Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-01-08


ling contrayersion of astronomical laws
The apprehensiions reused in the mind d
Herod led him to-, seek information con.
Icern.ngs the place Of Messiah:s birth from
1.-THE chief priests and seribes They re.
lferred him, 10 Micah who over. 700 years
before, had designated Beth hIehem; which,
lthough the birth place of David. was OF
SO inconsiderable Importance. as to be
esteemed unworthy; q of mention in the
lists of the cities of;Judah enumerated by
Joshua aud Nehemiah. Despatched by
1.-THE designing tetrach in search of the
babe, the Persian strangers were again
/ guided by that same nata star they had
seen in the east, which "went before
them, till it came and stood over. where
the. young child was !" an event in he
historylof the planetary system. which.
while it avouched the predicted locality
of his birth. was miraculous in all Is as
tronomic appointments. s 49, !
1t matters little whether these pious
worshipers were, or were not, skilled in
the science Of astrology, for which their
nation was world renowned: the fact it.
self that the new course Of that wondrous
star was south west, in which direction
from Jerusalem, six miles distant. lay the
village Of Bethlehem. was, noticeable by
even the most ignorant traveller who wit
7 messed the singular phenomenon, as di-
vergent from the ordinary movement OF
sidereal bodies. How miraculous, too.
must have appeared its occupancy. after
such an eccentric revolution. of q fixed
position &c over where the young child
was;" especially, since the circumstances
is as familiar to the savage as to the sage.
that even the fixed stars have no stat on.
airy location to the eye OF the traveller.
Though the plough boy may not be able
to explain, as would the philosopher, that,
by the conjoint operation OF the laws oE
optics and locomotion, the line which sub,
tends the angle of vision of an objec' at
so remote distance as are the stellar
planets. is TOO short sensibly to alter the
relative position of the observer and the
object. yet that plough boy is just as con
scious as is the philosopher, of the appa>
rent movement OF star, equigrade with
his own progress both as to speed and
distance. Yet the star of Bethlehem
went before the wise men, until it's rays
fell perpendicularly upon the manger
cradle Of the infant I" King OF, the jews
and then. resisting the proPulsiYe forces
orbit. it ceased TO, move. and stood in the
very zenith of space, Cover where the
young child was" No wonder tha
when they, saw the star; they reioicec
with exceeding grea! joy" Itwas meet
that when they saw the young child
with Mary his mother, they should fal
down and worship him."
II. The character Of his worship next
demands attention. An analytica cxpIi
cation of the inquiry OF the text will elu-
cidate the various points involved in this
part Of the subject. and. therefore. bes
subserve the leading purpose Of the
present occasion.
1. That portion Of the inquiry which
may be styled the interrogation proper
Z" Where is he ?" presupposes an anxious
solicitude to find him. Do we feel spring
ing up in our hearts this morning like
desire ? and are we asking with the wise
men. " Where is he that is born King o
the Jews ?'' We may have mo super
natural biazonry of the firmament to ligh
up our pathway, or to gid with its CLEAN
the consecraIed spot of his nativity; bu
we have the gospel, which, as the RECORD
Of his life from the cradle To the cross
from the grave to glorv-sends the an
swer vibrating along the cords of every
inquiring heart, Where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there
am | in the midst Of them" Realizing
this assurance as a present verify, we may
confidently affirm with the royal Psalm
ist. The Lord is in his holy temple" anc
with the waking pilgrim on the way Il
Padan aram, F" Surely the Lord is in thi
) place., o may we prove 70 day, tha
, this is none other but the house o
God;" since we are come to worship
him"
2. The fact predicated Of him by th
} wise men" that is born King Of tn
, Jews. involves cordial scknowledg
ment Of his supremacy: necessitatet
condition OF acceptability in our worship
( neglect Of which is fatal 10 our hope o
, salvation. It's not requisite now to inves
, tigate the nature and extent Of the con
5 ceptions formed Of his character by tn,
! wise men, in order 10 substantiate the ab
e solutism Of this requirement on our part
{ but il may be well to observe, that eVei
, they must have regarded him as diyin
; parsonage. to Judge from their conduct.
One can easily imagine how esgerl
J they would have turned their Iightsom
g footsteps towards The palace of Babylon
had some heir to the throne Of Persi
e been born to the noble house Of Cyrus; 0
: how, in obedience to the circumstances G
: their national destiny. they might bay
a sought the imperial halls Of the Cesarl
to do homage to some infant ruler {
? Rome in whose world vide dominion
: their own loved country was now incol
; porated; but why they should bend tbei