The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-31
CHRISToS NATIVITY.
a Christmas Sermon by Rev. 2
De Witt Ta,mage, D. D.
Rev Lessons from the Oft-Repeated Sto-y
Why Star That Led the Way
A December Christ The
Three Presents.

BrooKLTS. y. V. Dec. 3.-The text O;
DIR. TalmaSe's Christmas sermon was tho
ninth verse of the second chapter of Mat.
thew: when they had heard the King
they departed: and, 10. the star which thew
saw in the east went before them and stood
over where the young child was, The
preacher said:
AT this season all Christendom celebrates
the birth of Christ. Step down out of YOUR
comfortable surroundings into the chill De.
Sember night Of Bethlehem. Two plain
people are hoteled in a village barn after a
walk Of eighty miles. too long q walk for
one in poor health. No Lords of state
awaiting in the ante-chamber. as Who,
other Kings are born; no messengers
mounted at the doorway ready to herald
the event from city to city; no medical skill
IN attendance: no sdtin-lincd cradle to r.
ccive its infantile guest-but :. m-9narc,,
born in the hostelery called the House of
Chimham. the night. with diamond finer,
pointing down TO the place: the door Of
Heaven set wide open TO look oat: from or
ches-ral batons of light, dripping the ora
tor.os Of The Messiah: on lowest doorstep
o. Heaven the mirstrels disccursirg o.
glory and good will.
Soon after the white beartied as.rologists
kneel. and from leather pouch cbinls the
shelcls, and from open sacks exhalc the
frankinceGsc and rustic ont the bundles Of
myrrh. The lCoscned star; the escaped
doXOlogv Of cclcs;ials: the chill December
night aiiush with May morn; our world a
lost star. an: another star rushing down
the SKY that night 10 beckon the wanderec
home again. shall yet make ell nations
Keep Christmas
Arc thar. no ROW 1eccDpc f-o-,, IL
not yet haclsneyed by oft repcatal. Oh,
yes. New. in the first place. it was a ST.
dereai appearance that led the way. So. the
star which they saw in the east went
before them Why not a black cloud i'll tho
shape of hand or a finger pointing down
to the sacred birthplace A cloud means
trouble. and the world had had trout bio
enough. Why not shaft of lighting
Quivering and flashing and striking down
TO the sacred birthplace ! Lightning means
destruction, shatteriag ami consulninc :
power. and the world wanted no moro
destruction.
But it was a star. and that means ioy-
that means hore-that means good cheer
that means asceniency. A star, That
means creative power for did not tho
morning stars sing together when the port
folio Of the worlds was opened! \ start
li'ss' ltAC'iLS hCIHil>t. ENT CID Inc stars
fight IN their course against S.scra and for
the Lords people: \ star, That means
brilliant continuance. for are not the right
eous 10 shine as the stars forever aud ever.
A star! That means the opening of eter-
nal joy: the day star in the heart; the morn
ing star Of The Redecncr
! he unusual appearances that night
might have been strange conjunction Of
words. As the transit of Venus was fore
told many years ago by astronomers and
astronomers can tel what VIII he the Con-
junction of worlds 4 thousand Years
from row, so they can calculate back
wards. and even !niiiel astronomers have
been compelled 20 testify that about the
year l there was very unusual ap-
pearlnce N the heavens The Chinese
record of course entirely independent of
the word OF God. gives rs a matter Of his
tory that about the year / there was a
strange and UuaCcJuntable appearance in
the heavens But it may have been a me-
teor sCch as you AID | have seen fash in
tie heavens,
Only few rca-s ago saw in the wcs.-
CIR SKY star shoot and fail with such
ei<,ancy anu precision that If ! had been
o. hill - high 2s that of Bethlehem IN
which tle 81 Fherds stood. | cCulI have
marked within short distance The place
Ct ahEAtnG. The University Cf Iowa al!
tn British Museum have specimens OF
meteor.c stones PICKED up IN the fields.
fragments flung o. from other worlds,
leaving fiery trail On the Sky. So that Il
Is not - me at al improbable. the stellar or
IacIcoris appearance on that night OF which
we speak. | only care to know that it was
bright that il was sIlvery, that it flashed,
ana swayed, and SWING. and halted with
JOY celestial. as though Christ. in haste TO
cave our world, had rushed down without
His corcnet. ana tine angels of God Lad
hurled il after Hi1a,
Not black cloud of threat. but briC!..
star of hope is our glorious Christianity.
One glimpse of that stellar appearance
hndied Up the soul of the sick and the
dying college student. until the words
flashed IRON his pale fingers and the star
seemed to pour its light from his white
lips. rs Kirk White wrote these immortal
words:
when, marshaled on the nightly plain.
The gitterIng hosts bestud the sky,
One star alone of all the train
Can fix the sinners wandering eye:
lark. bark, TO God the chorus break
From every host. from every gem,
But one alone the Saviour speaks
1t is the Star OF Bethlehem.
once on the raging seas rode.
The storm was loud. the night was DARK |
And rudeiy blew the wind
That tossed my laundering bark;
Deep horror then ray vitals froze
Death-struck, ceased the tide 10 stem: |
When suddenly star arose,
1t was the Star Of Bethlehem"
Sotice also in this scene that other |
worlds seemed to honor our Lord ard Mas |
ter. Bright star Of the night wheel on in |
thine obit! No" said the star, Il must |
come nearer, and l must tend, and 1 must !
watch and see what you do with my Jesus" |
Another world that night joined our world |
In worship. That star made bow Of |
obeisance. l sometimes hear people talk |
of Christs dominion as though il were to |
be merely the few thousand miles of the !
worlds circumference; but I believe tn, /
millions and the billions and the quadril-
lens OF worlds are inhabited-if net by
Suc6 creatures as We are. still such Great
nres as God designed TO make. and that all /
these worlds are part OF Chr:st's dornin-
son- Isaac Newton and Kepler and Herschcl |
only went on Columbus voyage TO fad
these continents of our Kings domain. l
think all worlds were LOYAL but this, Tn.
great organ of the universe. its pedals and
Its pspes and its KEYS. are all one great
harmony, save one injured pedal save one
broken stop-the vox humana Of the human
Face, the disloyal world
Nox you know that however grand the
instrument may be, If there be enc KEY on.
OF order it spells the harmony. And Christ
must mend this key; He must restore this
Key; He must restore that broken stop.
1ou kaow with what bleeding hand. and
9th what pierced SIDE and with what
Crushed Foot. He die the work But the
world Shall he at.uned and all worlds will
be Yet accordant II not. why that celestial
escorts Il not why that sentinel with
oiazlng badge above the carayansary. II
not, why that