The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-01-14

all the century. They came to the
manger.
So it has always been-the wisest men
come to Christ, the brainiest men come
to the manger. Who was the greatest
metaphysician this country has ever
produced? Jonathan Edwards, the
Christian. Who was the greatest as
tronomer of the world? Herschel, the
Christian. Who was the greatest poet
ever produced? John Milton, the Chris
tan. Who was the wisest writer on
law? Blackstone, the Christian. Why
is it that every college and university
in the land has a chapel? They must
have place for the wise men to wor-
ship. Come now, let us understand in
ounces and by inches this whole mat.
ter. In post-mortem examination the
brain of distinguished men has been
examined, and l will find the largest,
the heaviest, the mightiest brain ever
produced in America, and l will ask
what that brain thought of Christ. Here
it is, the brain weighing sixty-threc
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, ! be-
lieve, help Thou mine unbelief. What
ever else do, Almighty God, receive
me to Thyself for Christs sake. This
night shall be in light and joy and
blessedness." So Daniel Webster came
to the manger. The wise men OF
the east followed the wise men of the
west.
Know also in this scene that it was a
winter month that God chose for His
Sons nativity. Had it been the month
of May-that is the season of blossoms.
Had He been born in the month of June
that is the season of roses. Had He
been born in the month of July-that is
the season of great harvests. Had He
been born in the month of September
that is the season of ripe orchards.
Had He been born in the month of Oc-
tober-that is the season Of upholstered
forests. But He was born in winter
month.
You can find Him on any night COM
ing off the moors. You can see Him
any night coming through the dark
lanes Of the city. You can see Him put
ting His hand under the fainting head
in the pauper's cabin. He remembers
how the wind whistled around the car
avansary in Bethlehem that December
night, and he is in sympathy with all
those who in their poverty hear the
shutters clatter on cold night.
It was this December Christ that
Washington and his army worshiped
at Valley Forge when without blankets
they lay down in the December snow.
It was this Christ that the Pilgrim Faith
ers appealed to when the Mayfower
wharfed at Plymouth Rock, and in years
that went by the graves digged were
more in number than the houses built.
Oh, i tell you, we want a December Christ,
not a Christ for fair weather, but q
Christ for dark days clouded with sick
ness, and chilling with disappointment,
and suffocating with bereavement, and
terrific with wide open graves Not a
.Espring- time Christ, nor summer Christ,
nor an autumnal Christ, but winter
Christ. Oh, this suffering and strug-
Cling world needs to be hushed, and
soothed, and rocked, and lullabied in
the arms Of sympathetic Omnipotence'
No mother ever with more tenderness
put her foot on the rocker of the cradle
of a sick child than Christ comes down
to us. to this invalid world, and He
rocks into placidity and quietness as He
says: my peace l give unto you; no,
as the world giveth, give / unto you.
Notice also fact which no one seems
tonotice, 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 influence to the whole
animal creation. 1t means mercy TO,
overdriven, underfed, poorly sheltered
CALLED and maltreated animel creation
Hath the Christ who compared Himself
; to dove no care for the cruelties OF the
pigeon shooting? Hath the Christ who
compared Himself to lamb no care fol
the sheep that are tied and contorted
and with neck over the sharp edge O.
the butchers cart, or the cattle train IL
hot weather from Omaha to New York
with no water-1, 800 miles of agony
} Hath the Christ whose tax was paid BY
a fish, the coin taken from its mouth
no care from the tossing fins in the tisl
J market? Hath the Christ which strung
with his own hand the nerves OF dos
and cat no indignation for the horror
of vivisection? Hath the Christ VIII
said. $50 to the ant" no watchfulnes
for the transfxed insects? Hath tn
Christ who said, "Behold the fowls o
the air." Himself ever beheld the out
RACES heaped upon the brute creation
which can not articulate its grief? Thi
Christ came not only to lift the human
/ race of its trouble, but to lift out pan,
! and hardship, the animal creation. Ii
, the glorious millennial time the chill
shall lead the lion and play with tn
J. cockatrice only because brute and REP
tile shall have no more wrongs t
: avenge. To alleviate the condition O
the brute creation Christ was born "
cattle pen. The first bleat of the lam
: of God heard amid the tired flocks of tn
. Bethlehem shepherd The white hors
7 of eternal victory stabbed in barn.
But notice also in this account tn
r three Christmas presents that ar
S brought to the manager. gold, franklin
: cense and myrrh. Gold to Christina
+ means all the aifluence of the worl
Surrenderpd to him For lack of none
e no more asylums limping on their wa
like the criprles whom they helped
s feeling their slow WAY like the him