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Iii ill-- 1 1 1 i < I > 1 ,.r I V.-1I |1.-). ? III .1 .lull square,
pavril willl cohhlcstolies. opelU'il before I lie
( liuivli of J lit- Nativity. We ?;aze?l upon lluil
; 1 1 1 < - i ? - 1 1 1 lniililmii willi si \v *?. Il is 1 1 ? ?1 beaut ii ill,
nor stately, nor ;i h< im of architect lire. I ?? U it
is probably blest ( "lirist ian < "liureh in 1 ii?*
\\ ? ? r I ? I . .lu^iin .Martyr. \\ ho ? 1 i ? ? ? I i(>o years
;i 1*1 Christ. speaks of tliis church, as built
upon lli<' split where .ifsus was born. 1 1 ? ? i*;' Si.
.Icromc l;ili(irii| for years. living am! uvuii:
i S. pt finlii r .'!(). t _'()> in a little cave liy ill"
\\;ill ill" ilu? church. II'' wi'iitc a library of
I lii'olo^ical books. 1ml the civili/.e?l worhl n
members Si. .Icromc as tli ? author of tin- Vul
trale. Il?' jrave I lie Script mvs to the Western
Worhl in their \ crnaciilar.
In this church I ?:i l< I \v ill. a I ? ? ? 1 ?_ji ; 1 1 1 kiiitrhl,
was i-i-.iw mil * * lx ii i?r of .1 ?rusalfin " ; at tin*
i* I osi- o r lln Kirst ("rusa?le. lie ? l?*?- 1 i i I to In*
I- I'oW 1 1 1 * < I ill - 1 1 ? I ? II s; 1 1 ? ? 1 1 1 . because III* saiil III'
w o 1 1 1 * I uoi wear a crown of ?rohl w 1 1 ? ? i*?* his
Saviour 1 1 a ? I worn a crown of thorns I hat is
about all tin' worlil r< * n i ? * it i hers of Kiliir I *;t I ? I
win. luit tin* sent i 1 1 1 ? * ii I i|oi-s Ii i in honor.
1 1 ? ? r i ? . alas! as in the < 'Jiur<-h of tin* lloly
Sepulchre, wr | i 1 1 1 1 tlir'c tribes of ( 'lirist inns
Ii 1 1 < I ? lli'i I uinli'i* one ureal roof, each hostile to
the other. < Mi ! that I liesc soealleil (hrislians
Won h I learn soniel liin^ of ill * spirit of .lesus
( "hrist ! o|i! that thc\ woiihl tl i n ?r away their
ii i ii i ii in ? r \~ ami prayer-hooks, pick up lln- liihle
Si .lel'olne i ipenei 1 to lllelil. SI Hi I follow its
teacliin<r. As in Jerusalem. ill* <5 reek Church
lias the hest of tlic situation. The h'onian
( liureh has a monastery hanl hy the church
wall, aidl a envc nmler the church. As
t h rnu<r|inut the Kast the lioinan Catholic
Church is clean, tli ? < J reek ("liureh is ilirty,
ami the Armenian ("liureh worse than ilirty.
I womlereil what St. I'aul wouhl have saiil. if
In- Ii a 1 1 seen l lie vermin crawling over the
Ori -utal ru?rs in the Armenian ('liureh.
I In-re are oilier tilings more ilisn^rceahlc
than tilt 1 1 ami vermin, namely a plethora of
hol\ lies. 'I'liere is a spring umler tin* chureli
of ijrooil. pur.- water. When the Virgin ami
("lirist ( "liil.l were thirsty a star fell from
heaven ami hit the jrrouml so hanl that it
open.-, | litis spring! There is an altar where
the \\ ise Men offer -il their iritis. There is an
? I In-r altar where Joseph heanl the honl
'peak to him. ami still another where the hloml
ol lln- inline 'ill chihlren 1 1 lie lirst Christian
Ilia ll v Iv i . slain h\ lleloil. fell to the $r|'oUml.
Near the l.irtliplac e of .lesus is a inarhlc
manner, ami in il a iloll. ami the iloll lias a
crown on its h i *a 1 1 ! It is iulemleil to honor
? I est is. I he 1 1 * 1 1 i / ? ? 1 1 1 - ? 1 iloll especially irritateil
mc. I wisluil lo make away with il. Il
sei - in e 1 1 a irrat nitons sacrilege, more hlataut
ami insistent than the other holy lies.
These altars, pictures ami false stories are
cncoii r;itr?'? I as aids to worship. On ? ?*<i 1 1 1 1 < ?t
I ? I ? i lit** tin* iiriioi'iinl | m *o | ? I ? ? , wit 1 1 child ii i i 1 1 ? I s
for I In* most | i;i i-f . ; i u < I almost wholly ill it 1 ?*.
Wit her can one lilii in** the | ?a risli priests. Tlicy
I I a \ ? hiil little intelli?;ence and less I ? > ; 1 1* I li 1 1 IT .
I'll avcrajfe parish priest in the < h'ieiit is lmt
little, if at all. superior to the people to whom
he ministers. !'ut the leaders are responsible.
The bishops ami the heirareliy above tliein
must know and do know that these childish
tales are false. 1 1 is a matter of common
knowledge. The lenders of the church ui'ist
have ami detailed information that a
casual visitor has not. It is impossible for a
western visitor, I'rot 'slant or ('atliolic, la
acquit the heirareliy of the (Ireek and Latin
churches of deliberate and far reaching de*
ecptioii in holy things. Only on the ?'round
that the end jlistilies the means can they be ex
cused. Alas! the results of such mummery in
ils.ll* alone ?-? ? 1 1 si ? 1 ? ? !*??? I . colli lellllis Sllt'll I ; 1 1 s? ?
prad ices rvi'ii if tin' 1< i *;i<< ol' | ?i*i tii-i pl?* and 1 1 1 1*
plain |>r?tliiliil i?>ii of Scripl iiiv I ? ? ' 1?- t'l ?*n1 i ????! v
wilhont considcrat inn. A I'tcr cent nrics of trial
I In* end conspicuously cond "inns tin- means.
We come 1o l?et I i l?'li ?-iii with tli.iiikt'iil hearts
fur tin- ?r r?*;i i Trul li. undisturbed l? v childish
falsehoods, I ?\" iirnorance or by supers! it ion.
Tin- 1 1 ? ? I ? I ? ? front doors liiiv:' Ihtii closed with
brick. except one which h ;i s been closed with
planks. i Mic enters by a little door set in this
portal. The vestibule too hiis b"eii closed with
brick walls. It resembles ;i prison vault.
Within the nave, the elegance and simplicity
ol tin- bt i i I < I i 1 1 ir makes the poverty of th;' mod
ern interior sadly conspicuous. I'oiir rows of
stately pillars lead down the nave. There are
II e. . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - ol red sandstone set on nias-ive
blocks ol stone. The Moslems (to show their
niter runteinpt iur ( "liri-t iaiiit v, n-ed this
elinreh as a stable lor their horses. The
(ireeks built a solid brick \\;ill b 'tween nave
and choir to protect the sanctuary. It is now
partly removed, and it lends an air of crinii
"Jaeoh |?asse<l this \?;iy :in<l here his helovtnl
Itaehcl > up her life when Ite njamiii was
horn. lit* iiiiii 1 1 ? - 1 in :i iunili which has ht-?-n ic>
s|ii'rli'il ami |?i-i ?l ?>??! ? *<1 hy .lew, ( 'lirisi ian ami Mus
li'in. alike."
Miiisr ili'liipiilat ion to tin- nnlde structure.
Tin* 1 1 i i> 1 1 altar is creeled over tli-' raw in
\\ liirli mi i* I .o ril was liorn. I'o tin- ri?rlit is tin'
A rmenisiii w inii o|* tlii> i*li ii i*i* 1 1 . tin- i*?*i 1 1 ?? r ami
li ft an* (Jri'i'k. Ksieli has a stairway d 'secinl
in?r 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 * i* tin' altar, ('similes were liamli'il iis,#
siller a Ice was j > a i ? I . anil We entered tin* lilt I ? '
cry pi. Il is so small that III or is persons till
it iiiirom I'm | sildy. Against tin* rock of tin*
hilUidc is an altar ami n n< l?*r it a si sir willi
I In* w onls :
"'.li'sii^ < liri-lns mil n> c>l hie de Yiriiine
Msiri.'."
It is i m | nissi I i|i' to describe tin* f i *i ? I i 1 1 tr of
iiw'i' 1 1i <i I sweeps onr's In-aii strings sis In'
slamls in this liolv |?lsn*i'. Witlimit si doiild
this s | h 1 1 is anl lii'iif ic. Tin' esirli.'st wrili-rs
ami saints so I n ? I ieved. Modern selioisirs are
jiirfi'i'il that Jesus was liorn in si rave ii lit l?*r
the hillside of lift Ii h'lirin .
Wi- stooil in lonir <iii?I reverent silence. Not
si woiil wsis spoken. I'lii' esimlles flickered in
misty ill-silts. Dim Isiinps hung siImmiI tin* cave
um\.' forth lor ami smoke than light.
'Tin' ornaments wrrr tawdry. Tin* hangings
Isir too i'lii liora 1 1*. We wished for tin' siin
1 1 1 ii-i I \ of ( hrist in thi~ holy place. TheOrien
tsil iih-a is to overlay all with tinsel.
Ill tli.' deep gloom I had not notieed tin* sol
dier, si I 'silest i nisi ii, in British uniform. It is
the law. There hsive heen so many riots siinl
so many quarrels here; siinl so many visitors
have stolen lioly ornaments ;i n? 1 even ?? u t th;%
canvass that is spread over the rough walls
that a guard nin>t descend with every visitor.
Wc yielded np our dripping tapers and
passed out of the church. To the east the hills
fall abruptly, tlreen pastures descend steeply
toward the Sea of Death. The day was almost
done. The sun hung low and long shadows
were tiling like soft mantles over the Innd
seape. The Dead Sen was completely hidden
in the twilight of dim distance, for in that
deep gorge the sun had s't.
These sloping pastures are called ''The
Mouse of Watching." for here the shepherds
watch their (locks I iy night. Tlii'se hillsides
are rich pastures still. Kven as we stood and
?razed the shepherds were gat liering their
sheep and goats into the protection of t h *
folds.
The familiar words of IMiillips I A rooks run
through my mind as wc walked the narrow
si reels :
"O little toWII of I'ct hlclicui. how still we SC
thee lie,
A ho\ e thy deep a 1 1 > I dreamless sleep, the silent
stars go by ;
Yet in thy dark streets shiucth the everlast ing
I i il l 1 1 :
The hopes ami fears of all the years are met
in thee tougiht."
"Mow silently, how silently the wondrous (lift
is given.
So (ioil imparts to human hearts the blessings
of Mi- I leaven.
No ear may hear 1 1 is coining, Inil in this world
of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Mini still, the
dear ( hrisi enters in."
And then there is the cry of a lost and sin
ful world that looks to I tct lilchcin for salva
tioii; aye, and shall not look in vain;
little t 1 1 i I ? I o| lift h I eh e i il , descend oil US
we j tray.
t'ast out our s:n and enter in. lie horn in us
t < ?day.
We hear the ( hristmas augels the great triad
tidings tell.
t'li! come to ns, abide with us. mil* Lord Km
mauilcl."
WHEN GOD WORKS WITH MEN.
tSod is present iii li 1 1 111 ii 1 1 affairs. Instances,
llic Spanish Armada; Napoleons campaign
against Mmscow, where, mi "one 1 1 k*i i la i r
al?le ii ii> lit ol I rust, I went v thousand htrt*se>
si ii< I I In* strength of the Krencli
army was ii 1 1 ?*rl \- broken." Mere (Sod used I In'
snow ami tin* cold, as 1 1 . ? may haw used the
pcs| i leiiee or lln* simoon |o dost riiv Scnmi
eherih. -Victor Hugo at I rihutcs lln* ? l<* t ol
Napoleon al Waterloo to a few drops of ruin,
nioiv or I -ss, \\ Ii i<-li in tin* early morning made
lln- roads unlit for the movement of artillery.
I'rovidcncc, lie thus claims, defeated "the man
of destiny."? Selected.
Our days are in (Soil's hands. And this not
eallinir us to put on sack cloth for, if they an'
in (Sod's hands, they are in good hands. The\
surely could not he in hotter keeping. "It is
a fearful ihing to fall into the hand of the liv
in<r (Soil." Is it { ( Soil is love. Is it a learlul
thillir to f : 1 1 1 into the hands of lovc?? N es, a~
reln'1. I?llt for the Christian, it is a Messed ev
perii'iiec. I' or the ('hristian the tall is a llight,
the siiikiiur a soaring, the prostration is a pi'0*
motion. It means slipping into tho elasp ol his
leather.