Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-12-27

ton, that cannot articulate its grief? This
Christ came not only to lift the human race
out of its trouble, 6At to lift out of pang
and hardship the animal creation.
IN THE GLORIOUS MILLENNIAL TINE
the child shall lead the lion and play with
the cockatrice only because brute and rep
tile shall have no more wrongs to avenge.
To alleviate the condition ofthe brute ere
alton Christ was born in the cattle pen.
The first bleat of the Lamb Of God was
heard amid the tired flocks of the Bethle-
hem shepherds. The white horse of eter-
nal victory stabbed in barn.
But notice also in this account of the
three Christmas presents that are brought
TO the manger. Gold, frankincense and
myrrh. Gold to Christ. That means al
the affiuence Of the world surrendered to
Him. For lack ofmoney no more asylums
limping on their way like the cripples
whom they helped, feeling their stow way
like the blind people whom they shell
tered. Millions Of dollars for Christ where
there are now thousands for Christ. Rail
roads owned by Christian stockholders
and governed by Christian directors, and
carrying passengers and freight at Chris
tian prices. George Peabody ard Abbott
Lawrences and James Lenoxes no rari.
ty. 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 il was typical of the fact that
Christ's 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 Ikea
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 snufied ut Il.
They did not cat il because il was bitter.
The pungent gum resin of Abyssinia called
myrrh brought TO the feet Of Christ.
That means bitterness. Bitter betrayal,
bitter persecution, bitter days OF suffering,
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 what they strewed His path with
all the way from the cattle pen in Beth
lehem to the mausoleum at Joseph's coun-
try seat. Myrrh. Yea, says the Psalmist
''All Thy garments smell Of myrrh." That
Is what the wise men wrapped in the eswad-
ding clothes Of the Babe. That is what
the Marys twisted in the shroud Of cru
cited Christ The myrh. oh, the height
the depth, the length, the breadth OF .
Sayiour's sorrow! Myrrh Well might
the wise men shake out the myrrh.
But | notice, also, from another sack
they shake out the irankinccnse. Clear
up 10 the rafters of the barn the air In
filled with the perfume, and the hostlers
and the camel drivers in the further part
Of the building inhale il, and il floats out
in the air until passcrs-by wonder who in
that rough place could by accident drop
ped box of alabaster.
FRAHKINcENsE.
That is what they burned in the censer
in the ancient Temple. Frankinccnse.
That means worship. Fnnkinccnse That
is to fill all the homes, and all the churches,
and all the capitals and all the nations,
from cellar Of stalactited cave clear up TO
the silyery rafters OF the starlit dome.
Frankincense. That IL what we shake out
from our hearts to-day, ~ that the nostrils
of Christ once crimsoned with the hemor-
rhage Of the cross, shall be flooded with
the perfume Of world alteration. Frank
incense. Fnnkincense in song, and ser
mon, and handshaking, and decoration.
Praise Him, mountains and hills, valleys
and seas, and skies, and earth and heaven
cyclone with your trumpcts, northern
lights with your flaming ensign. morning
with yonr castles Of cloud, and evening
with your billowing clouds Of sunset
DO you know how they used to hold the
ccnser in the oldcn tines Here In q
metal pan and the handle by which II was
held. In the inside Of this pan were put
living Goals. On the top Of them n per-
forated cover. In a square box the frank
incense was brought TO the Temple. This
frankincense was taken out and sprinkled
over the living Goals. and then the per-
forated cover was put on. and when they
were all ready for worship, then the cover
was lifted from this censer, and the per-
fumed smoke arose until IL hung amid all
the folds and dropped amid all the altars,
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 CESsERs TO-DAY
Of Christmas to-day Of frankincense. He
is the one censfr Of earthly frankinccnse.
On that We put our thanks for the mercies
Of the past year, the mercies Of all our
past lives, individual mercies, family
mercies, social mercie-, national mercies,
and 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 wreaihe NIL
these pillars, and hover amid all these
arches, and then soar 10 the throne.
But here il the other censer Of heavenly
Thanksgiving and worship. Let them
bring all their frankincense--tb cberubim
bring theirs and the serapbim theirs, and
the one hundred and forty and four thou
sand theirs, and oil the eternities theirs,
and let them smoke with perfume on This
heavenly censer until the cloud canopies
the throne Of God Then take tbese two
censers-the censer Of earthly fIankincense,
and the censer Of heavenly frankincense-
and ! swing them before the throne, and
then ] clash them together in one crest
Alleluis unto Him 20 whom the wise men
OF the Fast brought the gold, and the
myrrb, and the frankineense, when The
star which they saw in the East went be
fore them"