The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-01-08
A CHRISTMAS SERMON
PREACHED BY DR.. TALMAGE ON SUN.
DAY, DEC. %.

An Intensely Interesting Discourse by
tho Brooklyn Divine-The Text Luke II,
Is: "Let Us Now Go Even Unto Beth
lehem'-The Sermon In Full.
BROOKLYN, Dec. 28.-Dr. Talmage's
sermon to-day was appropriate to the
season. It's subject was the Christmas
Jubilee. His text was Luke ii, 15:
LET us now 60 even unto Bethlehem" ="
Amid a thousand mercies we give
each other holiday congratulations
by long established custom we exhort
each other to healthful merriment. BY
gift, by Christmas trees which blossom
and fruit In one night, by early morn
ing surprise, by clusters of lighted
candles, by children's professions, by
sound of instruments sometimes more
blatant than musical. we wake up the
night and prolong the day, The event
commemorated is the gladdest of the
centuries. Christ's cradle was as won
derful as his cross. Persuade me of
the first and am not surprised at the
last. The door by which he entered
was as tremendous as the door by
which he went out.
WHERE JESUS WAS IN EGYPT.S
/ was last winter at the house where
Jesus lived while he was in Africa. 1t
was in Cairo, Egypt, the terminus of
that terrible journey which he took
when Joseph and Mary fled with him
from Bethlehem to Egypt to escape
the massacre of IIerod. All tradition,
as well as all history, points out this
house in Cairo as the one in which
these three fugitives lived while in
Africa. The room is nine steps down
from the level of the street. L meas
and IL feet high. There are three
shelvings Of rock, one of which l think
was the cradle of our Lord. There is
no window, and all the light must
have come from lantern or candle.
The three arrived here from Bethle-
hem, having crossed the awful desert.
On the Mediterranean steamer going
from Athens to Alexandria | met the
eminent scholar and theologian, DR..
Lansing, who for thirty-live years has
been a resident Of Cairo, and he told
me that he had been all over the road
that the three fugitives took from
Bethlehem to Egypt. He says it is a
desert way, and that the forced journey
of the infant Christ must have been a
terrible journey. Going up from
Bethlehem, their tongues swollen and
hanging out from the inflammation of
thirst, apd although his party had but
one gcatskin of water left, and that
was important for themselves, he was
so moved with the spectacle of thirst
in these poor pilgrims that, though it
excited the Indignation OF his fellow
travellers, he gave water to the stran.
gers. Over this dreadful route Joseph
and Mary started for this land of
Egypt. No time to make much prepa-
ration. Herod was after them, and
what were these peasants before an
irate king7
Joseph, the husband and father, one
night sprang up from his mattress in
great alarm, the beads of sweat on his
forehead and his whole frame quaking.
He had dreamed of massacreS of his
wife and babe. They must be off, that
night, right away. Mary put up a few
things hastily. and Joseph brought to
the door the beast of burden, and helped
his wife and child to mount. Why,
those loaVes of bread are not enough,
those bottles of water will not last for
such long way. But there Is no time
to get anything more. Out and on.
Good-by to the dear home they expect
never again to see. Their hearts break.
1t does not need that ours be a big
house in order to make us sorry to
leave it.
A TERRIBLE WAY.
Over the hills and down through the
deep gorge they urge their way. by
Hebron, by GAIA, through hot sand,
under blistering sun, the babe crying,
the mother faint, the father exhausted.
How slowly the days 3nd weeks pass !
Will the weary three ever reach the
banks Of the Nile? Will they ever see
Cairo? Will the desert ever end ?
When at last they cross the line beyond
which old Herod has no right to pursue
their JOY is unbounded. Free at last!
Let them dismount and rest. Now
they resume their way with less anx-
iety. They will find place some
where for shelter and the earning of
their bread. Here they are at Cairo
Egypt.
They wind through the crooked
streets, which are about ten feet wide,
and enter the humble house where |
have been to-day. But the terminus
of the journey of these three fugitiyes
was not as humble as their starting
point at Bethlehem. If that journey
across the desert ended in cellar it
started from barn. Everything
humble around that barn, but
every thing glorious overh ead d.
Christ's advent was in the hostelry
called the house of Chin Ham; the
night with diamonded finger point
ing down to the place; the door of
heaven set wide open to look out;
from orchestral batons Of light drip
ping the oratorIos Of the Messiah: on
lowest doorstep of heaven the min.
strels of God discoursing of glory and
good will. Soon after the white beard
cd astrologists kneel, and from leathern
pouch chink the shekels and from open
sacks exhale the frankincense and
rustic out the bundles OF myrrh. The
loosened star; the escaped doxology of
celestials; the Chill December night
aflush with May morn; our world q lost
star, and another star rushing down
the sky that night to beckon the wan.
derer home again, shall yet make all
nations keep Christmas.
NEW UNIIACKNEYED LESSONS.
Are there no new lessons from the
story not yet hackneyed by oft re-
peatal? Oh, yes! Know in the first
place, it was a side-real appearance
that led the way. Why not a black
&c,