The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-16
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Barnlike Birthplaces."

Subject: "Barnlike Birthplaces."
TEXT: "Ie shall find the babe 1crapped
s,caddiing clothes, lying in q manger.
Ind suddenly there 1ras 1rith the angel q
altitude of the hearenly host."-Luke il,
-13.
At midnight from one of the galleries Of
he sky chant broke. To all ordinary OBJ
(rver there was no reason for such celestial
demonstration. A poor man and wife
travellers, Joseph and Mary by name-had
dyed in an outhouse of an unimportant vii
ge. The supreme hour of solemnity had
8ssed, and upon the pallid forehead and
heck Of Mary God had set the dignity, the
randeur, the tenderness, the everlasting and
lyine significance Of motherhood.
But such scenes had often occurred IN
bethlehem, yet never before had a star been
mixed, or had baton Of light marshaled
yer the hills winged orchestra. If there
ad been such brilliant and mighty recogni-
ion at an advent in the house Of Pharaoh,
r at an advent in the house of Caesar, or the
ouse of Hapsburg, or the house OF Stuart,
be would not so much have wondered; but q
barn seems too poor center for such deli
ate and archangelic circumference. The
age seems too small for so great an act, the
kditors, the window Of the stable too rude
be serenaded by other worlds.
No, sir. No, madam. 1t is my Joy this
forming to tell you what was born that
light in the village barn; and, as I want to
lake my discourse accumu(atiVe and climac-
brio, begin, in the first place, by telling
on that, that night, in the Bethlehem
hanger, was born H. encouragement for all
he poorly started. He had only two friends
they His parents. No satin lined cradle, no
lelicate attentions, but straw, and the cattle,
land the coarse Joke and banter Of the camel
drivers No wonder the medieval painters
represent the oxen as kneeling before the
tinfant Jesus, for there were no men there at
that time to worship. From the depths OF
what poverty He rose, until to-day He ts hon.
|ored in all Christendom, and sits on the Inn
|perial throne in Heaven.
II What name is mightiest to-day in Christen-
|dom! Jesus. Who has more friends on
|earth than any other being! Jesus. Before
whom do the most thousands kneel In chapel
land church and cathedral this hour! Jesus.
For whom could one hundred million souls
;be marshaled, ready to fight or die' Jesus.
From what depths OF poverty to what height
Iof renown! And so letall those who are poorly
Started remember that they cannot be more
Ipoorly born, or more disadvantageouSly
lthan this Christ. Let them look up to His
Example while they have time and eternity
Ito initiate it.
Do you know that the vast majority of the
worlds deliyerers had barnike birthplaces'
Luther, the emancipator Of religion, born
hmong the mines. Shakespeare, the emanci-
lpator of literature, born in humble home
at Stratford- on Avon. Columbus, the dis
coverer Of world, born in poverty at Genoa.
Hogarth, the discoverer of how to make art
accumulative and administrative OF virtue,
born in q humble home at Westmoreland.
4 Dx,l l-a1-c
apartments in the Holy Scriptures which had
never been entered, born i'll want. Yea, l
have to tell you that nine out OF ten Of the
worlds deliverers, nine out OF ten OF the
worlds mesSiahs-the meSsiahS OF science,
the messiahs of law, the messiahs of medi-
cine, the messiahs Of poverty, the messiahs
Of grand benevolence-were born IN want
l suppose that when Herscnel, the great
astronomer, was born in the home OF poor
musician, not only one star, but all the stars
he afterward discovered, pointed down to his
manger. I suppose when Haydn, the Ger
man composer, was born in the humble home
o. a poor wheelwright that all the angels OF
music chanted over the manger. Oh, what
encouragement for those who are poorly
started Ye who think yourselves far down
aspire to go high up!
, / stir Your holy ambitions to-day, and
want to tell you, although the whole world
may be opposed to You, and inside and out
side Of your occupations or professions there
NAV be those who would hinder your ascent,
on your side and enlisted in your behalf are
the sympathetic heart and the almighty arm
of Cne who one Christmas night about
eighteen hundred and eighty-eight years ago.
was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid
in a manger. Oh, what magnificent en-
couragement for the poorly started!
II. Again, have to tell you that in that
village barn that night was born good will
to men, whether you call it kindness, or Tor
bearance. or forgiveness, or genlallty, or al
fection, or love 1t was no sport OF high
heaven to send its favorite to that humiia-
ton. It was a sacrifice for rebellious world.
After the calamity in Paradise, not only did
the OK begin to gore, and the adder to sting.
and the elephant to smite with his tusk, and
the lion to put to bad use tooth and paw. but
under the very tree from which the forbidden
fruit was plucked were hatched out war and
revenge, and malice and envy and Jealousy,
and the whole brood of cockatriceS
But against that scene l set the Bethlehem
mapger. which says: BLESS rather than
curse. endure rather than assault, and that
Christmas night puts out vindictiveneSs. 1t
saws: "Sheathe your sword, dlSmount your
guns. dismantle your batteries, turn the war
ship Constellation, that carried shot and shell,
into q grain ship to take food to famlshed
Ireland, hook your cavalry horses to the
y
rocks and in patriotic celebration. stop your
lawsuits, quit writing anonymous letters, e1-
tract the sting from your sarcasm, let your
wit coruscate but never burn, drop all the
harsh words from your neutrality-suspicious.
will to men,"
"Ohl" you say, II can't exercise it: I won't
exercise it until they apologize; won't for
give them until they ask me to forgive
them" You are no Christian them say
you are no Christian, or you are a very in
consistent Christian. If you forgive not men
their trespasses, how can you expect your
Heavenly Father to forgive youa Forgive
them if they ask your forgiveness, and for
give them anyhow. Shake hands all around
''Good will to men"
Oh. my Lord Jesus, drop that spirit into
our hearts this Christmas hour. ! tell you
what the world wants more than anything
else-more helping hands, more sympathetic
hearts, more kind words that never die, more
disposition to give other people ride, and to
carry the heavy end Of the load and give
other people the light end, and to ascribe
good motives instead Of bad, and to find our
happiness in making others happy.
Out Of that Bethlehem crib let the bear aud
the lion eat straw like an OK. GOOD will to
men," That principle will yet settle all con-
troversies, and under it the world will keep
on improving until there will be only two
antagonists in all the earth, and they will
side by side take the jubilant sleigh ride int
mated by the prophet when he said: "Hoi-
ness shall be on the bells of the horses"
Ill. Again, remark that born that Christ
mas night IN the village barn was SYM
pathetic union with other worlds. The only
skepticism have ever had about Christianity
was an astronomical skepticism which said:
"Why would God out Of the heavens and
amid the Jupiters and Saturns Of the uni
verse have chosen our little bit of world for
<ba ~ He pnlv hapottop Son