Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-11-03
lis mother.

Dishonor not the cradle, though it
may, like the one my sermon celebrates,
have been a cradle in barn, for /
think it was Christian cradle. That
was a great cradle in which Martin
Luther lay, for from it came forth the
reformation of the Sixteenth century.
That was great cradle in which Daniel
O'Connell lay, for from it came forth
an eloquence that will be inspiring
while men have eyes to read or ears to
hear. That was great cradle in which
Washington lay, for from it came forth
the happy deliverance of a nation.
That was a great cradle in which
John Howard lay, for from it came
forth a mercy that will not cease until
the last dungeon gets the Bible and
light and fresh air Great cradles in
which the John Wesleys, and the John
Knoxes, and the John Masons lay, for
from them came forth an all conquer
ing evangelization. But the greatest
cradle in which child ever slept or woke,
laughed or cried, was the cradle over
which Mary bent, and to which the
wise men brought frankincense, and
upon which the heavens dropped song.
Had there been no manager there had
been no cross. Had there been no
Bethlehem there had been no Golgotha.
Had there been no incarnation there
had been no ascension. Had there
been no start there had been no close.
HE GAVE TT TO CHRIST.
Standing in the chill khan of Saw
i la,n
did for us, 1 ask what have we done
for him? '"There is nothing / can
do says one AS Christmas was APP
preaching in the village church a good
woman said to group of girls in lowly
and straitened circumstances, LET us
now do something for Christ" After
the day was over she asked the group
to tell her what they had done. One
said, II could not do much, for we are
very poor, but had beautiful flower
[ had carefully trained in our home
and / thought much of it, and put
that flower on the church altar" And
another said, II could not do much,
for we are very poor, but l can sing
a little, and so | went down to
poor sick woman in the lane and
sang as well as l could, to cheer her
up, Christmas song" ''Well, Helen,
what did you do?" She replied, 81
could not do much, but l wanted to do
something for Christ, and could think
of nothing else to do, and so | went
into the church after the people who
had been adjoining the altar had left,
and | scrubbed down the back altar
stairs" Beautiful? l warrant that the
Christ of that Christmas day gave her
as much credit for that earnest act as
he may have given to the robed official
who on that day read for the people
the prayers of a resounding service.
Something for Christi Something for
Christi
A plain man passing a fortress saw a
Russian soldier on guard in a terribly
cold night, and took off his coat and
gave it to the soldier, saying, 81 will
soon be home and warm, and you will
be out here all night" So the soldier
wrapped himself in the borrowed coat.
| The plain man who loaned the coat to
| the soldier soon after was dying, and
| in his dream saw Christ, and said to
| him. You have got my coat on"
YES" said Christ, this is the one you
lent me on that cold night by the fort
ress. 1 was naked, and We cothed
me-" Something for Christi BY the
memories of Bethlehem | adjure youl
| In the light of that star
| Lie the ages empearled;
| That song from afar
| Has swept DER the world.