Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-27

avenge. To alleviate the condition Of the
brute creation Christ was born in the cat
tie pen. The first Dleat OF the Lamb OF
God was heard amid the tired 1ocks OF
the Bethlehem shepherds. The White
horse of eternal victory stabbed in barn.
But notice also in this account the
three Christmas presents that are brought
to the manger. Gold, frankincense and
myrrh. Gold to Christ. That means all
the aftluence OF the world surrendered to
Him. For lack ofmOney no more asylums
llmping ON their way like the cripples
whom they helped, feeling their slow way
like the blind people whom they sheltered.
Millions OF dollars for Christ where there
are now thousands for Christ. Railroads
owned by Christian stockholders, and
governed by Christian directors, and car
rying passengers and freight at Christian
prices. George Peabodys and Abbott
Lawrences and James LenOXes no rarity.
Bank of England, Bourse of France,
United States Treasury, all the 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 it was typical OF the fact that
Christs way shall be paid all 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 and they snuffed at 1t.
They did not eat it because it was bitter.
The pungent gum resin of Abysslnla
called myrrh brought to the feet of Christ.
That means bitterness. Bitter BETRAYAL,
bitter persecution, bitter days Of suffer
ing, bitter nights of woe. Myrrh. That
is what they put into HIS cup when He
was dying. Myrrh. That is what they
PIT under HIS head in the wilderness.
Myrrh. That is what they strewed His
path with all the way from the cattle pen
in Bethlehem to the mausoleum at
JOseph's country seat. Myrrh. yea"
says the Psamist, ''all thy garments
smell of myrrh." That is what the wise
men wrapped in the swadding clothes of
the babe. That is what the Marys twisted
in the shrOud of crucItied Christ. The
myrrh. Oh, the height. the depth, the
length, tine breadth OF SaviOur's sorrow!
Myrrn. Well might the wise men shake
out the myrrh.
But L notice. also, from another sack
they shake out the fr2nkincense. Clear
up to the ratters of the barn the air is
filed with the perfume, and the hostlers
and the camel drivers in the further part
of the building inbale it, and it floats out
in the air until passers-by wonder who in
that rough place could have by accident
dropped box of alabaster.
Frankincense. That is what they
burned in the censor in the ancient Tenn
pie. Frankincense. That means wor-
ship. Fraukincense. That is 10 fill all
the homes, and all the churches, and all
the capitals, ana all the nations, from
cellar OF stalactited cave clear up to the
silvery rafters of the starlit dome.
Epax MI 10 yhaf ehnTz
out from our hearts to-day, so that the
nostrils OF Christ, once crimsoned with
the bemorrhage of the cross, shall be
flooded with the perfume of a worlds
alteration. Franklncense. Frankincense
in song, and sermon, and Handwriting,
and decoration. Praise Him, mountains
and hills, valleys and seas, and skies, and
earth and heaven-cyclone with your
trumpets, northern lights with your riam-
ing ensign, morning with your castles of
cloud, and evening with your billowing
clouds of sunsetl
DO you know how they used to hold the
censor in the Olden timer Here is metal
pan and the handle by which it 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 frank
incense was taken out and sprinkled over
the living Goals, and then the perforated
cover was put on, and when they were
all ready for worship, then the cover was
lifted from this censor and from all the
other censers, and the perfumed smoke
arose until it hung amid all the folds and
dropped amid all the affairs, 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 today Of Christ
mas frankincense. Here is the one censor
of earthly fraRkincense. On that we put
our thanks for the mercies OF the past
year, the mercles of all our past lives, in
dIyidual mercies, family merces, social
mercies, national mercies, and our hearts
burning with gratitude send abort tue in
cense of praise toward the throne of
Christ. Bring on more incense, and
higher and higher let the columns OF
praise ascend. Let them wreathe all
these pillars, and hover amid all these
arches, and then soar to the throne.
But here is the other censor, of heRv-
emily thanksgiving and worship. Let
them bring all their frankincense,-the
cherubim bring theirs and the seraphim
theirs, and the one hundred and forty
and-four thousand theirs, and all the
eternlties theirs, and let them smoke
with perfume on this heavenly censor
until the cloud canOples the throne OF
God. Then l take these two censers-
the censor of earthly frankincense, ana
the censor of heavenly franklncense-
and | swing them before the throne, and
then 1 clash them together in one great
AlleluIa unto Him to whom the wise men
OF the East brought the gold, aud the
myrrh, and the irankincense, VIII en- "the
star which they saw IN the East went
before them"
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