The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1890-11-13

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 ac-
commodate whole herd of cattle,
flock OF sheep, or caravan of camels. The
neighboring Bedouins hcre find market
for their hay, straw and meats. on
from this center there are twelve rooms
for human habitation. The only light
is from the door. | went into one OF
these rooms and found woman cooking
the evening meal. There were six
cows in the same room. On little ele-
vation there was some straw where the
people sat and slept when they wished
to rest 1t was in a room similar to that
our Lord was born.
This was the cradle of a King and
yet what cradle ever held so much?
Civilization Libertyl Redemption
Your pardon and minel Your peace
and minel You Heaven and mine.
Cradle OF a universel Cradle of Godl
The gardens of Solomon we visited
this morning were only o 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 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 reservoirs of rock, and then
pour in marvellous aqueduct into Jeru'
salem till the brazen sea is full, and the
baths are full, 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
shaking OF the thirst of all nations.
The palace OF Lebanon cedar from which
the imperial cayalcade passed out in
the early morning and to which 1T re-
turned with glowing cheek, aid jingling
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 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 loosened star every point? TIC
what else did Heaven lower balconies OF
fight filled with chanting immortalsi
The way the cradle rocks the world
rocks. God bless the mother all the
world over. The cradles decide the des.
TIMES of nations. In ten thousand OF
them are, this moment, the hands that
will yet give benediction of mercy or
hurl bolts of doom, the feet that will
mount the steps toward God or descend
the blasted way, tho lips that will pray
or blaspheme.
Oh the cradlel 1t 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 chariots2 No. In
pulpits? No. In forums7 No. In
senatorial halls? No, In counting
houses? No. They are in the cradle.
The most tremendous thing in the uni
verse, and next to God, is to be moth
er. Lord Shaftesbury said: ''Give me
a generation OF Christian mothers
and will change the whole phase OF
society in twelve months" Oh, the
cradlel Forgot not the one in which
you were rocked. Though old and worn
out, that cradle may be standing in attic
or barn; forget not the foot that swayed
it, the lips that sang over it, the tears
that dropped over it, tho faith in God
that made way for it. The boy Walter
Scott did well when he spent the first
five-guinoa piece he ever earned as a
present TO his mother.
Dishonor not the cradle, though 1T
may, like the one my sermon celebrates,
have been cradle in barn. for think
it was Christian cradle. That was a
great cradle in which Martin Luther
lay, for from it came forth the reforma-
tion of tho sixteenth century. That
was great cradle in which Daniel
O'Connell lay, for from it came forth
an eloquence that will be inspiring
while men have eyes to read.
or ears to hear. That was
great cradle in which Washing
ton lay, for from 1t came forth the happy
deliveranee of nation. That was 3
great cradle in which John Howard lay,
Tor from ii came forth 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 franklin
cense, 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 ascen.
sion. Had there been no start there
had been no close.
Standing in the chill kahn OF Sa-
viour's humiliation, and seeing what He
did for ms, / ask, what have you done
for Him. There is nothing / can do, ;"
says one. AS Christmas was approach
ing the village church, a good woman
said to group of girls in lowly and
Strengthened circumstances: Let all
now do something for Christ" After tho
day was over she asked the group to
tell her what they had done One saids
81 could not do much, for we are very
poor, but had beautiful flower had
carefully trained in our home, and l
thought much of it and | put that
| flower on the church altar" And an
other said: ~ could not do much, for
we are very poor but can sing a
| little, and so went down to a
poor, sick woman in the lane, and
sang as well as I could, to cheer her up,
Christmas song" We'll, Helen, what
did you do?" She replied; - could not
do much but ! wanted 20 do something
for Christ, and could think Of nothing
else TO do, and so | went into the
church after the people who had been
/ adoruine t4n altar had left and | scruH