Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-29

knew and the men of his tlmc knew the world
was globular. The pyramids we're built for
astrological and astronomical study. Then
the alchemists spent their lives in the study of
metals and gases and liquids and solids, and in
filling the worlds library with their wonderful
discoveries They were vastly wise men who
came from the East. and tradition says the
three wisest came. Caspar, a young man; Bal
thazar, a man in nid-life, and Melchior, an
octogenarian. The three wisest men of all the
century. They came to the mauger.
So it has always been-the wisest men come
to Christ, the braniest men come to the man.
ger. Who was the greatest metaphysictan this
country ever has produced? Jonathan Ed
wards, the Christian. Who was the greatest
astronomer of the world? Herschei. the Chris
tian. Who was the greatest poet ever pro-
duced? John Milton. the Christian. Who was
the wisest writer on Iaw9 Blackstone, the
Christian. Why is IL that every college and
university in the land has chapelf They
must have place for the wise men to worship.
Come now, let us understand IN ounces and by
inches this whole matter. In po>t-mortem
examination the brain of distinguished men
has been examined, and will find the largest
the heaviest. the mightiest brain everproduced
in America, and l will ask what that brain
thought of Christ. Hero it is. the brain weigh
Ing 6S ounces, the largest BRAIN ever produced
in America. Now let me find what that brain
thought of Christ, In the dying moment that
man said: Lord believe, help thou mine un-
belief. Whatever else l do, Almighty God.
night l shall be in light and joy and blessed
ness" So Daniel Webster came TO the manger.
The wise men of the East followed by the wise
men of the West.
AN ALTERNATING INFLUENCE.
Notice also fact which no one seems to no.
tlce, that this Christ was born among the sheep
and the cattle, and the horses, and the camels,
in order that he might be an alternating infu-
ence TO the whole animal creation. 1t means
mercy for overdriven, underfed, poorly shell
tered, CALLED and maltreated animal creation.
.la rad sail
dove no care for the crueltes of the pigeon
shooting? Hath the Christ who compared him
self to lamb no care for the sheep that are
tieu and contorted, and with neck over the
sharp edge of the butchers cart or the cattle
train in hot weather from Omaha to New York,
with no water-L5 500 miles of agony! Hath the
Christ whose tax was paid by a fish,
the coin taken from its mouth, no care for the
tossing fins in the fish market? Hath the
Christ who strung with his own hand the
nerves of dog and cat no indignation for the
horrors of vivisection? Hath the Christ who
said. Go to the ant" no watchfulness for the
transfixed insects? Hath the Christ who said,
Behold the fowls of the air" himself never
beheld the outrages heaped upon the brute
creation which cannot ariiculate its grief?
This Christ came not only to lift the human
race out of its trouble, but to lift out of pang
and hardship the animal creation. In the glori-
Gus millennial time the child shall lead the lion
and play with the cockatrice only because brute
and reptile shall have no more wrongs to
avenge To alleviate the condition of the brute
creation christ was born In the cattle pen. Ihe
first bleat of the Lamb of God heard amid the
tird fiocks of the Bethlehem shepherds. The
white horse OF eternal victory stabbed in barn.
But notice also in this account the three
Christmas presents that are brought to the
manger. Gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold
to Chrtst-that means all the aff1uence of the
world surrendered TO him. For lack of money
no more asylums limping on ther way like the
crippes whom they helped, feeling their slow
way like the blind people whom they sheltered.
Millions of dollars for Christ where there are
now thousands for Christ Railroads owned
by Christian stockholders and governed by
Christian directors and carrying passengers
and freight at Christian prices. George Pea
bodys and Abbott Lawrences and James Len
oxes no rarity. Bank of England, Bourse of
France. United States Treasury all the moneyed
institutions of the world for Christ. The gold
for Christ. Gold not merely paid the way of
Joseph and Mary and the divine fugitive into
Egypt. but it was typical Of the fact that
Christ's way shall be paid all around the world.
The gold for Christ, the silver for Christ, the
jewels for Christ. Australia, Nevada and Col
conda for Christ. The bright, round, beautiful
jewel of world set like solitaire on the bosom
OF Christ.
TYPICAL GIFT.
But notice that these wise men also shook
out myrrh from their sacks The cattle came
and they snuffed at it. The pungent gum resin
of Abyssinia called myrrh brought to the feet
of Christ. That means bitterness. Bitter be-
trayal, bitter persecution. bitter days of suf-
O n,
what they put into His cup when He was dying.
Myrrh. That is what they put under His head
in the wilderness. MyrrlI. That is what they
strewed His path with ali the way from the
cattle pen i'll Bethlehem to the mausoleum at
Joseph's country sea-. Myrr1- Yea. says the
Psalmist, "All thy garments smell of myrrh."
That is. is what the wise men wrapped in the
the Marys twisted in the shroud of a crucified
Christ. The nyrrh. Oh. the height, the
depth, the length, the breadth of the Saviour's
ITa11 ,Yr%N = d
the myrrh.:
But L notice .also from another sack they
shake out the frankncense. Clear up to the
rafters of the barn the air is filled with per-
fume, and the hostlers and the camel drivers in
the furtheSt part of the building inhale il, and
1t floats out upon the air until passeIsby wonder
who in the Tough place could have by accident
dropped a box of alabaster. FrankincenSe
That is what they burned in the censer in the
ancient temple. Frankineense. That means
worship Frankincense. That is to fill all the
homes. and all the churches, and all the CAPT.
tails, and all the nations from cellar of staIaci-
ted cave clear up to the silver rafters of the
starlit DOME Frankincense, That is what we
shake out from our hearts to-day, so that the
nostrils of Christ onco crimsoned with the
hemorrhaCe of the cross, shall be flooded with
the peri ume of 4 worlds alteration. Franklin
cense. Frankincense in song and sermon, and
0nertory. and handshaking, and decoration.
Praise him, mountains and hills, valleys and
seas, and skies and earth and heaven-cyclone
with your trumpets, northern lights with your
cloud, and evening. with your blllowing CLOUDS
of sunset.
THE CENSER OF OLD.
Do you know how they used TO hold the GEN.
ser in the olden time, and what it was made of?
Here is metal pan and the handle by which it
was held. In the inside of this metal pan were
put living GOALS on the top of them n perfor-
ated cover. In square box the frankincense
was brought to the temple. This frankincense
was taken out and sprinkled over the living
Goals, and then the perforated cover was put
on, and when they were all ready for worsbip
then the cover was lifted from the censer and
from all the other censers. and the perfumed
smoke arose until 1t hung amid the folds and
dropped amid all the altars, and then rose in |
great columns of praise outside or above the
temple, rising clear up toward the throne of
God. So we have two censers to-day of Christ
mas frankiucense. Here is the one censer of
earthly frankincense. On that we put our
thanks for the mercies of the past year, the |
mercies of all our past lives, individual mer-
mercies, and our hearts burning with gratitude |
send aoft the incense of praise toward the |
throne of Christ Bring on more incense. and |
higher and higher let the columns of praise |
lars and hover amid all these arches |
and then soar to the throne. But |
here IS the other censer of heavenly \
and worship. Let them bring all |
their frankincense-the cherubim bring theirs |
and the seraphim theirs and the one hundred |
and forty and four thousand theirs and all the |
eternitles theirs, ana let them smoke with per-
tune on this heavenly censer until the cloud |
two censers-the censer of earthly frank |
incense and the censer of heavenly frank |
swing them before the throne
and then clash them together in one great |
unto Him to whom the wise men of |
the East brought the gold, and the myrrh and |
the frankincense. Blessed be HIS glorious |