Daily Republican., 1885-12-30
A SERMON


December ~. 1885.
The wise men, who they were their
country and pilgrimage; the star they
saw; where they saw 1t. The proba bilfty |
of kepier's discovery being the same /
star. When the star appeared and
when 1t will appear again. A theory
how 1t guided the wise men to Christ.
1--WE have seen his star in the east. ;"
Mat. II. 2. In discussing this subject 1
acknowledge my Indebtedness to DR..
Upham and others, to whom 1 may not
give credit, in tho following discourse.
Matthew is the only evangelist who
mentions this star and pilgrimage Of
the wise men. He gives them but q
! passing notice. He states . few facts |
and leaves his readers to interpret
them. He has said but little, yet the |
few statements signify much. We need
not be surprised at this, for as dia |
mond Ia more precious than mountain,
40 his condensed thought is worth more
than volumes of words. When the
Lord Chamberlain asked Hamlet what
he was reading, he replied: Words,
words" As 1t was with Hamlet's page,
80 1t is with much of the literature of
our day. "a river of words with but
q spoonful OF thouel lit Matthew does not
beat the gold into fiimsy tinsel. .but gives
1t TO MS In glitteriDg grains and precious
nuggets. The Magi, which Is translate
wise men, is used as title, a descrip-
tive title. For instance, IL we use the
title Brahmips, we know at once by the
title that they are OF India. We know
their character, religion, complexion,
ldress, manners, customs and opinions.
Methodist is title more familiar.
WHO is A METHODIST?
This is a title which was given In
lderision to few young men who
wrought and worshipsd by method.
But the contempt with which it was
lspoken has passed away, while the
name has become like precious ointment
poured out.
1t Is fall of meaning not only to us
but to the world. Who Is a Methodist
in the highest and best sense? He Is
lone who has been convicted for sin !;
, one who has forsaken sin ; one who has
repented of his sin and has been for
given !. he has been born again, and
having believed ON the Son of God, has
the witness In himself that he Is a child
! of God. He believes In sanctification
, with all his heart, and expects to be
made perfect in love In this life he at
I tends class communes with saints and
with the Father through the Son by the
aid of the Holy Ghost; he believes
"where the spirit Of the Lord is there is
: liberty" So In good faith he says
! amen, when he feels like 1t, and glory
when he can't help it.
The Methodists are 80 numerous to
tday, although they are only little
imore than hundred years old, that Il
\ we could bridge over all oceans anc
world we could put n Methodist IL
| every twelve inches. ard have encugf
TO hold several camp meetings left.
IT they could be put into an army !
would number over four and q hal
= millions, besides thousands OF un
counted children In her Sunday schools
In this great army We have her elias
d leaders for life-guards; her steward
4 for pay IN asters; her exborters, Sunda.
u school teachers, local preachers ant
!. pastors for recruiting officers; he
- bishops for q vanguard.
8 Methodist churches dot every cont
nent. Their steeple fingers point to III
heaven of heavens. Her bells ring ou
~ che i-s-isaAi~-- sa all -nAapiA :. !" ne..s
" unto me all ye ends of the earth and b
!. Iye saved"
Now as Brahmin and Methodist ar
descriptive and historic titles, so
MaRi SO used by Matthew. The teri
Magi in two thousand years has ha
two siRniHcations. The first honorable
the second dishoporable. The Roman
- believe them to be adopts in the blac
Isl arts.
st. Jerome says. common custom an
common speech treat the MaRi rs ma I
factors, 81. Luke uses the term In L
IN idishouorable sense, when he speah
of Simon, the Magus, and Elymus, tt
Vi Majus.
.e But Matthew wrote not for Roman
- as did St. Luke, but for his own couI
Itrymen, aud used 1t in an honorab
sense, in the Persian sense. For In 81
Persian Empire Magi was honorable
in the Roman Empire dishonoraoi
The translators conceived IL TO nay
been used In an honorable sense, or Il
stead of rendering 1t " wise men" ths
would have translated 1t magicians,
<s they did in other places.
These wise men who were searchtr
for Christ cannot be pointed out as
crew of jugglers, fortune-tellei
Icharmers and diviners, as credulo'
and corrupt, imposters OF the vile al
DO and dangerous kind. Such wanderir
ua Magi, telling the tale they told In Jer
VIC salem, would have been strapgled
in Herod. Bus he treats them as homo
able men. The old politician, hf
IS, crazy, half dead, admits them 10 priya
audience. For them he called toReth
the sanhedrim, the Grand Council
el | the Kingdoms. They must have be
mobiles.
George Llncing Taylor, In the Chrl
ian Advocate of December 10, 1850, G
y lscribes them as follows
H.I Lo, in yonder palace hall,
~ Waiting, stand three strangers tall
Not the rab lean and swart,
al Not tue Hebrew. stout and short,
S4l Not the Egyptian, brown and mild.
ell Not the syrian, strong and wild,
tOI Not the Greek, with auburn hair,
Not the Romans naughty air,
Not tho Ethiop's sunburnt face,
.I Not tho SythiA IS savage race,
jul But
Seers Of Porsia's ancient CLINE,
Here they stand Ia port sublime;
I Seecs from Zor0astef taught,
wei Through Two thousand years OF thought
Sages skilled IN all earth's lore.
all Gathered through the centuries hoar
,oel Masters Of the magian line.
lOII Verssd In starry fates divine.
fol They were priests (; teachers OF
ligious art in the courts OF Pers
G. kings.
Berodotus says !: Without one
CHy the magi IL is not lawful for Pers
liar to sacrifice" They searched into
future.
8 Isl Prsfessed to utter the will of G
they were to Persia what the propl
Idh we're to Israel They had their
var temples and worshipped before
flame, but did not worship the fam
our Born TO mount spark Of IRE,
.ral DeaLhless still when suns expire"
Like the Jews, at times they
n. -lth sAn1atrv hue their