The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-01-26
Sunaay Reahing.
Thoughts for the Season.

Though the festival of the Epiphany be
past, yet 1t is well for us to let our minds
dwell Tor while upon that which that
day commentaries: the first few handfuls
of the great harvest Of the nations. Then
we, who are by nature aliens from God.
and strangers to the covenant of promise,
began to draw nigh to Him; for lie who
was to make both one by breaking down
the partition which was between us, was
as on this day manifested forth to us "by
the leading of a star"
At the birth of our Lord, the two ex-
trcmes of life met together, to testify to
Him as the promised Messiah. His first
witnesses were the humble shepherds
the first messengers of these glorious It'd
mgs, uneducated men, versed in no knowl-
edge but that which related to their call
ing. But others, far different from them
IN character and position, were to unite
with them.
From the distant East came His second
witnesses. From that land of dim and
dreamy tradition, which had been the
fountain of all the wisdom and philosophy
OF those days, selected from the most
learned class existing in that country, thew
were led a long journey by miraculous
means, and all, it would seem, for the sole
purpose Of testifying to the truth of Christ.
Thus, poverty and wealth, ignorance and
wisdom, united at this particular crisis.
Beautiful indeed was this exhibition of
faith in the Eastern Magi, and therefore
the Church has held them in remembrance
by this festival, as week after week she
celebrates the manifestation of Christ to
the Gentiles. 1t was no hasty impulse,
but calm and deliberate conviction,
which could bide the test OF time and the
accomplishment of a wearisome journey.
And the very gifts they had prepared were
interpreted by the ancient fathers as be-
ing significant Of their faith. They offer
Him, say these early writer's, incense, an
their God-gold, as their king-and
myrrh, as typical of human body, SUBJ
Ject to suffering and death. Yet more
valued in His sight than any thing their
land could furnish, was the unseen Offering
they brought, more pure than gold, more
fragrant than frankinccnsc, more precious
than myrry. 1t was the offering of
simple faith, a humble mind, and:a holy
heart, which resigns the wisdom of this
world as foolishness with God.
Such then was the Epiphany-the re-
velation of Christ to the Gentiles. These
were the first fruits of those countless
thousands who were shortly to be gather
ed into the fold of Christ. For soon the
Apostles overpassed the barrier which Sc
parated Jew and Gentle, and proclaimed
to the latter the Gospel hopes in all their
tuIlness. And then for three centuries the
faith went Onto the farthest bounds of
the West, and the shores of almost un-
known Britain. Itpenctrated through the
forests of the North, and was waited in
the anthems Of numberless disciples over
the plains of Asia. And when shall we
again see these triumphs, and as of old,
"natiens be born in day?" When there
is revival of apostolic zeal and self-dcni-
al, and the Church becomes what once it
was, missionary of Church.
But has the star of Bethlehem faded
away into the dark night, and left nothing
IN its place to guide the tired wandercrl
Is there no substitute to whose leadinpwc
can commit ourselves, knowing it will con-
duet us to the shrine where alone our
.'p Sio"io oc l"iu9 les IneTc is
nobler light than that star of old, which
was but the morning star of the New Dis
pensation. 1t heralded the rising of the
Sun Of Righteousness, and its beams now
rest not only on Bethlehem, but also on
the mount Of Calvary. 1t discloses to us,
not an infant king, but suffering, dying
Saviour. 1t summons us to bow before
that His only earthly throne-to nrostrato
ourselves before King crowned with
thorns, with the purple robe in mockery
cast about Him, and the reed in derision
placed in His hand. Yet let us have the
faith Of the eastern wise men, and we
shall look beyond this outward draperyin
which our Lord in His humiliation array
ed Himself, and recognize Him as "the
King immortal and invisible.'' Then, too.
the Day Star shall arise in our hearts, and
around us shall be breathed the atmos-
phere of heaven-a foretaste of the bliss
which one day the just shall enjoy forever.