Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-11-07

l.s1 not go there at that season. told ca
pelore i started, told SO in E1ynt. tho
oooks TOLD me so; all travellers that
consulted about it told me so. But Twas
determined to see Bethlehem the same
Mohth IN which Jesus arrived. and moth
ing could dissuade me,
was not right in wanting to know
now the Holy Land looked when Jesus
came to it? He did not land amid
mowers and song. When the angels
cnanted on the famous birthnieht. all
INC nelds OF Palestine were silent. The
glowing skies were answered by 0ray
rocks. AS Bethlehem stood against
peak wintry sky, climbed up to it as
through bleak wintry sky Jesus de-
scended upon it. His way down was
from warmth to chill from bloom to bar
renness, from everlasting June to sterile
december. If 1 were going to Palestine
as a botanist, and to study the fora of
the land, would go in March, but I
Went as minister of Christ to study
Jesus, and so l went in December. I
wanted to see how the worlds front
door looked when the heavenly Stranger
entered IL.
The town OF Bethlehem to my surprise
IS IN the shape of q horseshoe, the houses
extending clear onto the prongs of the
horseshoe, the whole scene more rough
and rude than can be imagined. Verify.
Christ did not choose soft, genial place
in which to be born. The gate through
which our Lord entered this world was
a gate OF rock, hard, cold gate, and
the gate through which he departed was
swing gate of sharpened spears. We
enter gloomy church built by Constan-
tine 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
Savior's birth, and covered by q marble
slab, marked by silver star sent from
Vienna, and the words, Here Jesus
Christ was born of the Virgin Mary
, But standing there thought, though
this is the place of the nativity, how diff
, ferent the surroundings of the wintry
, night in which Jesus came! At that
, time it was a khan or cattle pen. l
visited one of these khans now standing
J and looking just as in Christ's time. We
/ rode in under the arched entrance and
dismounted. We found the building OF
J stone and around all open square with.
out roof. The building is more than
} 1000 years old. 1t is two stories high.
, In the center are camels, horses and
mules. Caravans halt here for the night
or during a long storm. The open
square is large enough to accommodate q
whole herd of cattle, flock of sheep OF
caravan Of camcls. The ncighboring
, Bedouins here find market for their hay,
J straw and meats. Off from this center
| there are twelve rooms for human hab
itation. The only light is from the door
l went into one of these rooms anc
found woman cooking the evening
! meal. There were six cows in the same
, room. On q little elevation there was
t slept when they wished to rest. 1t wa
. in q room similar to that our Lord wa
born.
, This was the cradle of king, and ye
! what cradle ever held so much? Civil
, cation! Liberty! Redemption! You
pardon and mine! Your heaven aat
mine! Cradle of u universe! Cradle OF
, God! The gardens of Solomon we Wis
) tied this morning were only a type q
what all the world will be when this il
:, lustrious parsonage now born shall have
completed his mission. The horse o.
finest limb and gayest champ of bit ant
sublimest arch of neck that ever brought
+ Solomon down to these adjoining gard
| ems was but poor type of the horse
n upon which this conqucror born in thu
q barn shall ride, when, according tx
i apocalyptic vision, all the -'arlnies o.
= Heaven shall follow him on whit.
4 hOrseS.'
- The waters that rush down these hills
n into wonder three great reservoirs U
4 rock and then pour in marvellous aque
!. duct into Jerusalem till the braZen sea il
full, and the baths are full, and Sloan
# is full, are only an imperfect type of thu
f rivers of delight which, as the result o
this great ones coming, shall roll OH TO
:. shaking of the thirst of all nations. Tn
= palace of Lebanon, cedar from which tn
+ imperial cavalcade passed out in tn
g early morning and to which it returned
:. with glowing cheek and jingling harncs
= and lathered sides, is feeble of arehitcc
,f turc compared with the house of man
r. mansions into which this one born thi
-. winter month on these break height
-, shall conduct us vixen our sins are al
~ pardoned, our battles all fought, GU
80 tears all Mept, our work all done;
T. Standing here at bethlehem, DC yo
10 -, not see that the most hOnored thing i
~ all the earth is the cradle? To Wha
70 else did loosencd star ever point3 y
~ what else did Heaven lower balconies Q
IT. light filled with chanting immortals
- The way the cradle rocks the w0rl
-, rocks. God bless the mothers all tn
"a world Overt The cradles decide the DIES
=. TIMES of nations. In ten thousand Q
~ ~ them are this moment the hands tina
~ ~ will vet give benediction of mercy @
= hurl bolts OF doom, the feet that Wi
"a mount the sleeps towards God or descen
~ the blasted way, the lips that will pr2
10 or blaspheme. Oh, the cradle! 1t
~ more TREMENDOUS than the grave. Wher
q, are most of the leaders OF the Twentlet
~ century soon to dawn upon us? Ar
= they on the throne? No. In charlots
y, :. Nc. In pulpitss No. In forums? Nc
~ ~ In senatorial balls? No. In counting
~ bo,,ses? No. They are in ttse cradle
- The most tremendous thing in the TIM
IL veyse. and next to God, is TO be
mnther. Lord Shaftesbury said, civ
~ me = generation Of Christian mother
y. ~ and / will change the whole phase OF So
~ Getty jn twelve months. :" :.
le Oh. the cradle Forget not the one Il
n which you were rocked. Though Of,
9, and worn out that cradle may be stand
q 49,, ~ a.yic or barn, forget not the 100