Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-01-10
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S Sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Sky Anthem"
preached at BcyroutJ

TEXT: "Glory to Godin the highest, and
on earth peace, gOOG rU tO10ard nleA."-
Luke H.. IA.
At last have what 1 longed for, Christ
mas eve in the Holy Land This is the time
of year that Christ landed. He was a Decem-
Der Christ. This is the chill air through
which He descended Hook up through these
Christmas skies, and l see no loosened star
Fastening southwark TO halt above Bethle-
hem. but all the stars suggest the Star Of
Bethlehem. No more need that any of them
run along the sky to point downward. In
quietude they kneel at the feet Of Him who,
though once an exile, is now enthrOned for
ever. Fresh up from Bethlehem, l
am full of the scenes suggested by a
visit to that village. You know that
whole region of Bethlehem is famous in Bible
story. There were the waving harvests of
BoaZ in which Ruth CLEANED for herself and
weeping Naomi. There David the warrior
was thirsty, and three men of unheard of
self denial broke through the Phiiistine army
to get him n drink. 1t was to that region
that Joseph and Mary came to have their
names enrolled in the census. That is what
the Scripture means when it says they came
ito be taxed" for people did not in those
days rush after the assessors of tax any more
than they now do.
The village inn was crowded with the
strangers who had come up by the command
of Government to have their names in the
census, so that Joseph and Mary were obliged
of those large stone buildings, in the center
of which the camels were kept, while run
ming out from this center in all directions
there were rooms, in one of which Jesus was
born. Had his parents been more, shOwiiy
appareled have no doubt they would have
found more comfortable entertainment.
That night in the fields the shepherds, with
crook and kindled fires, were watch
ing their focks when bark! to
the sound Of voices strangely sweet.
TI,o{1
come out to serenade the weary shepherds?
But now light stOOpS upon them like the
morning, so that the lOcks arise, shaking
their snowy fleece and bleating to their
drOwsy young The heavens are filled with
armies of light and the earth Quakes under
the harmony as, echoed back from cloud to
cloud, it rings over the midnight hills:
''Glory to God in the highest, and on Garth
peace good will to men," 1t seems that the
crown of royalty and dominion and power
which Christ left behind Him was hung on
the sky i'll sight of Bethlehem. Who knows
but that that crown may ha7O been mistaken
by the wise men for the star running and
pointing downward?
My subject, in the first place, impresses me
with the fact that Indulgence is not always
significant of degradation. When Princes
are born heraldS announce it, and cannon
thunder it, and flags wave it, and illumina-
tiops set cities on fire with the tidings. Some
of us in England OF America remember the
was born. You can remember the gladness
throughout Christendom at the nativity in
the palace at Madrid. But when our glorious
Prince was born, there was no rejoicing on
earth. Poor and growing poorer, yet the
heavenly recognition that Christmas night
shows the truth of the proposition that in
digence is not always significant Of degrade
ton.
In all ages there have been great hearts
throbblng under rags, tender SympathieS un-
IL Il fl,orI Dow
ian marble in the quarry, and in every stable
OF prlvatlOn wonders OF excellence that have
been the Joy of the heavenly host. All the
great deliverers of literature and of nations
were born in homes without affiuence, and
from their own privation learned to speak
and fight for the oppressed. Many a man
has held up his pine knot light from the will
derness until all nations and generations
have seen it, and off of his hard crust of pen
ury has broken the bread of knowledge and
religion for the starving millions of the
race. Poetry, and science, and literature,
and commerce, and laws, and cOnsti-
buttons, and liberty. like Christ, were born
in a manager. All the great thoughts which
have decided the destiny of nations started in
obscure corners, and had HerOds who wanted
to STAY them. and IscariOts who betrayed
them, and rabbles that crucifed them, and
sepulchres that confined them until they burst
forth in glorious resurrection. Strong char
acter, like the rhOdOdendron, is an Al pine
are like wheat, worth all the moro for
being failed. Some of the most useful
people would never have come to posi-
lions of usefulness had they not been
ground and pounded and hammered
in the foundry of disaster. When
see Moses coming up from the ark of bul-
CusheS to be the greatest lawglver Of the
ages and Amos from tending the herds to
make Israel tremble with his prophecies, and
David from the SheepcOte to sway the poets
i II
the fishing net to be the great preacher at the
Pentecost, l find proof of the truth of my
proposition that indulgence is not always
significant of degradation.
My subject also impresses me with the
thought that it is while at our useful oc-
cupations that we have the divine
manifestations. Had those Shepherds
gone that night into Bethlehem and
risked their focks among the wolves, they
would not have heard the song of the angels
In other words, that man sees most of God
ana heaven who minds his own business We
all have our posts of duty. and standing
there God appears to us. We are all shep-
herds or sheperdesses, and we have our
hOCkS of cares and annOyanceS and anxi cites,
and we must tend them.
We sometimes hear worry good people say:
-"f | had month or year or two to do
nothing but attend to religious things, I
would be great deal better than lam now"
You are mistaken. Generally the best peo-
pie are the busy people. Elisha was blowing
in the field when the prophetic mantle fell
on him. Matthew was attending to his Gus
tom house duties when Christ commanded
him to follow James and John were mend
ing their nets when Christ called them to be
fishers of men. Had they been snoring in
the sun Christ would not have called their
Incidence into the apostleship Gideon
was at work with the fail on the
threshing floor when he saw the angel.
Saul was with great fatigue hunting up the
lost asses when he found the crown Of Israel.
The nrodigal son would never have reformed