Christmas Holidays; or, a Visit at Home

by Anonymous

In the evening, when all was still, when the table was drawn close beside a good fire, when the curtains were closed, and Mrs. B. was seated in the corner of the sofa which she usually occupied, with her four children around her, the following dialogue commenced.

“I believe all my children, except little Mary, know why this is called Christmas day.” “And I know too, mamma,” said a little girl, of six years old: “do you dear,” said her mother, “then you shall tell me why?” “I have heard you tell my brothers and Emma that Christ was supposed to be born on that day.” “That is right, and you are a good girl, for noticing, and remembering my instructions. Emma, can you tell me where he was born?” “In the town of Bethlehem, in the country of Judea.” “Can you tell me any of the circumstances which attended his birth, George?” “He was born in a stable, because there was no room for him in the inn: and he was wrapt in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.” “When we think,” said Mrs. Barrington, “that the Lord of heaven and earth was born in a stable, should it not make us thankful, that he has provided more comfortable accommodations for us? It should also teach us humility, when we consider, that we are in comparison but worms of the dust; and that it is his goodness which supplies us with every thing needful to shelter and comfort us.” “Mamma,” said Emma, “what do you mean by humility?” “That we should not pride ourselves on what we possess, because we know that it is all given to us by God, or rather lent to us, as long as he chooses we should have it. For the Scriptures, which are the word of truth, say, that ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.’ To be humble is to be meek, not thinking ourselves better than others. You know Mr. Eastburne; I call him an humble man, he is lowly minded, and meek, and is constantly going about following the example of his Saviour, doing good to every one. Yet he never talks about himself, or what he has done; and if you would meet him without knowing who he was, you would, from his appearance, think he had no pretensions to the character he has obtained; he is so unostentatious, and so humble, that to learn something of him, you would have to go to the house of the sick person he has been visiting, or the poor family for whom he is interesting himself, not only occasionally, but almost every day of his life.”

“How delightful it must be to have such a character, to be so good, and so humble, Mamma,” said Howard. “Yes, my child, and all may be so if they endeavour to keep the commandments of God, and ask his blessing on the endeavour. Howard, it is now your turn to answer. Can you tell me the object of our Saviour’s birth?” “He came to save all mankind from their sins, all that would repent, and believe.” “Were the parents of Jesus living at Bethlehem, at the time of his birth?” “No, mamma, they were living at Nazareth, a town in Galilee, but Augustus the Roman Emperor, made a decree, that all the world should be taxed, and that every one must go to his own city for this purpose. Now Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus, the Scriptures say, belonged to the lineage of David, and Bethlehem was the city of David, and they went there to be taxed, just before our Saviour’s birth.” “Do you understand, my dear Howard, what is meant by the word lineage, and what was understood by their being taxed at this time?” “Not perfectly, will you explain it to me, mamma?” “The lineage, or line of David, which is the common expression, as applied to Joseph and Mary, mean that they belonged to his family. Many hundred years before Christ was born, the Prophet Isaiah, a man who was inspired by God, predicted in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, that Christ would be born of one of the descendants of this family, that is of the line or family of David, and that he would be born in Bethlehem, the city to which David’s family belonged, and here it was they came to be taxed, although they had been living at Nazareth, a distance of sixty or seventy miles from Bethlehem. Augustus had issued a decree, or law, that an account should be taken of the number, and situations, of all the subjects, or persons, in his vast empire, which from ostentation he called all the world, because it contained the best, and most civilized, and cultivated countries then known, this was the second decree he had sent out, and so many persons had they to number, and register or put down in a book, that they were three years before they came to Bethlehem. At this time, only their names were taken; they were not required to pay any thing till twelve years after: when they did pay, it was for the support of the kingdom, to enrich it, and enable its monarchs to live in splendour. Taxing is lawful, when the money, or other things required, is not so much as to bear heavily on the poor, who are not able to bear it. Our Saviour sanctions it, when he says, ‘render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s.’ But it has been carried so far, under despotic governments, and even in countries, which at this day we have constant intercourse with, that it is melancholy even to think of the distress it has occasioned the poor; who at some seasons, have scarce been able to get bread enough to keep them from starving.” “Thank you, mamma, I shall endeavour to remember what you have told me.”

“George, can you tell me how the birth of our Saviour became known?”—“Did not the shepherds tell it to all they met, mamma.”

“Yes, my dear, but how did they know it?” “Angels,” said Howard, “told it to them:—they were watching their flocks, at night, to keep them from the wolves.” “Would you not think it hard to be out on a winter’s night, Howard?” “I should not have suffered so much there, as here; the climate is so much warmer.” “But, I think,” said Mrs. B. “you said the shepherds were watching their flocks?”—“Yes, mamma, and while they were watching, an angel appeared to them: they were frightened at first, but the angel told them not to be afraid.” “Cannot you repeat the passage of Scripture?” “Yes, mamma, it is in the 2nd chapter of St. Luke, and the 10th and 11th verses:—‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born, this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’” “Do you recollect what took place after this?” “The shepherds exceedingly rejoiced, and went to Bethlehem where they found the Babe, with his father and mother; precisely in the situation which had been foretold; the shepherds then told the great news to all they knew.” “Do you recollect, Howard, what is said of Simeon, a devout man, who is spoken of, in the 2nd chapter of Luke, which records the nativity, or birth of our Saviour?” “When the parents of Jesus brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, and offer a sacrifice for him, which the law required, Simeon was dwelling at Jerusalem,—but, mamma, I would rather hear you relate this.”

“You were right, so far, my dear: Simeon was a believer in Christ when he was yet unborn;—he had studied the prophets of the old Testament, and as the Scripture says, ‘he was waiting for the consolation of Israel,’ that meant, to see Christ; for it had been revealed to him that he should not see death, until he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

“When the young child was brought into the temple, Simeon, it is said, was led by the Spirit to go there. George, do you repeat what the good old man said, when his eyes beheld the Babe of Bethlehem, as our infant Saviour was called.”

“I will try, mamma: he took him up in his arms, and blessed God, saying, ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.’” “The Scriptures have said that when Jesus was taken into the temple, the law required that a sacrifice or offering should be made for him,—what was this offering?” “A pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons.” “Yes, my dear, the Jewish law made it necessary to bring an offering for every male child. The more wealthy among them, gave a lamb of the first year, and it shows how poor the parents of Jesus were, that they were able to offer only a pair of turtle doves, or two young pigeons. When you are a little older, my dear children, you will be better able to comprehend the full meaning: of a sacrifice or offering, and the connexion they had with the great sacrifice of himself, which our blessed Saviour made for sinful creatures such as we are.

“What do you know, Howard, of the wise men who came from the east in search of the Babe of Bethlehem?” “They came to Jerusalem first.” “Did they remain there?” “No:—they told Herod, the king of Judea, that Christ was born, for they had seen his star in the east.” “Do you know what they meant by that?” “Do you tell us, mamma.” “It was at that time believed throughout all the East, that some very extraordinary person was to arise in Judea. The belief was founded on their having some knowledge of the writings of the ancient prophets; and from the Jews themselves, who were scattered over all the eastern countries. Many persons suppose these wise men lived in Persia, a country a great deal further to the east than Jerusalem. About the time they expected this great personage to appear, they saw a very shining, or luminous appearance in the sky, which induced them to take this very long journey. They thought by going to Jerusalem first, they should certainly hear every thing which had occurred.” “But, mamma,” said George, “I thought Herod did not know that Jesus was born.” “You are right:—he was kept in ignorance of it, because God knew that he was a wicked king, and would destroy the young child, in order to keep him from reigning as a temporal king, as they supposed he would do, and by this means overturn the Roman empire: the wise men were warned of this, and seeing the same light or star, which they saw in their own country, they followed it, till it stood just over the house where the young child lay; for, by this time, his parents had found better accommodations for him, than the poor stable in which he was born. The scriptural relation is so beautiful, I will turn to it, and read it to you, or, George, you may find the place in the 2nd chapter of the gospel of Matthew. ‘When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child, and Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.’” “Was not Herod very angry when he found the wise men did not return through Jerusalem, as he expected they would?” “Yes, he was indeed: and, in consequence of this, and that he might certainly destroy the infant Saviour, he caused all the young children, of two years of age, and all under this age, to be destroyed. But God did not allow him to succeed; for he sent the parents of Jesus, with the young child, into another country, out of Herod’s reach; so that he escaped, when many other poor children were cut off. A beautiful account is given of this blessed child, in the 2nd chapter of Luke, and the 2nd chapter of Matthew.