Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-03

some of the ancient cities were larger than
ours In the sweep of their pomp. But our at
tenpts must be in moral achievement and Cos
pei victory. In that we have already surpassed
them and In that direction let the ages push
on. lie; us brag less of worldly achievement
and thank God for moral opportunity. More
good men and good women is what the world
wants. Toward moral elevation and spiritual
attainment let the chief struggle be. The
source of all that, will show you before sun
down of this day, on which we have visited the
pools OF solomon and the gardens Of the King.
BETHLEHEM IN DECEMBER.
said to the tourist companies planning our
Oriental journey: Put us in Bethlehem in
December, the place and the month of our
Lords BIRTH" and we had our wish. am the
only man who has ever attempted to tell
how Bethlehem looked at the season Jesus was
born. Tourists and writers are there in Feb
ruary or March, or April, when the valleys are
an embroidered sheet of wild flowers and
anemones, and ranunculus are nusneo as
though from attempting to climb the sleeps.
and lark and bullfinch are flooding the air with
bird-orchestra. But was there in December,
4 winter month, the barren beach between the
two oceans of redolence. Twas told must
60 there at that season, told so before started,
told so in Egypt; the books told me
so; all travellers that l consulted about
to see Bethlehem. the same month
in which Jesus arrived. and nothing could dis
suade me. Was not right IN wanting to know
how the Holy Land looked when Jesus came to
it? He did not land amid flowers and song.
When the angels chanted on the famous birth
night all the fields of Palestine were silent.
The glowing skies were answered by gray
rocks As Bethlehem stood against a bleak
wlntry sky, climbed up to it, as through
bleak wntry sky, Jesus descended upon it. His
way down was from warmth to chill, from
bloom to barrenness, from everlasting jane to
a sterile December If were going to Pales-
tine as botanisf and to study the flora OF the
land. would go in March, hut went as
minister of Christ to study Jesus, so l went in
December. / wanted to see how the worlds
front door looked when the heavenly Stranger
enter ed it.
The town of Bethlehem TO my surprise, is in
the shape of horseshoe, the houses extending
clear onto the prongs of the horseshoe; the
whole scene more rough and rude than eau be
imagined. Verify, Christ did not choose a soft,
genial place in which to be born. The gate
through which our Lord entered this world
was gate of rock. hard. cold gate, and the
gate through which He departed was swing
gate OF Sharpened spears. We enter gloomy
church built Dy Constantine over the place in
which Jesus was born. Fifteen lamps burning
day and night and from century to century.
light our way to the spot which all authorities,
Christian and Jew and Mohammedan, agree
upon as being the place of our Savlor's birth.
and covered by a marble slab, marked by
silver star sent from Vienna, and the words:
Here Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin
Mary"
CHANGES OF THE CENTURIES.
But standing there, thought, though this is
the place of the nativity, how different the sur
roundings of the wintry night in which Jesus
came! At that time it was a Khan or a cattle
pen. visited one of these khars now stand
ing and looking just as in Christ's time We
rode In under the arched entrance and dis
mounted. We found the building of stone and
around an open square without roof The
building is more than 2 COO years old. 1t is two
horses
and mules Caravans halt here for the night
or during long storm. The open square is
large enough to accommodate 4 whole herd of
cattle. flock of sheep, or caravan of camels.
The neighboring Bedouins here find market for
their hay, straw and meats. Off from the cen
ter there are twelve rooms for human hablta-
tion The only light is from the door. went
into one of these rooms and found a woman
cooking the evening meal, There were SIX
COWS in the same room. On a little elevation
there was some straw where the people sat and
slept when they wished to sleep. 1t was in a
room similar to that our Lord was born,
This was the cradle of a King and vet what
cradle ever held so much? Civilization! Lib
erty Redemption Your pardon and mine
Your peace and mine! Your heaven and mine !!
Cradle of a universe! Cradle of a God! The
gardens of Solomon we visited this morning
were only a type of what all the world will be
when this llustrious Parsonage now born shall
have completed His mission. The horses Of
finest limb, and gayest champ of bit. and SUBJ
lImest arch of neck that ever brought Solomon
poor type of the horse upon which this Con-
queror, born in the barn, shall ride when, ac-
cording to apocalyptic vision, all the "armles
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 into marvellous aQueduct into Jerusalem
till the brazen sea is full, and the baths are Iu
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
slaking of the thirst of all nations. The Palace
Lebanon cedar
cavalcade passed out in the early morning and
to which it returned with glowing cheek, and
jngling 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 con-
duct us when our Sins are all pardoned, our
battles all fought, our tears all wept, our work
all done
THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED.
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 great cradle in which Mar
TIN Luther lay, for from il came forth the
reformation of the sixteenth century. That
was great cradle in which Daniel O'Connell
law for from il came forth an eloquence that
will be inspiring while men have eyes to read
or ears to hear. That was a great cradle in
which Washington lay, for from it came forth
the happy deliverance OF nation. That was
a great cradle in which John Howard lay for
from il came forth q mercy that will not cease
until the last dungeon gets the Bible. and light,
and fresh air. Great cradles in which the John
Weseys, the John kuoXes, 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
frankncense 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 no Golgotha. Had
there been no Incarnation. there had been no
Ascension. Had there been no start, there had
been no close.
\ plain man passing fortress saw Russian
soldier on guard in a terribly cold night and
took off his coat and gave it to the soldier saw
ing, Il will soon be nome and warm, and you
will be out here all night So the soldier
wrapped himself Ill the borrowed coat. The
plain man VINO loaned the coat to the soldier
soon after was dying, and in his dream saw
Christ, and said to Him: You have got nv
coat on YES" said Christ, this is the one
you lent on that cold night by the fortress |
was naked, and We clothed me-" Something for
Christ! By the memories of Bethlehem l ad-
iure you!
CRITICISM OF SEX.