Milford chronicle., 1892-12-30

| celestial agitation, and my only wonder Is
I 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 another
world was to get the souls that would be
saved by this celestial descefit? It would
have been ii stellar disgrace, an astronom-
ical scandal, If, when the Godhead lay
compressed in the form Of an infant some.
thing from above had not pointed down,
as much as 20 say; There he Isl Look,
all earth and heavenl Look, all time and
all eternityN
CRUCIFIED sAvIoRs.
You see, the birth at Bethlehem must
have been more novel and startling to tie
heavens than the crucifixion on CALVARY.
1t was expected that Christ would be NAL
treated. The world always had maltreat-
ed its good and great friends. Joseph
hurled into the pit, Shadrach put into the
fire. jeremiah lowered into a dungeon, Da-
vid bounded frop, the throne, Elijah com
PEELED tostarve or take his food from the
beak Of filthy raven, and Socrates con
demned to death, so that the Calvarii,a
massacre was in the same old line Of NAL
treatment. but the novelty OF all the ages
was the conjunction Of divinity and hu-
manity. Invisible deity. muscled and
nerved and fieshed in masculine physique
A child and yet a Cody Why. II the me
teor had not pointed down that night
some angel would have rushed down and
pointed with his glittering scepter
Isaiah and David and Ezekiel. who fore
told the coming, would have descended
from their thrones and stood on the roof
of the barn or in some way designated the
honored locality. As the finger OF light
that Dec. % pointed to the straw cradle,
now all the fingers Of Christendom this
moment, fingers Ct 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 the three chapters of the holidays
should be devoted to the illustrious birth
dayi BY song and prayer and SOLEMN re-
Election and charities today, and by gifts
and trees that bear fruit in an hour after
they are planted, and family gathering and
hilarities sounding from cellar to garret
tomorrow, keep Christmas.
As far as possible gather the children
and the grandchildren, but put no estoppel
on racket, whether Of laughter or swift
feet or toys in shape of rail trains or trum
one day at least say nothing about rheu-
matisnl, or prospect Of early demise, or the
degeneracy of modern times, or the poison
in confectionery. II you cannot stand the
noise, retire from it for a little while into
some other room and stop your ears.
Christmas for children without plenty Of
noise is no Christmas at all
If children and grandchildren cannot
have full swing during the holidays, when
will they have itf They win be still socn
enough, and their feet will slacken their
pace, and the burdens Of life will beur
them down. Houses get awfully still
when the children are gone. While they
stay let them fill the room with such re
sounding mirth that you can hear tn.
echoes twenty years after they are dead
BY religious celebration today and by do
mestic celebration tomorrow keep Christ
mas.
As for our beloved church, we tomorrow
night mean to set the children Of our Sab
bath school wild with delight, and in The
Christian Herald, with which ! am con-
nected, we are celebrating the holidays by
sending out two to four thousand Bibles a
day, and they will continue to 90 out by
express, by messengers and by mails uetil
VIC have distributed at least 100000 copies
of the good old Book on which Christmas
is built, and which gives the only healthfui
Interpretation of these swift flying years.
LESSONS OF AN ANNIVERSARY.
The second chapter Of the holidays must
speak of annual decadence. This is tue
last Sabbath Of the year. The steps Of the
year are getting short, for it is old now.
When it waved the springtime blossoms
the year was young aud when it swung
the scythe and cradle through the summer
harvest fields the year was strong, but it is
getting out of breath now, and after six
more throbs of the pulse will be dead. We
cannot stop this annual decadence. Set all
the clocks back, set all the watches hack,
set all the chronometers back, but you can
not set time back.
For the old family clock you might sup
pose that time would have especial respect,
and that if you took hold of those old hands
On the face of that centenarian of a time
piece and pushed them back you might
expect that time would stop or retreat for
at least few minutes mo, nor says the
DID family clock. Il must go on. l saw
your father and mother on their wedding
day. | struck the hour Of your nativity.
counted the festal hours Of the day in
which you brought home bride sound
81 the knell at your fathers death. tolled
1t your mothers departure. ca, must
sound your own going out Ct life. ! must
20 on. ! must 20 on. Tick, tockl Tick,
.ockr
NO PAUSE FOR THE NEGLIGENT.
But there is a great city clock high up
n the tower. There are so many wrongs |
n all our cities to be lighted, so many |
wills TO be extirpated, so many prisons to
De santariad-stop the city clock until all |
hese .nir2s are done Let common cOun- /
ii and all the people of the great town de
rec that the city hall clock shall stop.
We do not want the sins OF 1892 to be +
handed over to 1898. We do not want the /
'oung year to inherit the misfortunes Of I
he old year. By ladders lifted to the tower /
nd by strong hands take hold and halt /
he city clock.
No, non says the city clock. II cannot /
yait until you correct NIL evils or rsootheal
orrow or drive out all sin. have been
ounting the steps Of your progress as a
ity. | have seen your opportunities. ]
ave deplored your neglects; but time
wasted is wasted forever. ! mus 90 on.
must go on. Tick, tockl Tick, tockW
3ut in the tower Of the capitols at Wasls4
ngton and London and Berlin and VV1na Il
nd ali the great national capitals :.
re clocks
Suppose that by presidential proclama-
ion and resolution Of senate and ho0se Of
our national clock ID the
'apitol turret be ordered to stop step,
} clock, until sectional animosities are
ooled off, until our Sabbaths are better
ept and drunh euness turns to sobrietY
md bribery, fraud and dissipation quit the
andl Stop, D clock in the tower OF thk 7
,reat United States Ca itolr' No, non
ays tie clock II have been going on 50
ong cannot afford to stop. 1 sounded the
birthday OF American independence. ! T
ang out the return Of peace in 1865. ] 4
lave seen many presidents inaugurated. ]
truck the hour Of IAncoin's assassination.
have beat time for emancipation procla-
nation, and Chicago fire, and Charles
on earthquake, and epilenics Of feyerand
holera. Nations never stop. They march
N toward salvation or demolition. And
yhy should stop chime for the na-
III. = a