The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1890-11-06


from Vienna. aud the words "Hfre Jesds
Christ was born of the Virgin Mafy."
But standing there thought. thfugh this
is tine piace of tho nativity. how different tile
surroundings of the wintry night in whidi
Jesus camel At that time It was khan, Or
n cattle pen. visited ono of tlfse khans.
now standing and lookin JUS ns ln Christ's
time. We rode In under the archdl cntrancs
and dismouuted. We found the building Of
stpuc, and around au open squate, without
roof. Tho building ia more thaY two thou
sand years old. 1t is two stori's high; in
the ceotCr are Campis horses land mules.
Caravans halt here for the nicli or during
n lcnc storm. Tine open squire is large
enough 90 accommodate whoJ herd % cat
ti'. a ilor OF sheep or caravdi oi cauisls
The ue-hboring Belouins hciI find mnrket
Tor tAe.r hay; straw aud w'aB or from
this center there nr1 twelve r(lms Tor hu.
man hlbitation. The only lclt is froai tho
Gooc. went into one OF th$a rooms aud
ioIpj a woman cooking th, tvcniug meal.
Tharo were six cows IN the samn room. On
q little elevation there was sothp so aw where
tn' pClpl" sat aud slcnt when they vlshei TO
rest. lt was in q room simiar to that our
lord was uorn
Tnis was the cradle Of n King, anl vet
what cradlc ever held 81 much? Civligt-
ton! Liberty! Ralcmpdon' Your par
don and mine. Your peace and mine, Your
heaven uul miur' Grad, of universal
C.-.dlh o. q Col! The gariens Of solomon
we visited this morning were only type OF
what oil tnc word viii b. when this illus.
triou, parsonage now born snail have COM
ple;ol Ills mission. The horses of finest limb
aud gayest champ of bit aud subimes, arch
q. neck. that ever brought solomon down 60
these adjoining gardens was but poor type
ot the horse upon which this conqueror. born
~ the barn, shall ride, wheI according to
auucilvptic vision all th' "armies OF heaven
shall follow Him on white horScs.' The
waters that rush down these hills into yoa-
der three great reservoirs Of rock, and chen
pour in marvellous Oqu'du't into JerusG-
lem TN the btn2en sea is iul anl the baths
ARE iull, and SLOAN is full. are only an inn
perfect type Of the rivers of dcigh which,
os the result of this great ones coming. shall
roll on for the slakiug OF the thirst Of all ua
tious Tho palace ot lebanon cedar. from
which the imperial cIyalrade passed out in
tue early morning aul 10 which it returned
with glowing cheek and gingling harness and
laih'rHi sides, is feeblc OF architecture
compared with the house of many mansions
into which this one born this winter month
on tl.pse blenk heights shall conduct us when
our sins are all pnrdoned, our battles all
fought our tears all wept, our work all
done.
Standing hero nt Bethlehem do You not
see that the most honorcd thing In all tho
earth is the cradle? To what else did
l'N''HtA'A oNtll ANti ll1lilNt 10 NgAs flNf Nltl
heaven lower balconies Of light filed with
chanting immortals' Tho way tho cradle
rocks the world rocks God blgs, the
mothers all the world overt Tho cradles
dpclIn tho dostinies OF nations In ten thou-
suul of them arc this moment the hand that
VIII yet give hanclic'ion OF mercy or uurl
ho,tsof doom, tho feet that will moyl. tho
sleeps toward God or descend tho blastei
way, the lips that will pray or baspbcme.
ON, the cradle! IL Is more tremeud0us than
the grave. Whore arc most OF the
leaders OF the twentieth century soon
10 dawn upon u, Are they on
throuesY No. In chariotsg No. In null
pts: No. In forums No. In senatorial
hnus' No. In counting houses? No. They
are IN the cradle. The most tremendous
thinG IN tho universe aud next TO Co, is 20
b" mother. Lord Shaftesbury said. IGive
me generation OF Christian mothers bud
"iH change tho whole phase OF socilty in
t"e'E" months" Oh, the cradle Forget
not tho one in which YOU were rocked
Though old aud worn out that cradle mly be
standing in attic or barn, forget not the foot
that swayed IL, tho lips that sang over it.
the tears that dropped upon Il the faith in
Tod that made way Tor t. The boy W9lter
Scott did well when he spent the r n
guinea piece he ever earned ms a pi
his mother.
Dishonor not the cradle, though H. Iay,
Ike the one my sermon celebrated lhave
been cradle in barn, for think / was
Christian cradle. That was great vtndle
in which Martin Luther lay, for from 10
camo forth the reformation of the Six
teenth century That was great cradle in
which Daniel OConnell lay, Tor from IL
came forth an eloquence that will be in
spring while men have eyes 10 read or ears
10 hear. That was n great cradle i'm which
Washington lay, for from IL came forth
mo HAPPY deliyerance of nation That
was great cradle in which John
Howard lay, for from 10 came forth
mercy that will not cease until the Inst
dungeon gets the Bible aud light and fresh
air. Great cradles in which the John Wes-
leys and the John knoxes and tho John
Masons lay, for from them came forth an
all conquering evangelization. But tho
greatest cradle In which child over slept, or
woke laughed or cried was the cradle over
which Mary bent and TO which the wise men
brought lrankincens5 and upon which the
heavens dropped song. Had there been no
mnnger, there had been no cross. Had there
been no Bethlehem, there had been no Col
gOtha. Had there beon no incarnation, there
hal been no ascension. Had there been no
start, there had been no close,
Standing in the chill khan Of Saviour's
humiliation, aud seeing what He did for us,
| ask, What have we done for Him? "1here
Is nothing can do, says one As Christmas
was approaching in the village church
good woman said 10 group OF girls in lOwly
and straitcHel circumstances let all now
do something for Chris" After tho day
was over she asked the group otell herwhat
they had done. one said ~ could not do
much, for we are very poor but | had u
beautiful flower | had carefully trained in
our home. and | thought much Of it, and
put that flower on the church altar And
another said, IL could not do much, for wa
are very poor, but can sing little, and SO
i went down to "A poor sick woman in the lane,
and sang as well as | could, to cheer her up.
Christmas song" "Well, Helen, what did
you do" She replied, 81 could not do much,
but wanted to do something for Christ, and
| could think of nothing else TO do, md so
went into the church atter tho people who
had been adorninS the altar had left, and |
scrubbed down the altar back stairs" Beau
tifull ! warrant that the Christ Of that
Christmas Day gave her rs much credit for
that earnest act rs He may have given 10 tho
robed official who on that day read for tho
people the prayers OF resOuuding service.
Something for Christ! Something for
Christ!
A plain man passing a fortress saw Rus
sian soldier on guard in terribly cold night,
and took off his coat and gave IL to the sol-
dier, saying. II 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 golliar snon altar xyag lVinU and in hig