Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-26


TIE sCPERSAL LIGHT.
Elaborate snd prolonged Efforts have
been nzds To shO~ that the star that
pointed - the mAnger In which Christ
Was born WIS net what it appeared 20
be, but a conlCneticn Of Jupiter and Sat
Urn. Our v Sc men Of the west say that
tia wise uea Il the east were mistaken.
Astronomers. yoa know. can calculate
backward a. well IS forward, and Is
they en- tel what VIII occur hundred
years from now among the heavenly
bodies. 80 they cen accurately calculate
backward and tell what occurred eight
cen or nineteen hundred years ago. AID
IL Is true that seven years before Christ,
ia Chaldea. about three hours before day
dawn. there was conjunction Of Jupi-
ter and saturn. Standing in Jerusalem
and looking over toward Bethlehem,
those two stars would have seemed 10
hang over that village, and ii Is sng-
gested BY a learned professor that the
magi may have had weak eyes, go that
the two stars may have looked Ike one.
IN order 10 take everything supernatural
our OF the story we have TO blind the
eyes Of the magi and introduce second
star 20 help out the idea Of the one star.
But prefer the simple story OF tho Bible,
that light OF some kind-stellar or me-
teOric-pointed from the sky 10 the straw
cradle. When 1t Is SO easy for God 70
make world that he puts eighteen mil
lions Of them within one sweep OF the
TELESCOPES, he could certainly afford one
siivery or fiery signal Of some kind to
poins the world to the place where the
sovereign Of the universe lay incarnsted
and infantile.
If Gcd could afford 10 make an espe-
cial earthquake at the crucilixion, the
aslant rcciIs on Mount Calvary still show
ing that there was convulsion OF na-
ture ar that particular spot which was
felt in none Of the surroundings, then he
could afford something unusual, some
thing brilliant, something positive, sorae-
thing tremendous at the nativity. LIZ q
KING AZ the birth OF q son can have the
nalace illunined and couriers sent with
swift dispatch to announce the gladness
at the gates and wake up an empire
with cannorade, ! am not surprised that.
at the birth OF the Son of God there was
celestial agitation, and my only wonder
ia that. instead Of one star or one meteor
giving signal, all worlds did not make
demonstration. Why not other worlds
take interest IN the event when Christ
came from another world and anothe'
world was to get tho souls that would
be saved By this celestial descents II
would have been stellar disgrace, an
astronomical scandal, if, when the God
head lay compressed in the form OF an
infant, something from above had not
pointed down, as much as TO say: There
/ ne is, Look, all earth and heaven! Look,
all time and all eternity"
CHRIST MUST NEEDS SUFFER.
You see. the birth at Bethlehem must
have been more novel and startling &c
the heavens than the crrcifxion on Cal
vary. It was expected that Christ would
be maltreated. The world always had
u.altreated its good and great friends
Joseph hurled into the pit, Shadrach pu
into the fire, jeremiah lowered into
| dungeon David bounded from the throne
Elijah compelled to starve or take hi
food from the beak OF Hltsy raven, ane
Socrates CONDEMNED TO death, 80 that TIT
Calysrian massacre was in the same OLE
line of mGltreatment. But the novelty o
oil the ages was tho conjunction OF di
vinity and humanity. Invisible deity
mu-.led and nerved and feshed in mas
culine physique. A child and yet God
Why, if the meteor had not pointed dow
that night. some angel would have rushe'
down and pointed with his glitterin;
scepter. Isaiah and David and Ezekiel
who foretold the coming, would have de
scended from their thrones and stood oil
the roof of the barn or in some way des
irnated the honored locality. As tn
finger Of light that Dec. % pointed 4
the straw cradle. now all the finger
Of Christendom this moment. fingers o
childhood and old age, fingers OF sermon
and song and decoration and festivity
point to the great straw cradle. Am
not right in saying that the first OF tn
three chapters of the holidays should b
devoted 70 the illustrioGs birthday? E.
song and prayer and solemn refectioi
and charities today. and by gifts am
trees that bear fruit in an hour after the.
are planted. and family gathering an
hilarities sounding from cellar to garre
tomorrow, keep Christmas.
As far as possible gather the childrel
and the grandchildren. but put no IS
TOPPED on racket. whether Of laughter 0
swift feet or toys in shape Of RAJ
trains or trumpets or infant efigy
Let the old folks for one day at less
say nothing about rheumatism. or pros
pect Of early demise. or the degenerate
Of modern times, or the poison IN cor
fectionery II you cannot stand th
noise, retire from it for little Will
into some other room and stop you
ears. Christmas for children Withhold
plenty Of noise il no Christmas NJ al
IL children and grandchildren cannc
have fall swing during the holidays
when viii they have itp They viii
still soou enough. and their feet wi
slacksu their pace, and the burdens {
life will, bear them down. Houses g
swfully still when the childrea are gon'
While they stay let them fll the roor
! with such resounding mirth that 70
can hear the echoes twenty years ate
thoy are des l. By religious celebrstio
/ today and By domestic celebration Z
/ morrow keep Christmas. As for on
| beloved church. We tomorrow nisl
mean 10 set the children Of cur Sabbas
/ school wild With delight. and in III