V
f
PACIFIC CHRISTIAN MESSENGER, FRIDAY, JAN. 21, 1881.
Christmas at Home*: A Sermon Saul, Nothing must keep him from the Scriptures,” and that all these old
coming and gladde^jpg the heart of stories were meant to teach us that
to Children.
Bible Stu4y.
Religious Grumblers.
BY MEV. J. HEID.
Everybody thinks himself a judge
their dear old father, whe'wanted to Christ and Christmas times were al­
of
a sermon, but nine out of ten might
BY BlSHOr ffiTHVE CLEVELAND COXt.
Continual, systematic Bible study
see all his children—just as your ways kept in view among good
as well pretend to weigh the moon. I
*/"-------
David earnuitly asked leave oi 111» that lx. might fathers and mothers want to see you Hebiews, for God “ spake unto them is common in Britain among all classes j believe that^ fit bottom most people
run to Bethlehem hi» city ; for then m a yearly
al! at home, and to make you all by the prophets.”. So, also, we see of the Christian people. Even those 1 think it an uncommonly easy thing to
sacrifice there for all the family.” -1 Sam. xx. ».
how true it is, as St. James has re­ in the highest positions in the land preach, and that they could do it
It is now going on towards two happy at this season, in our days.
Then, you , will wonder whether minded us that “ known unto God are are known to spend a portion of their • amazingly well themselves.
thousand years since our dearwSavior
all ¡his works from the beginning of busiest days in prayerfully reading
Every donkey thinks itself worthy
came into the world to live and die thyy had Christmas-trees there in
God’s word. Among the numerous
Vs-
to stand with the king’s horses; every
for us poor siuneis. And the text Jesse’s house: and I answer that they the world.”
But I say, Vfemember all I have Scripture students in the highest ranks I girl thinks she could keep house bet­
tells us of something that was dorfe in had something like it, in all proba­
told
you, and all your life long recall, of society may be named the Earl of ter than her mother; but thoughts
the house of one—of Us forefathers a bility ; for how did those old Israel­
at
this
happy season, the family „feast Shaftsbury, the Lord Chamberlain of
are not facts, for ¡lie sprat thought it­
thousand years before Christ came; ites keep their feast-days ? They had
at
Bethlehem,
and learn how to make the City of London : and Her Majes­
self a herring, but the fisherman knew
so we may justly say that it carries a least of tabernacles, answering in
home happy Ijy being good children ty’s Prime Minister,-V. E. Gladstone,
better. I try my hand at preaching
us back to three thousand-j ears. ago. num^ respects to our Christmas,
to your fathers and mothers, and who is a distinguished classical
myself, and in my poor way 1 find it
Is.it not wonderful that we in America when they were commanded to make
loving to all your sisters and brothers. scholar, but still more famous as an
no easy thing to give the foljcs some­
should have any knowledge of the ' booths, or little tents out of the
earnest Christian man) who devoutly
private life "f a family in A ... after branches of tree», and to keep the What a glorious sight is a truly'
thing worth hearing, and if the’fino
Christian home '. In fact, there is no sets apart a time for the daily private crititics who reckon us ofi5' on their
so many hundreds of years ? ■ And is feast in them. “And thou shalt re-
such thing as a true home on earth study of the Bibl^, and who does
thumbs would buto try their own
it not more wonderfill that theii story ijoice in thy least ' says the law.
where people forget to live together much to encourage and assist those
'hands at it tl^ey, might be a little
has something to do with our own ' And ye shall take you on the first
to as to be sure of*an eternal home in near his huiuFTo “seaich the Scrip­
tnore quiet. Hogs,, however, alwaya
lives, and with all that Christians day the boughs of goodly trees,
tures.” So'much so, that the farmers
of paluutrees, and the boughs heaven.
,
will bark, and what is worse, some of
throughout the wor arc tkhikixi.r-of branches
.. -1-
«
.11
i* . 1 _
And again, how is it that you have and- servants on' his estate almost
at this joyous Christinas season i ! i of thick'-.trees, and willows of the j
them will bite, too; but let decent
so many blessings in yoilr homes, and grudge li is absence, when from home
pbople do all they can, if not to muz­
You know that Christ was the sou of brook, and ye shall rejoice before' the |
in the house of God, where we are all on state duties. But even when most
Davi^l; that is to «ay, one of David s t Lord your God.” Lev. xxiii.’io. Now*1
zle them, yet to prevent their doing
one family around Christ’s holy table? busy with Parliamentary duties, he is
descendants; and David, wu- the son l am sure you will say all this ’looks I
any great mischief.
On’y a few hundred years ago, on known, in spite of his care to fevoid
of Jesse, who”|ived in Bethlehem. very much like Christmas, and if that^
It is a dreadful thing to see a hap­
this very spot stood the huts of publicity in such matters to visit
You see. at once. then, my ilea. Child­ I wae-tW way Jesse kept his holidays !
py family of Christians broken up by
, with his family, they had something I savages, who knew not God ; and it sick and poor people, comforting them talkative fault-finders, and all about
ren. that the text has something to
makes one shudder to think of then- with lessons from Uw Book yf, books.
nothing, or less than nothing. Small
do with Bethlehem, and . so with our like a Christmas-tree there .in Betide- j
wretched lives, and of all their neg-
Soon after .his wonderful political ' is the edge of the wedge, but when
thoughts and our rejoicings at Christ- hem, three thousand years ago.
, lect of their miserable wives and campaign in Scotland, apd just when
the devil handles the beetle, churches
’ • mas.
‘
.
J But did they have innocent sports
k/JUav times, en
There.is a gieat deal that is very. I in.those holiday
so Innrr
long Aorn
ago. ? ’ children, especially at this terrible Iler Majesty had called him to be are soon split to pieces, and men won­
I r
P • w—_ I » _ .1. e
interesting about the text, and, if you j [ L think they did ; for, iiTlhe Book of winter season. And now see what a Prime Minister of the Nation, he der why The fact is the worst wheel
how
the ____
wilder-
found time to seek out a poojc aged
wc liaye another reference to difference
.... A. __ there is _ ; ___
’
_
' will listen to me, I i think votr will say ■ Judges
-
’
'
>
•
_
.1 •_ ness is made “To blossom *s the rose.” man, who used to earn his breaJTiy of the cart creaks most, and one fool
’
the
very
same.
sort
of
festival
in
makes many, and thus many a con­
so too. In the first place, 1 have told
Yes, and see how the—cold, dark sweeping the street-crossings near the
ywYWstnr David. aad Jesse, and now Shiloh Judg xxi. 19;. Now Shiloh
gregation is set at ears with a good
~ ’
The Hebrews winter, too, is made to shine J>y these House -of Common«, and who ha.l and faithful minister who would have
let me telT”you about .Bethlehem. i *’ a name of * Christ.
though
looked
for
Christ
by
that
name : for festivals, and to be as cheerful as any ¡ been missed from his place by the been a lasting blessing to them. if
This place may still be seen,1
r,
|
Jacob,
their
father,
had
said,
“ until days of the summer : all because it keen eye of the First Ruler of the they had not chased away their best
it is very poor and miserable now,,
.
----- pwdwdj^Jieightofthehill-countpy^iloh come. ' and Shiloh means the reminds us of the promise “ Unto you land under-the Queen, and visited friend. Those who are at the bottom
that fear my name shall the Sun of with so much benefit that when the
time I’rince of Peace. It also means the
of Judea. Its nameTm
of the mischief have generally no part
Righteousness arise with healing in city missionary calle.), hefound ^^orjotik the inatter vf true godlinew.
i
t
C
-Gen.
x
l.
10).
of^reini; and who can doubt that it
There was a place named Shiloh, his- wings.” Mai; iv, 2. You will old mail’s room mad.; cointortahTl By"
• was so named because from the house then; and it is a little singular that find it is all because we know- “the medical attendance, nursing, etc ; and but, like '-pa.rrowK'TTght over corn
of Jesse, and the city of David, was
which is not their own. and like jack­
true. God, and Jesus Christ whom he also that the evening.of the old pil­
to come forth the Bread of Life-for 4 Bethlehem and Shiloh—just the two
daws pull to pieces what they never
has sent.” The more you" think of it, grim’s days had been made brighter
the world. So it was written by the | places which kept the Hebrews in
helped to build.
the blessing of
Bethl'ehem. An the lu*nd of a promised Savior—aie the then, the more you will see the truth than his morning,
prophets : “ ' Thou
____ _________
From mad dogsand grumbling pro­
that there is no happiness apart from God to his soul, through means of the
’>u least <xu.v..g
. land of Juda, art not the
among , l’l*ces marked in the Scripture story
fessor# may we all be delivered, and
Ui out of thee by a yearly festival of the kind We the Gospel of Christ; and may he be living word of God as r$ad to him by may We never take rhe complaint
the pripces of Juda ; for
. that -hail rule have been considering. And. it seeme, 'i | the
shall come a Governor,
at»Shiloh they kept the holiday with souls, dear children, and lead you into
But in the humbler walks of life, 1
my people Israel." Matt. ii. G.
the green pastures’and by the still know young Christian women who
(
Disease Produced by Sleeping
And next, bow intexpsting it is to sports among the young; for the Lord
*bo made little birds to sing among waters of Christian comfort and Chris­ have to earn their own living by the
Together.
observe that there was a family
1
J -
*
tian hope, till you come to the better
labor of their hands, who have taken
gathering there once a yeai, for all the branches, and little lambs to frisk
During the night there is con^
country,
where
the
Son
of
David
about
thelieadowB,
mh.de
little
girls
the first prizes offered for Bible
the children of Jesse. And it was a
sidcrable exhalation from our bodies,
gathers all his children into an eternal
and
boys
to
enjoy
themselves
in
the
knowledge, ranking them above many
was
a
religious festival, you see; it
and at the same time we absorb a
home.— S. S. Timex.
same
way.
And
there
is
no
harm
in
noble theological students in the
family eacrihce, and all the sacrifices
large quantity of the surrounding air.
it,
but
much
good,
provided
always
it
— Besides his school for girls at competition for the best of honors.—
of Israel looked forward to Christ's
Two healthy young children sleeping
is
moderate
and
decorous,
for
the
Northfield, Mr. Moody is to start a Pacific.
sacrifice; to the breaking of that
together will mutually give and re­
Bible
gives
no
countenance-~to
the
school
for boys at his Massachusetts
Bread of Life of which Bethlehem
ceive healthy exhaltations; but the
was a pledge and-a promise. Now, ' very indecent dancing and romping honie. He has bought three hundred
old, weak person near a child will, in
The
Oleander.
which,
I
am
.
sorry
to
say,
many
who
acres of land for a farm, and he pur- .
dear children, when you put all these
exchange for health, return weakness.
I
ought
to
know
better
—
even
among
poses work and play and study for
things together,—the yearly family
Christians
—
practice
to
their
shame.
’
the
boys whom he undertakes to edu-] Mr. Shirley Hibbard says: “This A sick mother Dear Her daughter
gathering and sacrifice, at Bethlehem,
1 need not say that they had also cate. The new farm school is to be. handsome shrub is one of the most communicates sickly emanations to
in the lmuse of Jesse ; and w ith David,
poisonous of its class, and therefore her ; if the mother has a cough of
the'son of Jesserto make it specially plentiful tables at these feasts ; tables on the family plan—-a group of a doz­
should be handled with care, for if the long duration, the daughter will some­
a token of the promised Son of David, loaded with good things: the bounties en boys or so in a family home, in- ,
hand is cut when pruning it a dan times cough and suffer by it; if the
—-dot sn t it all look as if it were a of him “ who giveth us richly all stead of on the dormitory plan. It is ; gerous wound may be the result. In mother has pulmonary consumption,
sort of Christmas that was kept there; things to enjoy ” 1 Tim. vi. 17. And not to be a reformatory institution, I
Dr. Hogg’s Vegetable K ingdom occurs it will ultimately be communicated
looking forward, just as we look back- 'for the poor who had not, they Were " My plan is,” says Mr. Moody, “to
j
the
following respecting it: ‘It is one to her child. It is known that the
to the* time when angels chanted amid commanded ‘ to provide liberally, as take boys of unfortunate parents who I j of the most Ireautifui window plants
bed of a consumptive is a powerful
Jhe hills of Bethlehem, and «aid, “ To God hail provided for them. They are not able to educate them ; but when covfcrecT with its large rose-like
and
sure source of contagion, as well
you is born this day, in the city of were to make them (Neh. viii. 15; the boys shall be promising ones, and blossoms; but in-these blossoms the
for
men
as for women, and the more
David, a Savior, which is Christ the Esther is. 22,) “ days of feasting and such as, if educated, would make good weapon of death resides. During the
so
for
young
persons. Parents and
joy, and of sending portions one to preachers and missionaries.” The
Lord
Peninsular
war
a
number
of
French
friends
ought
to
oppose as much as is
Well, if so, then Christmas is a another, and gifts to the |>oor.” So tuition bills are to be graduated ac soldiers who won't out foraging near in their power the sleeping together
feast which is already three thousand you see just where all our Christmas cording to circumstances. When it Madrid returned laden with the fruits of old and young persons, of the sick
years old, and here is Bible warrant, ideas come from, and how happy we seems necessary, the boys will be tak­ of their search. One of the number, and of the healthy. Another reason
or good reason, for something very are in knowing the Gospel which en without cost to themselves or their with the view of securing some wood ought to forbid every mother and
much like it: A yearly sacrifice it’ teaches us (Psa ii. 11.) how te “re­ friends. About fifty thousand dollars to make skewers for the meat, cut a
nurse keeping small children With
was in honor of “ the I^amb of God joice with trembling that is, not (oi^B^^nterprise is already in hand quantity of oleander boughs, and hav- them in bed ; notwithstanding the
that was slain from the foundation of like heathen, who make themselves —tlRMJpfive thousand dollars of j ing stripped them of their bark, used advice of prudence, no year passes
the world,” and with it there was a brute-beasts in their festivals, but this beingIrom Mr. Hiram Camp, of | the wood in the meat. The result that we do not hear of anew involun­
delightful home feast and family with a holy feai lest we should forget New Havfi n, Connecticut. r There was that out of twelve who ate of the
tary infanticide. A baby full of life,
gathering ; just such as we have now to behave like the children of God. will be no debts incurred in building roast seven died, and the rest were health and vigor in the evening, is-
at Christmas all over the earth wher­ Old Job fJob i. ", a« we read in his or managing the institution. ■ When dangerously ill. The poisonous prin­ found the next morning suffocated by
ever the Sun of Righteousnes has marvelous history-, w-as very anxious Mr. Moody was asked if he thought a ciple is so subtle tjiat its exhalations its parents of nurse.—A’z.
risen upon the people that sat in about his children lest in thpir feast­ school of this kind was needed in this ■ alone are sufficient to cause serious
ing they sbuuliLforget their Father in country, his characteristic answer was
—Malaria has at length aroused the citi­
darkness and the shadow of death
heaven, or even take his holy name " Ye«, ten thousand of them. What i accident, and even death ty those who zens of Washington, D. C., to take derided
Now let us ee what the old Israel­
recline or sleep for arty time under action. A deleg >tion of prominent men
is more needed than religious, moral,
ites did at these yearly feasts. In in vain
have waited on President Hayes a few days
their influence.’’
And this leads me to two things and intellectual training for boys who
_ago, asking that he would again call at­
the first place, all the family had to
It may be added to what Mr.'
be present, if possible. David says to II which I wish to say as ending my would not otherwise get it ?” The Hibbard says, that the stories, in tention of Congress to the feverish-morass ‘
Jonathan, in the story of which the sermon; one is. that we learn by all first family home is to be ready for i all modern botanical works about which partially fills the channel of the Po­
tomac in front of the city. It is believed
text is part fl Sam xx. 29), " My this the beauty and the happiness of boys about the first .»f the new year. Azalea and Rhododendron Of modern that the malaria whioli rreraila in Wash­
-brother hath commanded me to BF“ every family that is truly Christian; The idea is a good one, and it bids botany yielding poisonous honey, are ington much of the time is dne to this»
there . . . let nm go away, 1 pray and the other is, that all our joy and fair to be well carried out.^*>'imday purely fictitious. The Oleander was foul marsh.
thee, and s. >■ my brethren.” It is happiness come only from the holy School Timex.
the Rhododendron of the ancients, and
— Wliut a ie)ief it is to turn from the
vary pretty to observe how this Sen of David, the Shiloh of Bethle­
• A
who is sixty year« old has when the name was transferred to political editorials in exchanges, to th»
brother was anxiou* to pleas» his old hem. And just another idea, onj^hich ■pent twenty years of his life in sleep nn- our present plants, the poisonous re- calm, dignided statements to be found in
father, arid so ha’l sen£ a message to I shall not dwell, chimes it^,with these les* i.o is a laborer on, a limning newpa- pu ration went with the name.— (iar- the local notices of patent medicines 1
There is no lying in patent medicine ad-
David not to be absent, even though two: it is that the Old Testament is per. when-he, prvb-b’y. Las been awake tUitci^'Mlfuthig
sixty-five jears.
, veftisements.
full
of
Christ
to
those
who
“
search
;
he was now in the service o' King
♦ L aua
■