The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-12-30

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perfect muscle, and perfect brain, and
perfect form of that perfect child. bc-
fore whom, nigh twenty hundred years
knees IN worship rngFrE ~
Behold also IN that frst Christmas
night that God honored the fields Como
In, shepherd boys. TO Bethlehem and
sce the child NO" they say, I'VE are
mot dressed good enough 70 come In"
Yea you are; come I'M Sure enough.
The storms and the night dew and the
brambleshsse made rough work with
their apparel. but none have Q better
right 10 come in They were the first
TO hear the music of that Christmas
night The first announcement of
6aviour's birth was made 70 those men
In the fields There were wiseacres
that night in Bethlhhem and Jerusalem
snoring in deep sleep. and there werc
salaried officers of government. who.
hearing of Il afterward. may have
thought that they ought TO have
had the first news of such .
great event some one dismounting
from swift camel at their door and
knocking till. at some sentineps ques-
ton, "Who comes tbere?" the great
ones of the palace might have been told
Of the celestial arrival. No; the shep-
herds heard the first two bars OF the
music, the first in the major key and
the last in the subdued minor: ''Glory
70 God in the highest. and on earth
peace. good will 20 mem" All. yes; the
fields were honored
The old shepherds with plaid and
crook have for the most part vanished.
but we have graZing-our United States
pasture fields and prairie. about forty
i've million sheep-and all their keep
ers ought to follow the shepherds of my
text. and all those who toll in the fields.
all vine-d-essers. all orchardists, all
husbandmen. Not only that Christmas
night, but all up and down the worlds
history God has been honoring the fields.
Nearly all the messiahs of reform and
literature and eloquence and law and
beneyolenee have come from the fields.
Washington from the fields Jefferson
from the fields The presidential mnr-
tyrs, Garfield and Lincoln. from the
fields Henry Clay from the fields
Daniel Webster from the fields
Martin Luther from the fields
Before this world IS right the over
flowing population OF our crowded
cities will have to take TO the fields
Instead of ten merchants in rivalry as
10 who shall sell that one apple, we
want at least eight of them 20 go out
and raise apples Instead of ten mer-
chants desiring 10 sell that one bushel
Of wheat, we want at least eight OF
them to go out and raise wheat. The
world wants now more hard hands,
more bronzed cheeks. more muscular
arms To the fields, God honored
them when he woke M the shepherds
by the midnight anthem apd he will.
while the world lasts continue to honor
the fields When the shepherds crook
was that famous night stood against
the wall of the Bethlehem khan, 1t was
q prophecy of the time when thresher's
fail and farmers piow and woo5man's
AZ and ox's yoke and sheaf-binders 8
rake shall surrender to the country. as
man made the town
Behold also, that on Christmas night
God honOred motherhood Two angels
on their wings might have brought the
infant Saviour TO bethlehem without
Mary's being there al all Whei. the
villagers. on the morning OF December
%, awolre, by divine arrangement and
an some unexplained way. the child
Jesus might have been found in some
comfortable cradle In the village But
no. no, Motherhood was for all time
70 be econsecrated. ard one OF the tender
est relations was IN be the maternal re
lation- and one of the sweetest words
mother In all ages God has honor
ed good motherhood John Wesley had
\ good mother: ST bernard had e good
mother. Samuel Budgett a rood mother,
Doddridge. a good mother: Walter Scott
q good mOthe: benjamin West a good
mother In a great audience, most
Of whom were Christians. i asked
that all those who had been blessed OF
Christian mothers nrise. 1nd almost the
entire assembly stood no. Don't you
see how important II n that all mother
hood be c0nsecrated? Way did Titan
the Italian artist, when he sketehed the
Madonna make Il an Italian face?
Why did Rubens. the German artist in
his Madonna make Il n German face?
artist in HIS Madonna. make il an En-
EliEh f.ee7 Why did Murillo. the Span
ish artist in his Madonna make it .
Spanish facet l never heard, but !
think they took their own mothers as
the type Of Mary. the mother of Christ
When you hear some one. in sermon or
1rztion- speak in the abstract ofs good.
isithful. honest mother. your eyes ill
ap with tears while ron say 70 your
elf. That was my mother"
The first word child utters is apt TO
be Mother" and the old man. in his
lying dream, calls 'Mothcri motherf'
Il matters not whether she was
5uought up in the surroundings Of \
-ify. and In afinent home. and was
3ressed appropriately with reference TO
the demands Of modern life, or whether
she wore the old-time cap and great
-ound spectseleS and apron OF her own
make, and knit your socks with her
JEn needles. seated by the broad fire.
,lace, viii great back log ablaze. on y
wister night II matters not how many
grilkies- crossed and recrossed her
,aec, orbow much hcrrhoulders stopped
gifh the burdens OF . long life, II
Fol painted q Madonna. hers would
% ths faeeL Whist = gentle hand shs
nd whcn. We were sic.. and whist \
Foice 20 soofhe pain. and WIS there
,esos. .Dd parity. .sd iissis And what
sd dag that was when We came home
md she oould greet us not for bar lips
Eers forsrcr still Come back. mother.
Ais Christmas day. and take your old
7a.ce. and - ten. o. twenty. or fifty
Fears ago. come and open the old Bibls
- you used %, read and kneel In the
nme place where you used 10 pray.
snd look upoa N a. Of old when yon
skhed N Merry Christmas or . Hap
~ New Year But. mo- That would
lOt Be fair TO @al you back You had