Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-06

all the earth is the cradle? To what else
did loosened star ever point? To what
else did heaven lower balconies of light
filled with chanting immortsls? The
way the cradle rocks, the world rocks.
GOD BLESS THE MOTHERS
all the world over, The cradles decide
the destinies of nations. In 1000 OF
them are. this moment, the hands thAts
will yet give benediotlon of mercy SHf
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. Oh the cradle! Ii Is
more tremendous than the grave. Where
are most of the leaders of ths Twentieth
century soon to dawn upon US? Are they
on thrones? No. n chariots? No. IN
pulpits? No. In forums? No. In sem
atorial 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
Shaftesbury said, ''Give me
generation of Christian mothers
and will change the whole
phase OF society IN twelve months.
Oh, the cradlel Forget not the one in
which you were rocked. Though old
and worn out, that cradle may be stand
ing III attic or barn, forget not the foot
that swayed it, the lips that sang over 1t,
the tears that dropped upon it, the faith
in God that made way for it. The boy
Walter Scott did we'll when he spent the
first fve-guinea piece he ever earned as
present to his mother.
Dishonor not the cradle though it may,
like the one my sermon celebrates, have
been a cradle in barn, for l think it
was Christian cradle. That was
great cradle in which Martin Luther lay,
for from it came forth the reformation
of the sixteenth century. That was
great cradle in which Daniel O'Connell
Law, for from it came forth an sloquence
that will be inspiring while men have
eyes TO read or ears to hear. That was
q great cradle in which Washington lay,
for from it came forth the happy deliv-
erance of a nation.
THAT WAS A GREAT CRADLE
in which John Howard lay, for from it
came forth mercy that will not cease
until the last dungeon gets 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
eyangelization. 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 trankincense, and upon
which the heavens dropped song. Had
there been no mauger there had been no
cross. Had there been no Bethlehem
there had been no Golgotha. Had there
been no incarnation there would have
been no ascension. Had there been no
start there would nave been no close.
n
Saviour's huml iation, and seeing what
He did for US, ask what have we done
for Him. ''There is nothing l can do, -
says one. AS Christmas was approach
ing the village church, 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:
az could not do much, for we are very
poor, but had beautiful flower | had
carefully trained in our home, and |
thought much of it, and | put that
flower on the church altar. And an
other said: 81 could not do much for
we are very poor. but | can sing little,
and so | went down TO
POOR, SICK WOMAN. IN THE LANE,
and sang as well as | could, to cheer her
up, a Christmas song - "'Well, Helen,
what did you do?'' She replied: 81
could not do much, but l wanted TO do
something for Christ, and l could think
of nothing else to do, and SO l went into
the church after the people who had
been adjoining the altar had left, and l
scrubbed down the back altar stairs. -
Beautiful l warrant that the Christ of
that Christmas day gave her as much
credit Tor that earnest act as He may
have given to the robed official who, on
that day, read for the people. the pray
ers of a resoundIng service. Something
for Christ! Something for Christ!
plain ma passing fortress saw
Russian soldier on guard in a terribly
cold night, and took off his coat and
gave it to the soldier, saying: 81 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 20
the soldier soon after was dying, and in
his dream saw Christ, and said to him:
"You have got my coat on. eyes, -
said Christ, 'this is the one you lent
me on that cold night by the fortress.
1 was naked, and We clothed me. -
Something for Christ. By the memories
of Bethlehem 1 adjure you!
In the light of that star
Lie the ages empeared.
That song from aIar
Has swept over the world.