The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-11-13

Ing and looking just as in Christ's time
we rode in under the arched entrance
ana dismounted. Wo found the build
ing OF stone, and around an open
square, without roof. The building is
more than two thousand years old. It
IS TWO stories high; in the center arc
camels, horses and mules. Caravans
halt here for the night or during a
long storm. The open square is large
enough to accommodate a whole herd
OF cattle, a flock of sheep or caravan Of
camels. The neighboring Bedouins
here find market for their hay, straw
and meats. OFF from this center there
are twelve rooms for human habitation.
The only light is from the door.
went into one of these rooms and found
q woman cooking the evening meal.
Ihere were six cows in the same room.
On little elevation there was some
straw where the people sat and slept
when they wished to rest. 1t was in
room similar to that our Lord was
born.
This was the cradle of king, and yet
what cradle ever held SO much? Civ
1lizattonl Liberty! Redemption! Your
pardon and mine! Your peace and
mine! Your heaven and mine! Cradle
or universe! Cradle of God! The
gardens of Solomon we visited this
morning were only type OF what all
the world will be when this illustrious
parsonage now born shall have com
pleted his mission. The horses of finest
limb, and gayest champ of bit, and
sublimest arch of neck, that ever
brought Solomon down to these adj
joining gardens was but Il puor typr
of the horse upon which this conqueror,
born in the barn, shall ride, when nc.
cording to apocalyptic vision all the
armies OF heaven shall follow him on
white horses" The waters that rush
down these hills into yonder three
great reservoirs of rock, and then pour
IN marvellous acQueduct into Jerusa-
lem till the hraZcn sea is full, and the
baths are full, and Sloan is full, are
only an imperfect type Of the rivers of
delight which. as the result OF this
great ones coming, shall roll on for the
shaking OF the thirst OF all nations. The
palace OF Lebanon ceder from which
the imperial cavalcade passed out in
the early morning, and to which it
returned with glowing cheek and
Jlngllng harness and lathered sides. IS
feeble of architecture compared with
the house of many mansions into which
this one born this winter month on
these bleak heights shall conduct us
Ties all fought, cur tears all wept, our
work all done.
THE CRADLE OF OUR FAITH.
Standing here at bethlehem do YOU
not see that the most honored thinr i'm
all the earth is the cradle? TO what
else did looSened star ever point? TO
what else did heaven lower balconies
oflightfilled with chanting immortnls >
Tae way the cradle rocks the world
rocks. God bless the mothers all the
world oVerl The cradles decide the
destinies of nations. In ten thousand
OF them are this moment the hands
that Will yet give benediction of mercy
or hlrl bolts of doom. the feet that
will mount the sleeps toward God or
descend the blasted way, the lips that
VIII pray or blaSpheme. Oh, the cradle!
1t is more tremendous than the grave,
Where are most of the leaders OF the
twentieth century soon to dawn upon
us? Are they on thrones? No. In
chariots? No. In pulpits? No. In
forums? No. In Senatorial halls? No,
In counting houses? No. They are in
the cradle. The most tremendous
thing In the universe and next to God
is to be mother. Lord Shartesburv
said, "Give me Il generation Of Chris
tian mothers, and l will change the
months" Oh, the cradle! Forget not
the one in which you were rocked.
Though old and worn out that cradle
may be standing in attic or barn, for
get not the foot that Swayed it. the lips
that sang over 1t, the tears that dropped
upon 1t, the faith in God that made
way for it. The boy Walter Scott did
we'll when he spent the first five guinea
piece he ever earned as Il present to his
mother.
Dishonor not the cradle, though it
may, like the one my sermon celebrates,
nave been cradle in a barn, for | think
1t was Christian cradle. That was IA
great cradle in which Martin Luther
lay, for from 1T came forth the rnforma-
tion OF the Sixteenth century. That
was was a great cradle in which Daniel
OConnell lay, for from it came forth
an eloquence that will be inspiring
while men have eyes to read or cars to
hear. That was great cradle in which
Washington lay, for from it came forth
the happy dellVerance of 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 conquering
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 manger, there had
been no cross. Had there been no
bethlehem, there had been nc Golgotha.
lad there been no incarnation, there
had Deen no ascension. Had there Dccn
no start. there had been no close.
WHAT CAN WE DO FOR CHRIST?
~ standing in the chill khan of q
Savionr's humiliation, and seeing what
ne 4 ana for US, ask, What have we
done for him? "There is nothing I
can do" says one. AS Christmas Was
approaching in the village church a
good woman said to Il group of girls in
i0Wly and straitened circumstances,
Let all now do something for Christ" !"
After the day was over she asked the
group to tell her what they had done.