Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-01-09

this country ever has nrOducsug JonhLuau
Edwards, the Christian. Who was the great
est astronomer Of the wcrld1 Herschel, the
Christian. Who was tina greatest poet ever
produced' John Milton, the Christian. Who
was the wisest writer on law Blackstone,
the Christian Why is it that every college
aud university in the land has a chapel? They
must have place tor the wise men TO wor-
ship. Come now, let Us understand in ounces
and by inches this whole matter. In post
mortem examination the brain Of distIn-
guishei men has been examined, aud l VIII
ind tine largest, the heaviest, the mlyhueSt
braun ever produce in America, and VIII
ask what that brain thought OF Christ, Here
it is the brain weighing siGty-three ounces,
the largest brain ever produced IN America
Now let me lind what that brain thought OF
Christ. In the dying moment that man said:
Lord, believe, help Thou mine unb'hef.
Whatever else do, Almighty Col, receive
me to Thyself for Christ's sake. This night
| shall be IN the light AMI JOY aud blessed
moss ~ SO Daniel Webster came to the muugtr.
The wise men of the East followed by the
wise men Of tho West.
1t was in closing December that He was
born TO show that this is a Christ OF people
In sharp blast, for people under c!ouded sky,
for people with Frosted hopes for people
with thermometer below zero. That Is the
reason He Is 30 often found among the desti-
tute. You can find Him on any night
coming or the moors. You can sea Him
any night coming through the dark lanes Of
the city. You can see Him putting His
hand under the fainting head in the paupers
cabin. he remembers how the wind whis-
tied around the carayanSary in Bethlehem
that December night, AMI He is in sympathy
with all those who in their poverty hear tho
shutters clatter on a cold night.
1t was this December Christ that Washing
ton and his army wOrshiped at Valley
Forge, when without blankets they lay
down in the December snow. 1t was this
Christ that the Pilgrim Fathers appealed 10
when the Mayhower wharfei at Plymouth
Rock, and in the years that went by tho
graves digged, were more in number than
the houses built Oh, tell you, we want
December Christ, not a Christ for talr
weather but Christ for dark DAYS clouIel
with sickness anu chilling with dlssppOlnt-
ment, and sufrocatinG with bereavement,
and terrific with wide open graves, Not
sprlnGtme Christ, not a summer Christ, not
an altumual Christ, hut winter Christ.
On this suffering and struggling world
needs 10 be hushed aud s1othed and rocked
and lullabied in the arms of sympathetic On-
mp0tenco No mother ever with more ten
derness put her foot on the rocker Of the
cradle OF sick child than Christ comes
down Ia us, TO this invalid world, and tie
rocks 1t into pacilty and quietness as DE
says, My peace / give unto YOU; not a. the
world giveth give unto you"
Notice also the fact which no one seems TO
nOtiCe-that this Christ was born among the
sheep, and the cattle, and the horses, aud the
camels in order that He might be an allevlat-
ing influence to the whole animal creation.
1t means mercy for overdriyen, underfed.
. poorly sheltered, CALLED aud malteated
animal creation. Hath the Christ vino
compared Himself to a dove no care for the
cruetles OF the pigeon shooting: Hath
tho Christ who compared Himself TO a lamb
no care for the sheep who are tied and con-
torted, aud with neck over the sharp eige
of the butchers cart, or the cattle train
in hot weather from Omaha to New YORK,
with no water-tfteen hundred miles OF
agony?
Hath the Christ whose tax was paid by
fish, the com taken from its mouth, no care
for the tossing fins in the fish MARKET Hath
( the Christ VINO strung with HIS own hand
the nerves Of dog and cat no Indignation for
the horrors OF vivls'ction? Hath the Christ
who said "Go to the ant no watchtulnpss
for the transhXed Insects? Hath the Christ
! who said behold the fowls of the air.
/ Himself never behed the outragcs
heapei upon the brute creation which
cannot artiCulute its grief? This Christ
/ came not only to lift the human race
out of its trouble but to lit out of
pang and hardship the animal creation. In
the glorious mIennial time the child shall
lead the lion and play with the cockatrice
only because brute and reptile shall have no
more wrongs TO avenge. To alleviate the
condition OF the brute creation Christ was
| horn in the cattle pen. The first bleat of the
Lamb OF God heard amid the tirel hocKs OF
Bethlehem shepherds The white horse of
eternal victory stabbed in a barn.
But notice also in this account the three
( Christmas presents that are brought to the
manger-gOd frank.nCense and myrrh.
/ Gold to Christ-that means all the atfiu-
ence of the world surreudere to Him. For
lack OF money no more asylums limping on
their way like the cripples whom they
helped, feeling their slow way like the blind
people whom they sheltered. Millions OF
dollars for Christ where there are now
thousands for Christ. Railroads owned 10y
Christian stockholders, and governed by
Christian directors, and carrying pas
sengers and freight at Christian prices
George Peabodys and Abbott Lawrences and
James LeuO1es 10 rarity. Bank of England
Bourse of France, United States treasury,
all the moneyed institutions of the world for
Christ. The gold for Christ Gold not
merely paid the way Of Joseph and Mary
and the divine fugitive into Egypt, but il
was typical of the fact that Chrlsts way
for Christ, the silver for Christ, the jewels
or Christ Australia, Nevada and Golconda
for Christ. The bright round, beautiful
jewel OF a world set like a solitaire on the
bosom Of Christ.
But | notice that these wise men also shook
out from tin sacks the myrrh The cattle
came and they snuhed at it. They did not
eat it because it was bitter The pungent gum
resin of Abyssinia called myrrh brought tc
, to the feet OF Christ. That means bitterness
Bitter BETRAYAL bitter persecution, bitter
days Of suffering, bitter nights Of woe
Myrrh That is what they put into His cur
when He was dying. Myrrh. That is whet
they put under His head in the wilderness
Myrrh. That is what they strewed His patti
with all the way from the cattle pen in Beth
lehem to the mnusoleum at Joseph country
seat. Myrrh Yea, says the Psalmst, "All Thy
garments smell Of myrrh." That is wha'
the wise men wrapped in the swaddline
clothes OF the babe. That is what the
Marys twisted in the shroud of a crucihet
Christ. The myrrh. Oh, the height, tn,
depth, the length, the breadth of tn,
Saviours sorrow Well might the wise mer
shake out the myrrh.
But / notice also from another sack thel
shake out the frankincense. Clear up K
the ratters of the barn the air is filed Will
perfume, and the hostlers and the came
drivers in the farthest part of the building
nhale it, and it floats out upo| the iii
} until passersby wonder VINO in that rougl
place could have by accident dropped boz
of alabaster. Frankincense. That Is wha
they burned in the censor in the ancient ten
pie. Frankincense. That means worship
frankincense. That is to fill all the homes
and all the churches, and all the capitals
and all the nations from cellar of stalactite
cave clear up to the silvery rafters Of th
starlit dome. Fransncense. That Is wha
we shake out from our hearts to-day, so tina
the nostrils OF Christ once crimsoned witt
the hemorrhage of the cross shall be fioodet
with the perfume OF a worlds alteration
Frankincense. Frankincense in song AM
sermon and Dffartorv and hnndah king ani