Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-26
THE CHRISTMAS TIDE.
Dr.. Talmage Draws Some Lessons
From the Holiday Season.
AN ILLUsTRIOUS BIRTHDAY.
Each Day q Good or Great Man Is Born
to the World, but None Like Christ.
REFLECTION AND JOY SHOULD REIGN

preached by Rev. DIR. Talmage this morn
ing was of character especially appropri'
ate to the holiday season, and was listened
to with rapt attention by an audience that
crowded the Tabernacle. Before beginning
his discourse the preacher gave out the
opening hymn:
Joy to the world, the Lord has come,
Let earth receive her King.
The text selected was ColossianS IL, 16
'Tn respect of holy-day."
What the Bible here and elsewhere call.
holy day, we, by change of one letter and
change of pronunciation, call holiday.
I am glad that this season we have the
holidays completely bounded. For years,
Christmas Day, starting in the midst Of
one week, and New Years Day, starting in
the midst of another week, we have been
perplexed to know when the holidays began
and when they ended, and perhaps we may
have begun them too soon or continued
them too long But this year they are
bounded by two beaches of gold: Sabbath,
December 25, 1892, and Sabbath, January
l, 1893. The one Sabbath this year COM
memorates the birth of the greatest being
that ever walked the earth; the other cele-
brates the birth of that which is to be one
of the greatest years of alstime.
l propose that we divide this holiday
season, the two Sabbaths of the holiday
and the six DAYS between into three chap
ters. The first part a chapter of illustrious
birthday; the second part a chapter of
annual decadence: the third part chapter
of chronological introduction.
Christ's Birth the Greatest.
First, then, chapter of illustrious birth
day. Not day of any year but has been
marked by the nativity OF some good or
great SOUL But what are all those birthdays
compared with December %, for on or about
that day was born one who eclipsed all the
great names of all the centuries-Jesus of
Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus of
Golgotha, Jesus OF Olivet, Jesus of the
Heavenly Throne? The greatest pictures
have been made about scenes in His lifetime.
The greatest sacrifices on felfof battle or in
hospital, or in long march, or in martyrdom
have been inspired BY His self-abnegation.
The finest words of eloquence ever spoken
have been uttered in the proclamation of
His Gospel. The greatest oratorios that have
ever rolled from orchestras were descriptive
of His life and death. There have been other
orators, but none like Him who "spake as
never man spake."
There have been other reformers, but
none like Him who will not have completed
His mission until the last prison is venti-
lated and the last blind eve opened and the
last deaf ear unstopped and the last lame
foot bounds like a roe and the last case of
dementia shall come to its right mind.
There have been other discoveries, but none
like Him, able to find how man may be Just
with God There have been other deliver
ers, but none like Him, the rescuer of ma
tions. There have been other painters, but
none GkeHim who put the image of God on
a lost soul No wonder we celebrate His
birth. Protestant Church, Catholic Church,
Greek Church, st. Isaac's of st. Petersburg,
ST. Peters at Rome, the Madeline at Paris,
St Paul's in London, Joining all our Amer
lean cathedrals and churches and log-cabin
and homes in keeping this
birth festival
The Star of Bethlehem.
Elaborate and prolonged efforts have
been made to show that the star that
pointed to the msnger in which Christ was
born was not what it appeared to be, but
of Jupiter and Saturn. Our
wise men of the West say that the wise
men of the East were mistaken. In order
to take everything 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 klnd-stellar or meteoric-pointed
from the sky to the straw cradle. When it
is so easy for God to make world that He
puts 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 incar-
mated and infantile. If God could afford to
make an especial earthquake at the cruci-
ixion-the aslant rocks on Mt. Calvary still
showing that there was convulsion of
nature at that particular point which was
felt in none of the surroundings-then be
could afford something unusual, something
brilliant, something positive, something
tremendous at the nativity.
As the finger of light that December 25th
pointed to the straw cradle, now all the
ingerS ofChristendom this moment, fingers
If childhood and old age, fingers of sermon
ind song and decoration and festivity |
point to the great straw cradle.
Jollity Should Reign Supreme.
Am not right in saying that the first of
he three chapters of the holidays should |
,e devoted to the illustrious birthday? By |
ong and prayer and solemn reflection and |
charities to-day, and by gifts and trees that |
,ear fruit in an hour after they are |
planted, and family gathering and hilari-
les sounding from cellar to garret to-mor- |
ow, keep Christmas. AS far as possible, |
,ather the children and the grandchildren, |
,ut put no estoppel on racket, whether OF |
aughter or swift feet or toys in shape of |
all trains or trumpets or infant efhgy. |
let the old folks for one day at least say |
lothing about rheumatism, or. prospect of |
arly demise, or the degeneracy OF modern |
lines, or the poison in confectionery. If |
,ou cannot stand the noise, retire from 1t
or a little while into some other room and |
top your ears. Christmas for children
Without plenty of noise is no Christmas at
H..
The second chapter of the holidays must
peak os annual decadence. This is the |
ast Sabbath of the year. The steps of the
ear are getting short, for it is old now.
When it waved the springtime blossoms,
he year was young, and when it swung the
cythe and cradle through the summer-har-
est fields, the year was strong; but il is
citing out of breath now, and after six
1ore throbs of the pulse will be dead.
We cannot stop this annual decadence.
Set all the clocks back, set all the watches
ack, set all the chronometers back, but
GU cannot set Time back.
Great Evils to BE Righred.
But there is great city clock, high up
q the tower. There are so many wrongs in
IL our cities to be righted, SO many evils to
e extirpated, SO many prisons to be sani-
lried; stop the city clock until all these
hipgs are done. Let Common Council and
II the people of the great town decree that
be City Hall clock shall stop. We do not
ant the sins of 1892 to be handed over to
500. We do not want the young year to
lherit tho misfortunes OF the old year By