The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-01-09

from his white lips as kirke Whit
wrote these immortal words:
When marshailed on the nightly plain
The glittering hosts bestud the sky,
One star alone of all the train
Can fix the sinners wandering eye
Hark, bark to God, the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem,
But one alone, the Saviour speaks,
1t is the star of Bethlehem.
Once on the raging seas rode,
The storm was loud, the night was dark,
And rudely blew the angry wind
That tossed my frail and laundering bark
Deep horror then my yitals frOze,
Death struck, ceased the tide to stem:
When suddenly a star arose,
1t was the star of Bethlehem.
Notice also in this scene that other
worlds seemed to honor our Lord and
master. Bright star of the night, wheel
on in thine orbit. NO" said the star,
Il must come nearer and | must bend
and must see what you do with my
Jesus" Another world that night Joined
our world in worship. That star made
a bow of obeisance. | sometimes hear
of people talk of Christ's dominion as
though it were to be merely the few
thousand miles of the worlds circum-
ference; but ] believe the millions and
the billions and the quadrillions of
worlds are all inhabited-if not by such
creatures as we are still such creatures
as God designed to make, and that all
these worlds are part of Christ's do
miniOn.
Isle of Wight is larger in comparison
with the British Empire than our island
of world as compared with Christ's
vast domain. If not, why that celestial
escort? If not, why that sentinel with
blazing badge above the caravansary?
If not, why that midnight Waterman in
the balcony of Heaven? Astronomy
surrendered that night to Christ. This
planet for Christ. The solar system for
Christ. Worlds ablaze and worlds
burnt out-all worlds for Christ. In
tensest microscope can not see the one
side of that domain. Eurthcst reaching
telescope can not find the other side of
that domain. But | will tell you how
the universe is bounded 1t is bounded
on the north and south and east and
west and above and beneath by God,
and that God is Christ, and that Christ
is God and that God is ours.
But this scene also impresses me with
the fact that these wise men of the East
came to Christ. They were not fools;
they were not imbeciles. The record
distinctly says that the wise men came
to Christ. We say they were the magi,
or they were the alchemists, or they
were the astrologists. and we say it with
accentuation. Why. they
were the most splendid and magnificent
men of the century. They were the
naturalistS and the scientists. They
knew all that was known.
So it has always been-the wisest men
come to Christ, the brainiest men come
to the Manager. Who was the greatest
metaphysician this country ever has
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
VII lSNldll w llO W dS tic " IScSI NIlltT
on law? Blackstone, the Christian.
In post mortem examination the brain
of distinguished men have been exam
ined, and | will find the largest, the
heaviest, the mightiest brain ever pro-
duced in America, and | will ask what
that brain ever thought of Christ Here
it is, the brain weighing sixty-three
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 I do, Almighty God. receive
me to Thyself for Christ's sake This
night shall be in light and JOY and
blessedness." So Daniel Webster came
to the manager. The wise men of the
East followed by 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 month 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 Superintendent is the
season of ripe orchards. Had He been
born in the month of October-that is
the season of upholstered forests. But
He was born in a winter month.
1t was in closing December that He
was born to show that this is a Christ
for people in sharp blast, for people
under clouded sky, for people with
frosted hopes, for people with thermom-
eter below zero. That is the reason He
is so often found among the destitute
You can find Him on any night coming
off the moors. You can see Him on
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 remem-
bers how the wind whistled around the
caravansary in Bethlehem that Deem
Der night, and He is in sympathy with
all those who in their poverty hear the
shutters clatter on cold night.
1t 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
fathers appealed to when the Mayfiower
wharfed at Plymouth Rock, and in the
years that went by, the graves digged
were more in number than the houses
built. o, tell you, we want Deem
Der Christ, not Christ for fair weather,
but Christ for dark days clouded with
sickness, and chilling with disappoint-
ment, and suffocating with bereave-
ment, and terrific with wide open
graves. Not a spring time Christ,
but winter Christ. o, this
suffering and str,nnnlinn world