The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-11-05

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pardon and minel Your peace and minel
Your heaven and mineI Cradle Of
uniycrse Cradle OF Godl The gar
dens Of Solomon we visited this morn
ing we're only a type Of what all the
world will be when this illustrious Per-
sonage now born shall have completed
His mission. The horses Of finest limb,
and gayest champ Of bit, and sublimest
arch OF neck that ever brought Solomon
down to these adjoining gardens, was
but poor type OF the horse upon
which this Conqueror, born in the
barn, shall ride, when according 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 res
ervoirs OF rock, and then pour in mar
yelous aqneduct into Jerusalem till the
brazen sea is full, and the baths are
full, and Sloan is full, are only an i'm
perfect 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 cedar from which the imperial
cavalcade passed out in the early morn
ing, and TO which 1t returned with
glowing cheek, and iingling harness,
and lathered sides, is feeble Of archi-
lecture compared with the House Of
Mansions into which this one born on
these bleak heights shall conduct US
when our sins are all pardoned, our
battles all fought, our tears all wept,
our work all done,
Standing here at Bethlehem do you
not see that the most honored thing in
all the earth is the cradle? To what
else did loosen star ever point? To what
else did heaven lower balconies filled
with chanting immortals? The way the
cradle rocks the world rocks. God bless
the mothers all the world over! The
cradles decide the destinies OF nations.
In ten thousand OF them are, this mo-
ment the hands that will give benedic-
tion OF mercy or hurl bolts OF doom, the
feet that will mount the sleeps toward
God or descend the blasted way,
the lips that will pray or blaspheme.
o, the cradle! It is more tremen-
dous 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 a mother.
Lord SALISBURY said, "Give me gen.
Grafton Of Christian mothers, and will
change the whole phase Of society In
twelve months" o. the cradlel For
get not the one in which you we're
rocked. Though old and worn out, that
cradle may be standing in attic or barn,
forget not tho foot that swayed it, the
lips that sang over II, the tears that
dropped upon it the faith in God that
made way for It, The boy Walter Scott
did we'll when no spent the first five-
guinea piece he ever earned as present
TO his mother.
Dishonor not tho cradle, though II
may, like the one my sermon celebrates,
have been a cradle in barn, for think
II was Christian cradle. That was
great cradle in which Martin Luther
lay, for from II came forth the reforma-
tion OF the sixteenth century. That
was great cradle in which Daniel
o'Connell lay, for from 1t came forth an
eloquence that will be inspiring while
men have eyes TO read, or ears TO hear.
That was great cradle in which Wash
ington lay. for from 1t came forth the
happy deliverance OF nation. That
was great cradle in which John Howard
lay, for from IL 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 Wes-
leys, 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 songs Had there been
no manger there had been no cross. Had
there been no Bethlehem there had been
no Golgotha. Had there been no In
carnation there had been no ascension.
Had there boon no start there had been
no close.
Standing in the chill khan Of
Saviour's humiliation, and seeing what
He did for us, ask what have we done
for Him? "There is nothing can do"
says one. As Christmas was approach
ing at the village church q good woman
said TO group Of girls in lowly 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. One said:
81 could not do much for We are very
poor, but had beautiful flower had
carefully trained in our home, and |
thought much OF II, and put that flower
on the church altar" II could not do
much for we are very poor, but / can sing
q little, and 30 went down 10 a poor, sick
woman in the lane and sang as we'll as l
could to cheer her up, 4 Christmas
song" "Well, Helen, what did you dop"
She replied: ~ could not do much, but
! 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 adorning the altar
had left, and scrubbed down the back
altar stairs." Beautiful warrant that
the Christ Of that Christmas day gave
her as much credit for that earned act as
He may have given to that robed official
who, on that day, read for the people
tho prayers OF a resounding service.
Something for Christi Something for