appointment with human eyes we can only conclude that his love was sufficient to cast out or we would say aay love and fear must have alternated terna ted and at times made terrible the contemplation of suffering buffering more than man can suffer buffer be tempted more than man was ever tempted and finally to suffer the roost most ignominious death invade the regions of the dead to set get captives bound there free and proclaim liberty to the entire race of man only by the power of divine love could such a mission be contemplated without shrinking from the fearful ordeal to be endured he to whom had been given all power both in heaven at ai d on earth was pledged to use it only under the power and influence of love that love that constitutes the charity that never fai fRi letb that charity with faith and amid hope which constitutes the element in iii which dwell all I 1 spiritual intelligent beings we cannot view him there in the light of humanity must not compare that state with our frail human existence but we may contemplate from a knowl edge of his career the royal grandeur of those sublime virtues which we may acquire by passing through the like ordeal endure but feebly as he endured and overcome as he overcame in fighting tor for that crown of glory wb which ach he becu secured red and is laid u up p for al all I 1 those who shall rise triumphant by virtue of his redeeming love it to is his character the virtues of his godlike career that we should seek to emulate as he alced his happiness and glory and suf buffeted feted for our good to become a savior so let ua cherish the exalting virtues of love and charity in the sets acts of our lives that we may be entitled to like honors rod and participants of like tha day which commemorates the advent life and earthly career of him hi in who was the messiah god with man is a day to be honored by every professed christian and affords evidence of that honor and esteem of his ch character ameter by doing as 88 lie he did by bestowing bestow ing some glit giatas as token of ha s love for another that shall be a blessius blessi ug tu to the ibe receiver the giver to bestow the gift by virtue 0 some sacrifice on his big like charity let us all put on this day the mantle of charity never to be again disrobed dis robed of it ever remembering that self denial and willing sacrifice are necessary nece necess seary arv virtues of a savior and redeemer ler of our fellow man sacrifice alone puts this power within the reach of all the one that gives the least by sacrifice gives more than the one that gives most out of his abundant riches such was the judgment rendered by this same christ whose judgment to is just that the widows widow Is mite which was her all her living was waa more than the abundance a which had bad been contributed by those whose wealth of riches prevented the possibility of any sacrifice to them of any personal enjoyment whatever love is commendable in all but lot let it be evide evidenced Deed by some generous act or by some kindly word that shall be Chrit like in purity of motive and shall serve to awaken that sympathy that shall elevate humanity by blessing the needy comforting the afflicted avid and by making happy all who are willing to come under the lefiu ence of a saviors love and enjoy his divine favor circumstances and cond conditions Wons attend us in this life are often of an adverse or afflicting character though I 1 they may be for our purification if rightly appreciated for instance many of our home gare bereft of loven laveti ons ones on s with whom we shared the happy bi appy I 1 hours ursand ho and merriment of last chaiet mas our spirits still yearn for their society evidencing the strength of that eternal bond which memory claims should not be broken but they are gone and who of us that remain have the assurance that we shall ever witness soother another in time we may look forward to the future in our anticipations as we are compelled to think of the past from our realizations and would that it might be otherwise here is a mighty lesson to learn discovering as we wa do that his ways are not as our nor his hia thoughts as aa our thoughts though ta to acquiesce in those dealings and provi dences which seem to afflict and give us sorrow and in them to discover the merits of an alloise and eternal plan to is our lesson of life to learn when learned we may look upon the most heartrending scenes ig af life with like composure as christ dolid aldi when awaiting his appointed time forr for the trying test of his career and know that a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory is the reward of our endurance merry be the christmas and happy the new year to all who love ou lord the christl |