The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-06
miscellaneous.
REV. 7. DEWITT TALMAGE.
PEACE I--ON EARTH, GOOD WILL
TOWARD MEN.
The Memorable Manger Of the Village Of
Bethlehem What Was Born There
Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.
sUBJEcr-"THE MANGER."

was with the angels multitude Of the
heavenly host"
At midnight, from one of the galleries
of the sky a chant broke. There seemed
to the ordinary observer no reason for
such celestial demonstration. A poor
man and wife, travellers, Joseph and
Mary by name, had lodged in an out
house of an unimportant village. The
supreme hour of anguish and solemnity
had passed, and upon the paliid forehead
and cheek of Mary, God had set the dig
nifty, the grandeur, the tenderness, the
everlasting and divine Significance of
motherhood. But the world a thousand
times before had witnessed such scene,
yet never before had star been unfxed,
or had baton of light marshaled over the
hills winged orchestra, Had there been
such brilliant and mighty recognition
at an advent in the house of the Caesars,
or the house of the Pharaohs, or that of
the Stewards, or the Hapsburg, we would
not 80 have wondered. But a barn seems
too poor a center for such angelic and
Rrch.angelic circumstance; stage too
small for such grand act, and music too
grand for 80 unappreCiative auditors, the
windows of the stable too rough to be
serenaded by other worlds. No, sir; no
madam 1t is my business this morning
to tell you what was born that night in
that village barn.
First, that night was born encourage
ment for all the poorly started, Only
two friends, and those his own parents,
No satin. lined cradle and no delicate at.
tentions, but the straw and the cattle and
the coarse joke and banter of camel dri'
vers. Well might the old medieval pic.
lures represent the oxen as kneeliDg in
his presence, for no others were there to
worship. Born away down in the great
depths of poverty, with all it's humiliat-
ing circumstances, but climbing to the
highest throne in the universe, with its
dominion, and the admired of all the
earth and heaven. What name most
potent in all Christendom todayP Jesus!
Who has the most friends2 Jesusl Be.
fore whom do the most thousands kneel
in all lands? Jesus? Whose scepter is
the ensign of joy, peace, and happiness
to all his loving subjects2 Jesusl King
Emmanuel, God with us. For whom
could the armies of hundred million
or more be gathered ready to fight or
die? Jesus, the royal leader of the hosts
of Gods elect! A mighty army, upon
whose banners are inscribed, Faith,
Hope, Victory, through Jesus Christ.
Well, what encouragement to all the
poor. You cannot be poorer, or suffer
greater inconvenience than Christ But
with the example of Him above you,
and all time and eternity before you, do
not be discouraged. Most of the worlds
deliverers have had humble birth. Lu-
ther, the emancipation of religion, born
among the mines; Shakspere, the liberia.
tor of literature, born in an humble cot.
tage at Stratford Avon; Christopher
Columbus, the discoverer of this CONT
nent, born in poverty at Genoa; Hogarth,
who discovered how to make art the
patron of virtue, born in obsCurity at
Westmoreland. When VIM. Herschell,
the astronomer who discovered so many
worlds, was born in a poor musicians
home, 1 suppose not only one star, but
all the stars, pointed to his maDger. And
Haydn, the great composer, was born in
an humble wheelwright's home, sup
pose all the angels of music Chanted
above his manger. Oh, ye who are born
low down, aspire TO climb up, and be as.
sured, though all others try to keep you
back, and all men in your business and
out of it may oppose your ascent, on your
side are the sympathetic heart and the
Omnipotent arm of Him who, on Christ.
mas night, about eighteen hundred and
eighty years ago, was wrapped in swad.
ding cloths and laid in the manger 1t
is true, the road to success is beset with
difficulties, and humanity speaking, they
appear insurmountable, but fight the
good fight faithfully, earnestly, manful-
ly, looking to Jesus for strength and aid,
and you will succeed.
Again, born that night in the caravan.
sery, was good will to man, whether you
call it kindness, or sympathy, or help.
fulness, or love. twas no sport for high
heaven to send its favorite to such hu.
initiation. 1t was supernal sacrifice for
a rebellious world. After the calamity
in Paradise not only did the OK begin to
gore, and the adder to sting, and the ell.
ephant to strike with his trunk, and TIE
lion put to bad use his tooth and paw,
but under the very tree from which the
forbidden fruit was plucked, were hatch
ed out war, and revenge, and hate, and
envy, and malice, and great brood of
c0ckatriCes.
Against all that l set the Bethlehem
manger. which SAYS better % bless than
to curse; better to suffer than to assault;
and that Christmas night pronounces it's
benediction on all nations. 1t saws to
the world: Sheathe your sword; dismsn-
tie your batteries; diqmount your guns
Turn the war ship Constellation, that
carried shot and shell, into a grain ship
to take food to Ireland. Hook your cav
airy horses to the plow. Use your dead. |
ly gunpcwder for blasting rocks and pat.
riotic celebration. Stop lawsuits. Ex.
tract the sting from your sarcasm. Write
no more anonymous letters. Let wit
corrusCate, but never burn. Drop harsh
words out of your vocabulary. Good
wilt to man. 0, my Lord Jesus, drop
that spirit into all our hearts this Christ |
mas hour. l tell you what the world |
wants; more helping hands; more sym.
pathetic tears; more kind words; more
disposition to give other people a ride.