The Forrest City times., 1891-01-03
a
 he month of July-that is the season of

mOnlu or SepLenDef-undJ IS the season Oi 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.
 Notice also 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 alleviating influence to the whole creation. It means mercy for overdriven, underfed. poorly sheltered, galled and maltreated ami nal creation. Hath the Christ who com pared himself to dove no care for the cruelties of pigeon shooting? Hath the Christ who compared himself to lamb no care for the sheep that are tied and contorted, 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-tifteen hundred miles of agony? Hath the Christ whose tax was paid by 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 vivi- section? Hath the Christ who said, "Go to the ant, i" no watchfulness for the transfix- ed 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 it's trouble, but to lift out of pang and hardship the animal crea- tion. In the glorious millennial time the child shall lead the lion and play with the coclatriee 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 bleat of the lamb of God heard amid the tired flocks of the 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 manager, Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Gold to Christ-that means all the affuence of the world surrendered to him. The gold for Christ, the silver for Christ, the jewels for Christ. Australia, Nevada and Col conda for Christ. The bright round, beautiful jewel of a world set like soIi- taire on the bosom of Christ.
 But l notice that these wise men also took out from their sacks the myrrh. The cattle came and snufYed at it. They did not eat it because it was bitter. The pun gent gum resin of Abyssnia called myrrh
 
 bitterness. Bitter betrayal, bitter perse- cution, 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 the Marys twisted in the shroud of crucifed Christ The myrrh. Oh, the height, the depth. the i length. the breadth of the Saviour's sorrow We'll might the wise men shake out the myrrh.
 But notice also from another sack they shake out the frankincense. Clear up to the rafters of the barn the air is filled with perfume. and the hostlers and the camel drivers in the furthest part of the building nhale it. and it floats out on the air until passers-by wonder who in that rough place could have by accident dropped box of abalaster. Frankincense. That is what they burned in the censer in the ancient l temple. Franllincense. That means worship. Frankineense. That is to fill all thc homes, and all the churches, and all the capitals. and all the nations, from 1 cellar of stalactited cave clear up to the siIvery rafters of the starlit dome. Frank incense. That is what We shake out from 1 hearts today, so that the nostrlls of Christ once crimsoned with the hemorrhage of the cross, shall be flooded with the perfume i Of n worlds adoration. Frankincense. | Frankincense in song, and sermon, and | o1ertory, and handshaking, and decora- 1 ton. Praise him, mountains and hills. | valleys and seas, and skies and earth and l heaveu-CyClone with your trumpets,
 northern lights with your flaming en-
 sign, morning with your castles of cloud and evening with your billowing clouds of sunset Do you know how they used to 1 hold the censer in the olden times. and
 what it was made of? Here is metal pan and the handle by which it was held. In l the inside of this metal pan were put living | cosls, on the top of them perforated GOV | CT. In square box the frankincense was l brought 10 the temple. This franbincense i was taken out and sprinkled over the living coals, and then the perforated cover was
 put on, and when they were all ready for
 worship, then the cover was lifted and from this censer and from all the other censers and the perfumed smoke arose until it hung amid all the folds and dropped amid all the l altars, and then rose in great columns of | praise outside the temple, rising clear up 1 toward the throne Of God So we have two censers today, of Christmas franklin cense. Here is the one censer of earthly ! franllincense. On that we put our thanks ! for the mercies of the past year. the mer- ! cies oi all our past lives, individual mer- cies. family mercies, social mercies, nation ! al mercies, and our hearts burning with ] gratitute send aloft the incense of praise 1 toward the throne of Christ. Bring on more incense, and higher and higher let the ! columns of praise ascend. Let them wrcathe l all these pillars and hover anna all these arches and then soar to the throne. But | here is the other cenSer of heavenly thanks | giving and worship. Let them bring all
 their franllinscence-the cherubm bring theirs and the seraphim theirs and the one
 hundred and forty and four thousand 1 theirs and all the eternities theirs, and let them smoke with per fume on this heavenly censer until the cloud canopies the throne of God | Then l take these two censcrs-thc censer of earthly frankinCense and the ccnser of heavenly frankincense- l swing them before the throne and then l clash them together in one great Hallelujah unto him l to whom the wise men of the East brought the gold, and the myrrh and the franklin l cense. Blessed be his glorious name i foreverl
 WINGED MISSILES.