Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-12-26
CHRISTMAS CHEER.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE
STORY OF THE BIRTH
Of Jesus-Poyety not Significant Of Deg
radation-Busiest Men the Best Men
Grand Findings From lnsig-
nifcant Beginnings.
A THRONE LINKED TO A MANGER.

upon the familiar Christmas story, which
makes the topic of the sermon delivered
yesterday. He follows the infant Savior
from Mary's lap and the homely cradle
of the manger to the grand culmination
of his mission on Calvary. In the mean
time he is weaving into the narrative
with the wonderful art Of the orator
some goodly lessons of practical, re-
ligious character. The humble origin
is no more an index Ofthe ending of the
individual life than was the insignificant
beginning of the life of the
Christ a forecast TO his elevation
to the throne of-- universal
dominion. Poverty is not always sig
nificant of degradation. Moses came
up from the ark of bulrushes; David
from the sheepcote; and Peter from the
fisherman's net. 1t is the busy men
who have missions in the wOrld-not
those "born with silver spoons in their
mouths" The smallest fly will draw
blood if it only keeps digging. And
so the business men are usu-
ally the best men whether they operate
before carpenters bench or upon d
mason's wall. With create fleet, Talmage
eXclaims upon this point that "the prod
| igal son would not have been reformed
and have wanted to go home, had he
| not gone into business, although it was
swine feeding.n These and like lessons
of practical value are evolved from the
'Old, old story" which we give from
DR.. Talmage this morning.
Special The Register.
brooklyn, n. Y, December 25.-The Rev.
| L. De Witt Talmage, ID. d., preached the
| following sermon in the Brooklyn Taber-
naCle to-day. The vast edifiCe was beaut-
fully decorated and denSely crowded with
one of the largest audiences that ever as
sembled to hear the distinguished divine
The Subject was-"The Christmas An
them.
Text: 81. Luke li-lI-"Glory to God in the
Highest and on Earth Peace, Goodwin To
Men"
Bethlehem sits on a ridge of rocks six
miles from Jerusalem. 1t is memorable in
Bible story. Near here were the waving
harvests OF BOaz, where Ruth CLEANED for
herself and weeping NaOnis Here David,
the warrior, was thirsty and three of his
men with unheard OF self-denial broke
through the hosts of Philistines to get him
q drink. To this place, surrounded by
olives and pomegranates and gardens,
Joseph and Mary came to have their names
counted in the census That is what the
scripture means when il says they come
TO be taxed for l do not suppose that i'll
those times any more than now people were
accustomed to run after the taI-gatherers
So great was the rush of the population
that all the inns of the village were filled
and these two travellers were obliged to
lodge in the stables. These were large stone
buildings in the centre of which the camelS
were kept; while running out from this
rn in oil li irppti,nS tbprp small
rooms, IN one of which
Jesus Was Born.
If His parents had been more shOwily
appareled, Isuppose they Mould baYe tonnd
fires. were gathering their tlocks, when,
hark, to the sound Of voices strangely
sweet Can it be the maidons oil Bethie-
hem have come out to Serenade the weary
shepherds But now great light .StooPS
upOn them, like the morning, at when the
flocks arise, shaking their snowy heece anu anu
bleating to their drowSy young. Inc
heavens are all aglOw with armies oi llSut,
and the earth tremblcs under the harmony
of the song rs echoed back from c!oIG iua 70
cloud il rings over the midnight NILS
"Glorv to God IN the highest, and on earth
peaCe goodwill to men, IL seemed as II
His crown of royalty and dominion, lett
behind Him, were hung upon the SKY WIN
in sight of Palestine. Was IL not thaI
crown which the wise men afterwards mis-
took for star glittcring ana pointing
downward? Learn several lessons from the
story of the birth of Jesus; and
First, that Indulgence is not always sig
niticant of degradation. When princes are
born
HeraIds Proclaim IL.
and cannons thunder it, and flags wave II
and illuminations set cities on fire with the
tidincs. But at the advent OF Jesus there
was no earthly rejoicing He was poor ana
growing poorer. Yet the recognition Oh tne
heavenly host proves the truth oi inc
nronos;tion that poverty is not always sig
niticant of degradation. In all ages there
have been great hearts that have throbDed
under rags, teLItler sympathies under rough
eyteriors, gold in the quartz, Parian marble
vet in the quarry, and in very stables ol
priyation wonders OF excellence that have
been the Joy of the heavenly host. lhey
who have been the dclivererS OF llteratureS
and of nations have come from homes WIN
| out affiuence and by the discipline OF thetr
own nriyations have learned how to speak
| and fight for the ignorant and oppreSSeu'
| Columbus, the weaver, Johnson, the brick
| Iavcr. HALEY. the boiler, sherman,
| The shoemaker, Elihu Barritt, the black
| smith, through many prlvatlon, arose I'd
| their positions of power. There are those
who have held up their pine-Enot
light until nations and gener-
ations could see by 1t and men VINO
| Of the crust which they ate in their penury
! have broken the bread Of knowledge and
religion for starving millions OF the race
| Poetry and science, and laws and conStltu-
| tiOns, and commerce, were born ike Jesus
| i'm n mangcr. Most OF the great thoughts
| which have seemed the aHle-tree on whlCh
| the centuries turned had their start IN 90,
| scurc corners, and had HerodS who tne1
| To slav them, and lScariots who betrayed
tbcm and unjust Pilates who condemned
| them, and rabbis that Crucitied them, anu
| scpulchreS that confined them TIL they
burst oEt again in glorious resurrection.
Men are Like Wheat.
worth all the more ior being Hailed. strong
| character, like the rhododendron. IS an Al
nine plant which grows fastest IN the storm;
There are those whe would never be uSeiui
unless ground and hammered IN the iouho
rv of disaster. When see Moses come up
from the ark oi bulruShcS 10 become the
Greatest at lawpiYers. and Amos from keep
! iur the herds 10 make Israel t.emble under
his prupLrCjcs, ami David from the sheep
| cote So nightly to sway the poets pen aiO
the kings Sccptrc, and Peter from the iish
| er-nan's net to become the preacher ~ tn'
Pcntecust, behold the truth OF tht
principle advanced that inOgehce Vi "P
pearanoe is not always significant ~ deSr"
dstiOn.
Furthermore we learn from this Sto[!
that while we are engaged i'll our occnpa
tions we behold divine manifestations
Had the shepherds concl Eded tor that nigh
tbcy would go into the village and risi
, their hocks among the wolves, they wouI,
not have heard the song OF the angels II
other words he sees most OF God and heaTel
who minds his own business. 1t Is only
our post of duty that we have heavenly eS
. hibitions made untous. We are alt shsl
herds having large hocks oil cares anu W uu
TICS around us. and we must tend 10 then
Men engaged constantly in worldly occr
: nations think il they could only have her
!, and there a secular day with nothing TO az
tbey would become better christians. II
: a great mistake. The busiest men az
usually the best men. There is no oettt ~.
1 Il. Aaay Val a