The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-11-14

the words: Here, Jesus Christ was
born of the Virgin MARY"
But standing there thought, though
this is the place of the nativity, how
different the surroundings of the wintry
night in which Jesus camel At that
time it was khan or cattle pen. Wis
tied one of these khans, now standing
and looking just as in Cnrist's time.
We rode in under the arched entrance
and dismounted. We found the build
ing of stone and around ar open square
without roof. The building is more
than 9. 600 years old 1t is two stories
high. In the center are camels. horses
and mules. Caravans halt here for the
night or during long storm.
The open square is large enough to
accommodate a whole herd of cattle,
| flock of sheep or caravan of camels.
The neighboring Bedouins here find
market for hay straw and meats. Of
from this center there are twelve rooms
for human habitation The only light
is from the door. went into one of
these rooms AMI found woman cook
ing the evening meal There were six
cows in the same room. On little
| elevation there was some straw where
| the people sat and slept when they
wished to rest. 1t was in room SINH
lar to that our Lord was born.
This was the cradle of a King and yet
what cradle ever held SO much? Civil
lizationl Liberty! Redemptionl Your
pardon and minel Your Heaven and
mine! Cradle of universe! Cradle Of
Godi The gardens of Solomon we
visited this morning were only type
of what all the world will be when this
illustrious Parsonage now born shall
| have completed His mission. The horse
of finest limb and gayest champ of bit
and sublimest arch of neck that ever
brought Solomon down to these adjoin.
ing gardens was but poor type of the
horse upon which this Conqueror, born
in the barn. shall ride, when accord
ing to apocalyptie vision all the armies
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 in
marvellous aqueduct into Jerusalem I'M
til the blazen sea is full, and the baths
are full, and Sloan is full, are only an
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 it returned with glow
ing cheek, and jinglfng harness, and
lathered sides, is feeble of architecture.
compared with the house of many man
sions into which this One born this
winter month on these bl eak heights
shall conduct us when our sins are all
pardoned, our battles all fought our
work all done.
Standing here at Bethlehem, do you
not see that the most honored thing in
all earth is the cradle? To what else
did loosened star ever point? To what
else did Heaven lower balconies of light
filed 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.
o the cradle! 1t is more tremendous
than the grave. Where are most Of the
leaders of the twent eth 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-houses2 No.
They are in the cradle. The most tre-
mendous thing in the universe, and next
to God, is to be mother. Lord Shaftes-
bury said give me q generation of
Christian mothers and viii change the
whole phase of society in twelve
months"
Dishonor not the cradle, though it
may like the one my sermon cele-
brates, have been cradle in a barn,
for / think it was a Christian cradle.
That was great cradle in which Mar
tin Luther lay, for from it came forth
the reformation of the sixteenth CEN
fury. That was great cradle in which
Daniel O'Connell lay, for from it cama
forth an eloquence that will be inspir-
ing 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 a ma.
ton. That was great cradle in which
John Howard lay, for from it 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 Wesleys, and the John
knoxes, and the John Masons lay, for
rom them came forth an all conquer
ng evangelization. But the greatest
,radle in which child ever slept or
woke, or laughed or cried. was the
,radle over which Mary bent and to
which the wise men brought franklin
,ense and upon which the heavens
lropped song.
Standing in the chill khan of
'aviour's humiliation and seeing what
dc did for US l ask: What have we done
or Him? There is nothing / can do,a
'ays one. As Christmas was approach.
ng. at the village church good woman
aid to a group of girls in lowly and
'traightened circumstances: Let US all
low do something for Christ"
After the day was over, she asked the
,roup to tell her what they had done.
)ne said: 81 could not do much, for we
ire very poor, but I had beautiful
lower / had carefully trained in our
lone, and l thought much of 1t, and
,ut that flower on the church altar"
And another said: 81 could not not do
much for we are very poor, but can sing
little, and so I went down to poor,
lick woman in the lane. and sang as
veil as 1 could to cheer her up, Christ
mas song" "Well, Helen, what did
-ou do?" She replied: 81 could not do
much, but I wanted to do something for
;hrist, and could not think of nothing
Use to do. and so / went into the church
4