Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-29
A CHRISTMAS SERMON
The Regular Sabbath Discourse of
the Rev. DR.. Talmage is
APPROPRIATE TO THE SEASON.
Lessons to be Drawn From the 0ft-Told
but Ever-New Story.
BIBLE AND ASTRONOMICAL SCIENCE

season. 1tS SUBJECT was the christmas y u
bilee. A crowd which filled the Academy
of Music in every part listened to it in the
morning and another enormous audience
thronged the New York Academy of.Music
10 hear it in the evening. His text was
Luke >: Is, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem"
Amid thousand mercies we give each other
holiday congratulations. BY long established
custom we eNhort each other to healthfal mer-
liment. BY gift by Christmas trees which
blossom and fruit IN one night by early morn
ing surprise, by clusters of lighted candles, by
childrenS procession, by sound of instruments
sometimes more blatant than musical we wake
up the night and prolong the day. 1 wish you
all in the Crandest nobest and best sense a
merry Christmas. The event commemorated
is the gladdest of the centuries. Christ's era.
die was rs wonderful rs His cross. Persuade
me of the first and am not surprised at the
last. The door by which he entered was as
tremendous as the door by which he went out.
was last winter at the house where Jesus
lived while he was in Africa. 1t in Cairo,
Egypt, the terminus of that terrible journey
which he took when Joseph and Mary fled with
him from Bethlehem to Egypt TO escape the
massacre of Herod. All tradition, as well as all
history point out this house in Cairo as the
one in which these three fugItives lived while
in Africa. The room is nine steps down from
the level Of the street. Ueasured the room
aud found it 20 feet long and ~ feet high.
There arc three shelvings of rock, one of which,
I think was the cradle of our Lord. There is
no window. and all the light must have come
from lantern or candle. The three arrived
here from Bethlehem, having crossed the awful
desert.
TERRIBLE JOURNEY.
On the Mediterranean steamer going from
Athens to Alexandria l met the eminent
scholar and theolo.ian, DR.. Lansing. who for s.
years has been n resident of Cairo, and he told
ha baI la., oil 4i,o
three tugitives took from bethlehem to Egypt.
lie says it is desert way and that the forced
journey of the infant Christ must have been a
terrible Journey. Gong up from Egypt DIR.
Lansing met people from Bethlehem their
tongues swollen and hanging out from the in
hammatIon of thirst, and although his party
had but one goat skin of water left, and that
was important for themselves he was SO moved
with the spectacle of thirst i'll these Door pill
ErlmS that, though 1t excited the Indignation
of his fellow travellers. he gave water to the
strangers. Over this dreadful route Joseph
and Mary started for this land of Egypt. No
time to make much preparation. Herod was
after them, and what were these peasants be-
fore an irate king? Joseph, the husband and
father, one night spraug up from his mattress
IN great alarm, The beads of sweat his fore
head and his whole frame Quaking. He had
dreamed of na>sacres of his wife and babe
They must be off that night, right away. Mary
pat up 4 few things hastily. and Joseph
brought to the door the beast of burden and
helped his wife and child TO mount Why
those loaves OF bread are not enough, those
bottles of water will not last for such a long
way. But there is no time to get anything
more. Out and on. Goodbye to the dear
home they expect never again to see. Their
hearts Creak. 1t does not need that ours be a
big house In order to make us sorry to leave IT,
Over the hills and down through the deep
gorge they urge their way. by Hebron, by
GAIA, through hot sand, under blistering SUM-
tho babe crying, the mother faint the father
exhausted. How slowly the days and weeks
pass. VIII the weary three ever reach the
banks OF the Nile? VIII they ever see Cairo?
Viii tie desert ever end? When at last they
cross the line beyond which old Rerod has no
tight to pursue. their joy is unboundeu. Free
at last. Let them dlsmouut and rest Now
they resume their way with less anxiety They
VIII find place somewhere for shelter and the
earning Of their bread. Here they are at Cairo
Egypt.
SOME NEW LESSONS.
They wind through the crooked streets
which are about ten feet wide. and enter the
humble house, where have been to-day. But
the terminus of the Journey of these three
fugitives was not as humble as their starting
point at Bethlehem. If that journey across the
desert ended in a cellar ii started from barn.
In and around that barn in Bethlehem we tarry
to-day. Everything humble around the barn.
but everything glorlous overhead. Christ's ad-
vent was in the hustelry called the house of
Chin Ham; the night with diamonded finger
pointing down to the place; the door of heaven
set wide open to look out; from orchestral
OraIOIlOS
Messiah. on lowest doorstep of heaven the
minstrels of God discOursng of glory and good
viii. Soon after the white-bearded aStroloCists
knecl, ard from leathern pouch chink the
shckelS, ana from open sacks cXhale the frank
incense and rustic out the bundles of myrrh.
The lOoseneu star; the escaped doxology of
Celestials; the chill Decembe night afiush with
MAY morn; our world lost star. and another
star rushing down the sky that night to beckon
the wanderer home again, shall yet make all
nations keep Christmas.
TEfara ftnNt- @1,a
Yet hacNneyed by oft repeatal? Oh. yes. Know
IN the Erst place, 1t was 4 sideral appearance
that led the way. Why not a black cloud in
me shape oil 4 hand or hnger pointing down to
tie sacred birthplace? A cloud means trouble
and the world had had trouble enough Why
not shaft of lightning uuyerinc and flashing
and striking down to The sacred birthplace?
Lightning means destruction, a shattering
aud consuming power, ard the world wanted no
more destruction.
But II WAS a star and that means ioy that
means hope, that means good cheer that means
a>Ceudancy. A star! That means creative
power. Tor did not the morning stars sing to-
Ce'hcr when the portfolio of the worlds was
opened? star! That means defence for did
not the stars fight in their courses against
Slsera and for the Lords people? A star! That
means brilliant continuance for are not the
righteous TO shine as the stars forever Ind ever?
A start That means the opening of eternal ioy
The day star in the heart. The morning star of
The Redeemer.
ASTRONOMICAL FEATURES.
The unusual appearance that night may have
been strange conjunction OF worlds. As the
transit of Venus in our time was foretold MANY
wears ago by astronomers, and astronomers can
tel what viii be the con- JUNCTION of worlds 900
wears from now, so they can calculate back
ward; and even intidel astronomers have been
compelled to testify that about the year one
mere was very unusual appearance in the
heavens. The Chinese record, of course en-
urely independent of the word of God gives as
a matter of history that about the wear one
there was strange and uuaccountabie appear
ance in the beavers.
think all worlds were loyal but this The
great "rcan OF the universe. its pedals and its
pipes and its keys all one great harmony save
one injured pedal, save one broken st0p-the
vUE humana of the human race the disloyaI
world. Now YOU know that however grand the
instrument may be. if there be one key out of
order, it spoils the harmony. And Christ must
mend this key. He must restore this broken
stop. You know with what bleeding hand and
with what pierced side, and with what crushed
loot, he did the work. But the world shall he
attuned and all worlds will yet be accordant
Isle Of Wight larger in comparison with the
British Empire than our island of a world as
compared with Christ's vast domain If not
why that celestial escort? If not why thar |
sentinel with blazing badge above the cara |
vansary? If not, why that midnight watchman
IN the balcony of heaven? Astronomy sur.
rendered that night to Christ. This planet for |
Christ. The solar system for Christ Worlds |
abldZe and worlds burnt out-aIl worlds for
Christ lntensest microscope cannot see the |
one side Of that domain, Furthest reaching |