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lost art ? Do you ever pray ?
Is not the Lord forcing us to our knees? We
have plenty of men and women ready to go, the
lands are all wide open and waiting, the Spirit
of God is working mightily among the nations,
but the home ehureh is decreasing her gifts
and seems unmoved by the agonizing appeals
of missionaries and missions, that have been
obliged to curtail their work. "It is time for
Thee, Lord, to work." He answers, "Bring
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there
may be meat in mine house, and prove me now
herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not
open you the windows of heaven, and pour you
o\it a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it."
"Ye shall find me, when ye shall seek mo
with the whole heart." Shall we do it? "He
that asketh receiveth." Are you willing to
enter into solemn covenant with others to ask
that the IIolv Spirit will revive our waning
strength, and make \is to "abound in this grace
also?" And that as "there may be a readiness
to will," so "there may be a performance also
out of that which ye have." The eight months
to December yielded $44,652.53 less than the
same months last year, leaving $979,780.27 to
be given in the next four months. It can be
easily done, if God shall be asked for it. He is
abundantly able to give it through us. Shall
we not ask Him ?
Will you join in this daily intercession? If
so, send a note to that effect to William R.
Dobyns, 2033 Highland Avenue, Birmingham,
Alabama. You will, in turn, receive a certifi
cate enrolling you "Among the Intercessors,"
and this card you should keep where it will
constantly remind you of your covenant.
Birmingham, Ala.
BETHLEHEM,
Rev. S. D. Bartle, D. D.
There is such a thrill of joy comes over one
who visits Bethlehem. To stand on the ele
vated point, just outside of the village, where
you can see Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the
mountains round about, gives you such an in
spiration that your soul cannot help but sing
for joy.
On the trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem
you pass some interesting places. About three
miles out you come to a well where it is said
the Holy Family drank when the.y took the
flight into Egypt and where, tradition says,
that the Wise Men from the East saw reflected
in the water the star, of which they had .tem
porarily lost sight. Another place of interest,
about four miles from Jerusalem, is the Tomb
of Rachel, much visited by pilgrims and rev
erenced alike by Jews, Moslems and Christians.
There is no evidence of the authenticity of the
site. But it was on this road where she was
buried. At this place you leave the main road
that leads to Hebron and turning to your left
you are within a short distance from Bethle
hem.
The first view of the little town of Bethle
hem at the early morning hour, from the hill
side, where you see the houses clustered to
gether and the long narrow range lit up with
the rays of the morning sun, is a scene long to
be remembered. The beauty of the city is not
dispelled by an entrance into or a close inspec
tion of the town. The first thing that will im
press you is the fact that the women and chil
dren are cleaner and fairer than any other
place in Palestine. There also comes over a
person a restful feeling in this lowly birth-*
place of the King of kings, which one fails to
find in any other city in Palestine, save Naza
reth alone.
Tn Bible history Bethlehem is associated
with the interesting romance of Ruth and the
youthful home-life of David, and it is notable
as the birthplace of Joab, Asahel and Abishai,
but it is known better from the fact that here
was born the Saviour of the vtorld. There is
no doubt that Bethlehem was the birthplace of
our Lord, and we have even some reasonable
assurance of the exact spot. Justin Martyr,
born only a few years after the death of the
Apostle John, speaks definitely of the birth oc
curring in a cave close to the village of Beth
lehem. A century later Origen states that the
cave and the manger were still shown. Jerome
and Eusebius both attest the genuineness of
this widespread belief. Two hundred years
before the Basilica of Queen Helena was
erected, this tradition had full sway.
The Church of the Nativity.
The Church of the Nativity was erected in
330, and it is usually believed that the church
now standing is practically the same building.
While others have said that in the year 550 it
was remodeled.
One cannot help feeling, while visiting this,
the oldest Christian church in the world, that
he is near the spot where Jesus was born. The
eave where Jerome spent so many happy and
useful hours and where he did so much for
the life of the Christian Church, well repays a
visit there. Jerome may have been mistaken
in the location of the cave of the Nativity, but
it is at least reassuring that a man of Jerome's
ability believed this tradition. The more one
visits these interesting places, the more it
serves to confirm the belief of the authenticity
of the ancient conviction.
One is struck with the impressive simplicity
of the interior of the church, for it produces a
Cathedral-like effect by a double row of forty
four Monolithic columns with Corinthian cap
itals. The light in the church comes from win
dows in the upper part. In 1170 Emperor Com
nenos presented five series of original hand
some mosaics which now can only be faintly
traced.
In the year 1101 Baldwin of the Crusades
was erowned king in this church and a few
years later Bethlehem was made an Episcopal
see. In 1672, by special concession, the Greek
Church obtained possession of the church, and
through the efforts of Napoleon III the Latins
were made co-proprietors in 1852.
Before the World War, when one came to
the entrance of the Crypt in the Chapel of the
Nativity, he would be surprised to see it
guarded by Turkish soldiers with rifles with
fixed bayonets. The Moslems said it was nec
essary to keep the Christians from fighting, as
the same altar was used by the Greek Church,
Latin Church and Armenians for worship, and
often they would fight for the possession of the
altar.
Upon entering the actual cave, or grotto,
where it is believed that Christ was born there
comes over one an awe, for this is a holy place.
It is about forty feet long and twelve wide and
ten feet high. The walls are of masonry and
the pavement is of marble, with a silver star
set in the pavement near the altar, by Queen
Helena, with these words: 'Hie de Virgine
Maria Jesus Christus natus est." (Here of
the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born.) While
the chapel is lighted by thirty-two gaudy look
ing lamps, the light is very dim. It is stated
that Queen Helena, who was an industrious
discoverer of sacred relics, found the original
manger, the cradle of Jesus, and carried it to
Rome.
The Field of the Shepherds.
The natives take pride in pointing out to
yon the so-ealled Field of the Shepherds, with
its Grotto of the Shepherds in it. It is a small
cultivated field near Bethlehem. It is the only
green field in that neighborhood and the na
tives say it is green all the year while all oth
ers are barren, and they also say the reason
that it is always green is because it is a
sacred place and that God blesses it.
The reason that tradition connects the an
gelic announcement with this field is because
in the year 670 a church and a monastery were
built there. At the present time some ruins
may be seen, which may have belonged to this
ancient church of "Gloria in Excelsis." Be
that as it may, somewhere in this vicinity Ruth,
the Moabitess, gleaned among the sheaves, and
it was near here doubtless that David, her
great-grandson, dreamed heavenly thoughts
and sang inspired songs among his sheep and
where Samuel sent for David, that he might
come in from the field and be anointed; and
here the angels, on the night that Jesus was
born, filled the air with holy rejoicing and
filled the shepherds with wonder.
Bethlehem gives the impression of being the
most hopeful and best governed city in Pales
tine. It is the only distinctively Christian
town," there being only about 250 Moslems out
of a population of about 7,000. Of the Chris
tian population there are only about 100 who
are Protstants.
The town of Bethlehem today is interesting.
The people look happier and are more intelli
gent than those of any other city in the land.
They are industrious and progressive, for a
visit to the factories where artistic souvenirs
are made from olive wood and mother-of-pearl
shows that they are skilful workmen. The
wages are small, for men receive only from
thirty to fifty cents a day, yet they seem to be
happy and content.
A visit to Bethlehem cannot help making the
soul sing for joy and as you gaze upon the
Shepherd's Field, with its rich, green blanket
of beautiful grass, you cannot help singing the
beautiful song written by Josiah G. Holland :
"There's a song in the air!
There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer
And a "baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing.
For the Manger of Bethlehem cradleB a King!
"There's a tumult of joy
O'er the wonderful birth,
For a virgin's Bweet boy
Is the Lord of the earth.
Ay! the star rains its fire while the beautiful sing.
For the Manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!
"In the light of that star
L<ie the ages impearled;
And that song from afar
Has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame, and the beautiful sing,
In the home of the nations that Jesus is King!
"We rejoice in the light,
And we echo the song,
That comes down through the night
From the heavenly throng.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Saviour the King!"
St. Joseph, Missouri.
EMPTIED FOR GOD'S FILLING.
There is in old Dutch picture of a little
child dropping a cherished toy from its hands;
we wonder why, until at the corner of the pic
ture we see a white dove winging its flight
toward the emptied outstretched hands. Simi
larly we are prepared to forego a good deal
when once we catch sight of spiritual acquisi
tions which beckon to us. And this is the true
way to reach consecration and surrender.
The old Hebrew word for consecration
means ''to fill the hand." There will not be
much trouble in getting men to empty their
hands of wood, Jiay and stubble if they se^
that there is a chance of filling them with
treasures. The world pities us because it sees
only what we give up; but it would withhold
its sympathy if it could see how much we re
ceive ? good measure, pressed down and run
ning over, given into our bosom. ? Selected.