p. 8 | CHRISTMAS AT THE TABERNACLE

Seventh-Day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Thursday, January 1, 1880

FromAdvent Review and Sabbath Herald, Vol. 55, No. 1

CHRISTMAS AT THE TABERNACLE.

ENCOURAGEMENT AND GOOD CHEER.

According to the general suggestion in the Review of Dec. 11, a beautiful evergreen was placed in the Tabernacle, and a meeting was held in the evening of the 25th. The order of exercises was as follows: 1. Anthem, “Gloria in Excelsis;” 2. Prayer by U. Smith; 3. Christmas Song, “Ring out Merry Bells in the Steeple;” 4. Address by C. W. Stone; 5. “Christmas Jubilee,” from the Song Anchor; 6. Address by Mrs. E. G. White; 7. Temperance Anthem, “Hasten on the Glorious Day;” 8. Remarks by Eld. James White; 9. Gathering the harvest from the tree; 10. Hymn, “There is a Gate that Stands Ajar,” sung by the congregation.

The exercises passed off in a manner to entertain and interest the large audience. The address of Eld. Stone was appropriate and instructive. He took for the basis of his remarks the various mottoes which adorned the gallery front, and dwelt upon God’s goodness in giving his Son for man’s redemption. The address of Sister White was full of good points, and delivered in her usual forcible manner. She described the scene as the joyful tidings were made known to the shepherds that a Saviour had been born, and spoke of the character and example of Jesus, presenting in its true colors the fearful inconsistency of celebrating his birth in the common manner, with frivolity, gluttony, and intemperance. She pointed to the tree hung all over with tastefully arranged contributions, as a fit emblem of the fruit-bearing Christian, and finally carried the mind forward to the tree of life in the kingdom of God, from which the overcomer will by-and-by pluck the life-giving fruit.

Eld. White remarked that by the singing of the temperance anthem his mind was carried back to his early life, when, on the occasion of a temperance meeting 39 years ago, he led the choir in singing that very anthem in the town of Palmyra, Me. He occupied a few moments in remarks appropriate to the Christmas gathering.

The fruit of the tree was then gathered, consisting almost entirely of sums of money from 10 cts. to $250, in payment of previous pledges and in new gifts for the Tabernacle. The sums being footed up amounted to $1,200, when Bro. White requested that a hundred more be put down for him as a thank-offering for health and recent temporal prosperity, to make it $1,300. This is probably the first instance in which a tree bore a second crop so soon after the first was gathered. Besides the gifts of money, there were some additional pledges made, the whole aggregating $1,471.90. Our Christmas tree last year bore $730.02. The yield this year was a little more than double. This surpassed all anticipations, and was very creditable on the part of the church, considering the demands upon their means during the past two years. Much satisfaction was manifest at the result.

There was nothing done for amusement, nor to excite mirth and hilarity; but all was cheerful; and there was much to edify all thoughtful and considerate persons who feel that life is too real and earnest to be wasted in folly, and that any occasion to celebrate the birth of Him who came into this world to devote himself to the good of others, and at last to die for their salvation, should partake of the spirit of the Master. A Christmas meeting so spent leaves neither barrenness of soul for the present, nor unpleasant memories for the future.