National Republican., 1886-12-27
w 4! 4. /. ]: r, =
DIR Y GOODS

bodys and Abbott Lawrences and James
Lenoxes no rarity. Bank Of England, bourse
moneyed institutions OF the world, for Christ,
The gold for Christ.
Gold not merely paid the way for Joseph and
Mary and the divine fugitive into Egypt, but 1t
was typical of the fact that Chrlst's way shall
be paid around the world. The gold for Christ
the silver for Christ, the jewels for Christ. The
bright round, beautiful jewel of a world set
like solitaire on the bosom of Christ.
But notice that these wise men also shook
out from their sacks the myrrh. The cattle
came sn and they snuiIed at it They did not eat
resin OF ofAbyssinia, called.myrrh, brought to the
feet Of Christ That means bitterness. Bitter
betrayal, bitter persecution, bitter days Of suf-
fering. bitter nights of woe Myrrh. That is
what they put into His cup when He was
dying. ,Myrrh. That is what they put under
his head in the wilderness, Myrrh;; That IS
from the cattle pen in Bethlehem to the maui
soleum at Josephs country seat. Myrrh. Yea,
says the Psalmist. "all thy garments smell of
in the swaddling clothes of the babe. That Is
what the Marys twisted in the shroud Of q cru.
cihed Christ The myrrh. oh, the height, tho
sorrow Myrr6. Well might the wise men
shake out the myrrh
But notice, also, from another sack they
shake out the frankincense. Clear up to the
raiters OF the barn the air is filled with the
perfume, and the hostlers and the camel
drivers In the further part of the building in
Dhle ~, uuu IL HOhtb ulr until paSSeTS-
by wonder who in that rough place could have
by accident dropped n box of alabaster.
Frankincense that is what they burned In
the eenser in the ancient temple, Frank
incense; that means worship. Fraukincense;
that Is to fill oil the homes. and all the
churches, and all the capitals, and all the ma.
lions, from cellar of stalacitited cave clei up
TO the silvery rafters of the starlit dome.
Frankincense that Is what we shake out from
our hearts to-day so that the nostrils of Christ,
once crimsoned with the hemorrhage of the
nFnEQ hall l.n AnIN llaa RItNVN - n
worlds alteration. Frankincense. Frank
incense In song, asd sermon, and handshak-
ing, and decoration. Praise Him, mountains
and hills, valleys and seas, and skies, AMI
earth. and heaven cyclone, with your
trumpets; northern lights, with your flaming
eusign; morning, with your castles of clou !,
and evening. with your biliowing clouds of
DO you know how they used to hold the CEN
ser inthe olden timer Here Is metal pan
aud the handle by which 1t was held. In the
inside of this pan were put living Goals On
the top OF them a perforated cover. In
square box the frankincense was brought to the
temple, This frankincense was taken out and
sprinkled over the living Goals aud then the
perforated cover was put on, and when they
were oil ready for worship, then the cover was
lined from this censer and from all the other
censers, ana the perfnmed smoke arose until
1t hung amid all the folds aud dropped amid
all the altaTs, and then rose In great columns
Of praise outside or above the temple, rising
clear upward to the throne OF God
So We have two censers to-day Of Christ
mas frankincepse Here is the one
cenEer OF earthly frankincenss. on that
we put our thanks for the mercies of
the past year. the mercies OF all our
past lives, individual metoles, family mercies,
social mercies, national mercies, ana our
hearts burning with gratitude send aloft the
incense OF praise toward the throne OF Christ.
Bring on more incense. and higher and higher
| let the columns Of praise ascend, Let them
wTeaihe oil these pillars, aud hover amid all
| these arches, and then soar TO the throne.
But here Is the other Censer, OF heavenly
Thanksgiving and worship. Let them bring all
| their fIankincense-the cherubim bring theirs
and the serapnim theirs, and the one hundred
and forty and four thousand theirs, aud all the
| eteTnities theirs, and let them smoke with per-
iume on this heavenly censer until the cloud
canopies the throne of God. Then take these
two censers-the censer of earthly franklin
cense and the censer of heavenly frankincense
| and swing them before the throne, aud
then clash them together In one great Ale
lula unto Him to whom the wise men of the
east brought the gold, aud the myrrh, and tho
irankincense, when "the star which they saw
| in the east went before them"