The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-14

come to Christ, the brainiest men come to ths
manger. Who was the greatest metaphysiclan
this country ever has produced? Jonatnan
Edwards, the Christian. Who was the great
est astronomer Of the worldH Herschel, the
Christian. Who was the greatest poet ever
produced? John Milton, the Christian. VINO
was the wisest writer on lawp Blackstone,
the Christian. Why is it that every college
and university in the land has chapel? They
must have place for 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-
puished men has been examined, and will
And the largest, the heaviest, the mightiest
brain ever produced in America, and Will
ask what that brain thoughtof Christ Here
Il is, the brain weighing sixty-three ounces,
the largest brain ever produced In America;
Now let me find what that brain thought or
Christ. In the dying moment that man sala:
Lord, believe, help Thou mine unoellef.
Whatever else I do, Almighty God, receive
me to Thyself for Christ's sake. This night
{ shall be in the light and JOY and blessed
ness " So Daniel Webster came to the manger.
The wise men Of the East followed by the
wise men Of the West.
1t was in closing December that he was
born to show that this is Christ OF people
In sharp blast, for people under ciouded sky,
sor people with frosted hopes, for people
With thermometer below zero. That is the
reason He Is 80 often found among the desti.
tute. You can find Him on any night
coming off the moors. You can see Him
any night coming through the dark lanes OF
the city. You can see Him putting His
hand under the fainting head in the pauper's
cabin. He remembers how the wind whls.
tied around the caravansary 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 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 to
when the Mayfower wharfed at Plymouth
Rock, and in the 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 Christ for dark days clouded
with sickness, and chilling with disappoint-
ment, and suffocating with bereavement,
and terrific with wide open graves. Not a
springtime Christ not summer Christ, not
an autumnal Christ, hut O winter Christ.
Oh, this suffering and struggling world
needs to be hushed and soothed and rocked
and lullabied in the arms Of ofsympathetic Om-
impotence! No mother ever with more ten
derness put her foot on the rocker OF the
cradle Of a sick child than Christ comes
down to u.s. to this invalid world, and He
rocks it into placidity and quietness IS He
says, "My peace I give unto you; not as the
world giveth give I 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, and the
camels in order that He might be an alleviat-
ing influence to the whole animal creation.
1t means mercy for overdriven, underfed,
poorly sheltered, CALLED and maltreated
animal creation. Hath tie Christ who
compared Himself to dove no care for the
the Christ who compared Himself to lamb
no care for the sheep who are tied and con-
torted, and with neck over the sharp. edge
of the butchers cart, or the cattle train
in hot weather from Omaha to New York,
with no water-ffteeu hundred miles Of
agony?
Hath the Christ whose tax was paid by a
fish, the coin taken from its mouth, no care
for the tossing fins in the fish market? Hath
the Christ who strung with His own hand
the nerves of dog and cat no Indignation for
the horrors of vivisection? Hath the Christ
who said "Go to the ant" no watchfulness
for the transfixed insects? Hath the Christ
who said "Behold the fowls Of the air"
Himself never beheld the outrages
heaped upon the brute creation which
cannot articulate its grief? This Christ
came not only to lift the human race
out Of its trouble, but to lift out OF
pang and hardship the animal creation. In
the glorious milennial 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
born in the cattle pen. The first b!eat OF the
Lamb of God heard amid the tired hocSs Of
Bethlehem shepherds. The white horse Of
eternal victory stabbed in barn.
But notice also in this account the three
Christmas presents that are brought to the
manger-gold, frankincsnse and myrrh.
Gold to Christ-that means all the aft1u-
ence Of the world surrendered to Him. For
lack Of money no more asylums limping on
their way like tie 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 by
Christian stockholders, and governed by
Christian directors, and carrying pas
sengers and freight at Christian prices:
George Peabodys and Abbott Lawrences and
James Lenoxes no 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 it
was typical of the fact tnat Chrlsts way
shall be paid all around the world. The gold
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 o solitaire on the
bosom Of Christ
But notice that these wise men also shook
out from tn sacks the myrrh. The cattle
came and they snufPsd at it. Thay did not
eat it because it was bitter. The epungent gum
resin Of Abyssnia called myrrh brought to
TO the feet o! Christ. That msans bitterness
Bitter betrayal, bitter persecution, bitter
days of suffering, bitter nights Of woe.
Myrrh. That is what they put into His cup
when He was dying. Myrrh. That is what
they put under His head in the wilderness.
Myrrh That is what they strewed His path
with all the way from the cattle pen IN Beth
lehem to the mauso.eum at Joseph country
seat. Myrra. Yea, says the Psalmist, "All Thy
garments smell Of myrrh." That is what
clothes of the babe. That is what the
Marys twisted in the shroud Of a crucifed
Christ. The myrrh Oh, the height, the
depth, the length, the breadth of the
Saviour's sorrow! Well might the wise men
shake out the myrrh.
But notice also from another sack they
shake cut the frankincense. Clear up to
the rafters of the barn the air IS filled with
perfume, aud the hostlers and the camel
drivers in the farthest part Of the building
inhale it, and it floats out upon the air
until passersby wonder who i'll that rough
place could have by accident dropped box
Of alabaster. Frankincense. That is what
they burned in the censer in the ancient tenn
pie. Frankincense. That means worship.
Frankincense. That is to I'LL all the homes,
and ali tna churches, and all tho capitals,
and all the nations from cellar of stalactited