The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-03-15

! taxes It's lIol btep AIOIl the Jungle OIL
uriant leaf and wild flower, the Kid OF goat
is born in cavern chandellered with stalactite
| and pillered with stalagmita 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 sin
less may enter here. -
''Oh, horror you saw sithat shuts US al
OUT No. Christ came to the world in one
door and He departed through another door.
/ He came through the door of the mangcr
and be departed through the door of the sep.
ulchsr, and His one business was SO to wash
away our sins that one second after we are
dead there viii be no more sin about US than
| about the eternal God
llInow that is putting it strongly, but that
is what understand by full remission. AL
! erased, all washed away, all secured out al
gone; Tint undergirding and overreachine
and lrradiating and imparadising possibility
! Tor you and for me and for the whole race
was given on that Christmas night
DO you wonder we bring flowers to-day Il
celebrate such an event. Do you wonder
tEaj we take organ and cornet and youthful
Vote and queenly soloist to celebrate it. Dc
| you wonder that Raphael and Rubens, and
Titan and Giotto and Ghirlandaio, and all
the old Italian and German painters gave
! the mightiest stroke Of the pencil to sketch
the Madonna, Mary and her boyl
OH now see what the manager was. Not
D
broidered cradle Of the Henrys Of England,
or the louises of France, or the Fredericks
| Of Prussia. Now find out Of that Bethle-
hem crib fed not so much the oxen of the
stall as the white horses Of Apocalyptic Wis
ion Now / find the swaddling clothes en-
larI.ng and emblazoning into an I'M srial
/ role for a conqueror. Now l find that the
star OF that Christmas night was only the
diamond sandal of Him who hath the moon
under His feet. Now come to understand
that the music OF that night was not com
ulets song but only the stringing of the in
struments for 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, ksavenl 1 shall meet
you there. After all our imperfections are
gone l shall meet you there. l look out to-
day through the mist of years, through the
fog that rises from the cold Jordan, through
the vide open door of solid pearl to that re-
union expect to see you there as certainly
as 1 see you here. What a time we shall
have in high converse, talking over sins par
doned, and sorrows comforted, and battles
triumphant
I am going in. 1 am going to take all my
family with me- am going to take all my
church with me l am going to take all my
friends and neighbors with me. | have so
much faith in manger and cross l feel sure
Of it ! am going to coax you in. l am going
70 push oA HI by uut1 alte-tAA L Gill EO-
ing TO surprise you in \ ca with all the con
centrated energy of my nature-physical,
mental, spiritual and immortal-I am going
10 compel you to go in. like you so well
want to spend eternity with yorl
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: at is only a child yet when the
broken hearted father came to solicit my
service he said: Come around and comfort
us, for though she was only fifteen months
old we loved her so much.n ALL it does not
take long for a child to get its arms around
the parents whole nature.
What Christmas morning it will make
when those with whom you used to keen the
holidays are all around you in heavenl Sill
yer haired old father young again, and
mother who had so many acnes and pains
and decrepitudes well again, and all your
brothers and sisters and the little ones. How
glad they viii be to- see you'll
They have been waiting. The last time
they saw your face It was covered with tears
and distress, and pallid from long watching,
and one of them l can imagine to-day, with
one hand holding fast the shining gate, and
the other hand swung out toward you, say
ing:
steer this way, father, steer straight for me;
Here safe in heaven am waiting for thee.
OH those Bethelehem angels, when they
went back after the concert that night over
the hills, forgot to shut the door. All the
secret is out No more use Of trying to hide
from Us the glOries to come 1t is too late to
shut the gate. It is blocked wide open with
hosannas marching this way and hallelujahs
marching that way.
What almost humans me is the thought
that it is provided for such sinners as you
and I have been If it had been provided
only for those who had always thought
right. and spoken right and acted right, you
and I would have had no interest in it, had
no share in it; you and 1 would have stuck
70 the raft mid -ocean, and let the ship sail
BY, carrying perfect passengers from a per
feet life on earth to a perfect life in heaven 3,
OH l have heard the Commander of that
ship IS the same great and glorious and SYM
pathatic One who hushed the tempest around
the boat on Galilee, and l have heard that
all the passengers on the ship ara sinners
saved by grace. And so we hail the ship
and it btars down this way. and we come by
the side OF il and ask the Captain two cues
tons: -Who art Thou. and whenceF' and He
says: ~ am Captain OF Salvation, and l um
from the manger. Oh! bright Christmas
morning of nv souls delight Chime all the
bells Wreathe all the garlands. Rouse all
the anthems Shake hands in all the con-
CALCULATIONS.
Merry Christmas Merry with the thought
Of sins forgiven, merry with the idea Of sor-
rows conlforted merry with the raptures to
come. OH lift that Christ from the manger
and lay Him down in all our hearts. We
may not bring 10 Him as costly present as
the magi brought, but we bring to His feet
and to the manger to-day the frankincense
Of Gus Joy, the pearls of our tears, the kiss OF
our love, the prostration of our worship.
Down at His feet, all churches all ages, all ]
earth, all heaven Down at His feet tho four. !
and-twenty elders on their faces. Down the /
great multitude that no man can number
Down Michael, the archaugeli Down all /
worlds at His feet and worship. ''Glory to 4
God in the highest, and on earth peace. good 4
will TO menfu