Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13
THE EPIPHANY STAR.
Rev. George Hodges DiScOurSeS Of the
Countless Multitudes
WHO HAVE EYES, YET CANNOT SEE
Only the Three Wise Men Recognized the
Star of Bethlehem.
SPIRITUAL GRACE OF RECOGNITION
WHO HAVE EYES, YET CANNOT SEE
SPIRITUAL GRACE OF RECOGNITION
WRITTEN FOR THE p1sPArcH.l

~ strange sight in the sky. The
!: ! !: !: !: j: !: !: !: : 6: 8. !. !:
QEko two great planets, Jupiter
AE W and Saturn, stood in con-
A@6 junction. In the following
% the group, the planet Mars.
This singular assemblage Of
bright stars takes place, so the astronomers
teach, every 800 years. Itwas visible in the
year 800. 1t was visible-and here is the
notable thing about it-in the year one, in
the year when Christ was born. Astrono-
mers are agreed, understand, that Jupiter
and Saturn met three times in the year 14i
of the Roman era, little before the Chris
tian year one. In the Roman year 74S Mars
Joined the group. This was two years be-
fore the accepted date of the birth Of Christ
But here comes the strsngest fact of all.
Kepler, in 1864, saw in the midst of the
three planets a bright, new star. This
glowing star, after showing for a few days,
vanished away. The astronomical records
of the Chinese show that in the year which
in the Roman era was numbered $50, and in
our era is numbered l, the very year of the
birth of the Messiah, the same thing hap
pened. This bright, new, evanescent star
was seen.
Did the Eastern astrologers, whose mys-
terious visit is written in st Matthews
gospel, read in that strange grouping of
planets message which started them on
their Journey? And after a two-years'
journey did the new star shine out to light
them over the path from Jerusalem 10
Bethlehem?
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
Perhaps so. AT any rate, with no ''per-
haps" about it, this is certain that the whole
world saw a strange sight in the ky about
the time when Christ was born. This is
history and science.
The fact which want to bring out is that
everybody saw the star. You cannot hide
star. The wise men from the East had not
the sight of the star all to themselves, We
may be quite sure of that.
This fact that everybody knew about this
star emphasizes one singular thing about
those mysterious Eastern pilgrims. They
were not alone in their witness of the bright,
new star, but in one respect they do
seem to have been quite alone.
When they saw the star they rejoced
with exceeding great joy" And nobody
else, so far as we know, did that Many
faces were, no doubt, upturned with curl
osity, with admiration, with wonder. And
many faces, probably, were not upturned at
all. For some people walk so unheedingly,
so blindly through this interesting and |
beautiful world, that, as Charles Lamb sug-
gested, they would not be at all surprised if |
the sun were to rise, some fine morning, in |
the West, they would only wonder why so
many people were looking SO curiously into |
the sky. suppose that many people saw
no star at all.
But among all who saw and wondered, |
the wise men alone found cause for rejoicing, |
they alone read the enigma of the sky, |
they alone translated the message of God |
which He had written upon the heavens.
Even when they declared plainly and |
openly, as they did in the streets of Jeru- |
salem, what the message was, what the star |
meant people only looked blankly or IN
easily one at another. Some were per-
picked, some were troubled" some were
too much in a hurry even to listen; some
said, SIS that so?" and that was the end of
it for them. Alone came the pilgrims to
the Holy City, and there were no acceSsions
to their company when they went away.
Now, here is strange thing. Here is
something to wonder at. And if, like the
wise men, We do not content ourselves with
wondering, but translate wonder into search
and make our wonder guide-post and not
a hitching-post, way and not wall, we
NAV learn something here.
find in these wise men of the Epiphany
an example of the spiritual grace of recog-
milton.
MEN WHO Prrnnrr1rD