Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-01-10

only skepticism ever had about Chris
tianity was an astronomical skepticism
which said: "Why would God out OF the
heavens and amid the Jupiters and Sa-
turns of the universe have chosen our little
bit of q world for the achievements OF His
only begotten son when He might have
hal a vaster scale and vaster worlds:"
But NV skepticism is all gone as l come to
the manger and watch its surroundings.
Now l see all the worlds are sisters, and
that when one weeps they all weep, and
when one sings they all sing.
From that supernatural grouping in the
cloud banks over Bethlehem, and from the
especial trains that run down to the scene,
/ find that our world is beautifully and
gloriously and magniicently surrounded.
The meteors are with US, for one of them
ran to point down to the birthplace. The
heavens are with US, because at the
thought of our redemption they roll hosan-
mas out of the midnight sky.
o! yes; l do not know but our world
may be better surrounded than we have
sometimes imagined. and when child is
born angels fetch it, and when it dies
angels take it, and when an old man bends
under the weight of years angels uphold
him, and when a heart breaks angels
soothe it. Angels in the hospital to take
care of the sick. Angels in the cemetery
to watch our dead. Angels In church
ready to fly Heavenward with the news OF
repentant souls. Angels above the
world. Angels under the world. Angels
all around the world.
Rub the dust of human imperfection out
or our eyes, and look into the heavens and
Of Nit nf
of pardon, angels of help, angels crowned.
angels charioted. The world defended by
angels, girdIed by angels, cohorted by
angels-clouds of angels. Hear David cry
out: ''The chariots of God are twenty
thousand. Even thousands of angels"
But the migbtiest angel stood not that
night in the clouds over Bethlehem; the
mightiest angel that night lay among the
cattle-the Angel of the New Covenant.
As the clean white linen sent in by some
motherly villager was being wrapped
around the little form of that Child En-
peror, not a cherub, not seraph, not all
angel, not world but wept and thrilled
and shouted. o, yes, our world is only
silver rung of great ladder, at the top of
which is our Fathers house. No more
stellar soltariness for our world. not a
friendless n!2.et spun out into space to
freeze, but world in the bosom of divine
maternity. A star harnessed to a manger.
Fourth-Again l remark that that night
born in that village barn was the offenders
hope. Some sermonizers may say ought
to have projected this thought at the be-
ginning of the sermon. o, no! l wanted
you to rise toward it. 1 wanted you to
examine the comedians and the jaspers
and the emeralds and the chrysalis before
1 showed you the Kohinoor-the crown
jewel of the ages.
On that jewel had very poor setting.
The cub of bear is born amid the grand
old pillars of the forest; the whelp of
lion takes its first step from the jungle of
luxuriant leaf and wild flower; the kid of
goat is born in cavern chaudeliered with
stalactite and pillared with stalagmite.
Christ was born in a bare barn. Yet that
nativity was the offenders hope. Over
the door OF Heaven are written these
words: "None but the sinless may enter
here"
20, horror" you say, that shuts US all
out" No. Christ came to the world in
one door and He departed through another
door. He came through the door of the
manger and He departed through the
door of the sepulchre, and His one busi-
ness was so to wash away our sin that
one second after we are dead there will be
no more sin about US than about the
eternal God.
know that is putting it strongly, but
that is what understand by full remis-
sion. All erased, all washed away, all
secured out, all gone. That undergrad
ling and overarching and irradiating and
imparadising possibility for. you and for
ME and for the whole race was given on
that Christmas night.
Do you wonder we bring flowers to-day
to celebrate such an event: Do you wonder
that we take organ and cornet and youth
full voice and queenly soloist to celebrate
it? Do you wonder that Raphael and Ru-
bens and Titan and Giotto and Ghirland-
ajo and all the old Italian and German
painters gave the mightiest stroke of the
pencil to sketch the Madonna, Mary and
her boy?
o! now l see what the manger was.
Not so high the gildsd and jeweled and
embroidered cradle of the Henrys of En-
land, or the Louises of France or the
Fredericks of Prussia. Now 1 find out of
that Bethlehem crib fed not so much the
oxen of the stall as the white horses of
Apocalyptic vision. Now l find the swad-
ding clothes enlarging and emblazoning
into an imperial robe for a conqueror.
Now find that the star of that Christmas
night was only the diamond sandal of Him
who hath the moon under His feet Now
l come to understand that the music of
that night was not complete song, but
only the stringing of the instru ments for
a great chorus of two worlds, the bass to
be carried by earthly Nations saved, and
the soprano by Kingdoms of glory won.
Oh! Heaven, Heaven, Heaven. l shall
meet you there. After all our imperfec-
tions are gone 1 shall meet you there. 1
look out to-day through the mist of years,
through the fog that rises from the cold
Jordan, through the wide open door of
solid pearl, to that reunion. ! expect to
see you there as certainly as 1 see you
here. What time we shall have in high
converse, talking over sins pardoned and
SORROWS comforted and battles triumph
ant!
am going in. am going to take all
my family with me. l am going to take
all my church with me. l am going to
take all my neighbors with me. have so
much faith in manger and cross feel sure
oft. l am going to coax you in. lam GO
ing to push you in. By holy stratagem 1
am going to osurprise you in. Yea, with all
the concentrated energy of my nature
physical, mental, spiritual and immortal
am going to compel you to go in. 1 like
you so well want to spend eternity with
you!
Some of your children have already
gone. Some time ago 1 buried one of them,
and though people passing along the street
and seeing white Grape on the doorbell
may have said: ''It is only child, :" yet
when The broken hearted father came to
solicit my service he said: t'Come around