The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-12-28

had weak eyes 30 that the
two stars may have looked like
one. In order to take every
thing supernatural out Of the story we
have to blind the eyes of the magi and
introduce second star to help out the
idea of the one star. But prefer the
simple story of the Bible, that light
Of some kind-stellar or meteoric--
pointed from the sky to the straw cra-
die.
When it is so easy for God TO make
world that he put eighteen millions of
them within one sweep Of the telescope,
he could certainly afford one silvery or
fiery signal Of some kind to point the
world TO the place where the sovereign
Of the universe lay incarnated and in
fantile. II God could afford TO make an
especial earthquake at the crucifxion,
the aslant rocks on Mt Calvary still
showing that there was convulsion of
nature at that particular spot which
was felt in none of the surroundings,
then he could afford something unusual,
something brilliant something positive,
something tremendous at the nativity.
II king at the birth Of son can
have the palace illumined and couriers
sent with swift dispatch TO announce
the gladness at the gates and wake up
an empire with cannonade, am not
surprised that at the birth Of the Son Of
God there was celestial agitation, and
my only wonder is 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 whom Christ came from an
other world and another world was to
get the souls that would be saved by
this celestial descent? 1t would have
been stellar disgrace. an astronom-
ical scandal II, when the Godhead lay
compressed in the form Of an infant,
something from above had not pointed
down, as much as to say: "There he isl"
Look, all earth and heavenl Look, all
time and all eternityl"
You see, the birth at Bethlehem must
have been more novel and startling to
the heavens than the crucihxion on Cal
vary. 1t was expected that Christ
would be maltreated. The world al
ways had maltreated its good and great
friends Joseph hurled into the pit,
Shadrach put into the fire, Jeremiah
lowered into dungeon, David bounded
from the throne, Elijah compelled TO
starve or take his food from the beak of
q filthy raven, Socrates condemned 10
death, so that the Calvarian massacre
was in the same old line Of maltreat-
ment But the novelty Of all ages was
the conjunction of divinity and human
ity. Invisible deity, muscled and
nerved and Heshed in masculine
physique. A child and yet Godi Why,
II the meteor had not pointed down
that night some angel would have
rushed down and pointed with his gilt
tering scepter.
Isaiah and David and Ezekiel, who
foretold the coming, would have de-
scended 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 December 81
pointed to the straw cradle, now all the
fingers Of Christendom this moment,
fingers Of childhood and old age. fingers
Of sermon and song and decoration and
festivity, point 70 the great straw era
die. Am not right in saying that the
first of the three chapters Of the holi
days should be devoted TO the illustri
Gus birthday By song and prayer and
solemn reflection and charities to-day
and by gifts and trees that bear fruit
In an hour after they are planted, nnd
family gathering and hilarities sound
ing from cellar TO garret tomorrow
keep Christmas.
As far as possible gather the children
and the grandchildren, but put nc
estoppel on racket whether Of laughter
or swift feet or toys In shape Of raj
trains or trumpets or infant efigy. Le
the old folks for one day at least say
nothing about rheumatism, or prospec
OF early demise, or the degeneracy o
modern times, or the poison In confec
tionery. II you can not stand the noise
retire from II for little while int
some other room and stop your ears
Christmas for children without plenty
Of noise Is no Christmas at all.
II children and grandchildren can no
have full swing during the holidays
when will they have it2 They will b
still soon enough, and their feet will
slaclsen their pace, and the burdens o
life will bear them down. Houses ge
awfully still when the children ar
gone. While they stay let them fill tn
room with such resounding mirth tina
you can hear the echoes twenty year
after they are dead. By religious cels
bration to-day and by domestic celebru
ton tomorrow keep Christmas
As for our beloved church, we to-moi
row night mean TO set the children c
our Sabbath school wild with delight
and In The Christian Herald, wit
which am connected, we are celebrat
ing the holidays by sending out two I
four thousand Bibles q day, and the
will continue to 20 out by express, b
messengers and by mail until we hay
distributed at least 100, 900 copios Of th
good old Book ON which Christmas
built, and which gives the only healti
full Interpretation of these swift hyin
years 4flssrhit
! The second chapter Of the holiday
must speak Of annual decadence TIL
J is the last Sabbath Of the yeal
The steps Of tho year nj
getting short, for II Is ols
} When II waved the spring time blo'
SONS the year was young, and when
swung the scythe and cradle throug