The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-01-01

No more did Christ show interest
in the botanical world, when he said,
Consider the lilies, than he showed
sympathy for this archaeological,
when he said, Behold the fowls of
the air." and the quadrupedal world,
when he allowed himself to be called
in one place a lion and in another
place lamb Meanwhile, may the
Christ of the Bethlehem cattle pen
have mercy on the suffering stock
yards that are preparing diseased
and fevered meat for our American
households.
GOD HoNoRED CHILDHOOD.
Behold, also, in this Bible scene,
how on that Christmas night God
honored childhood. Christ might
have made his first visit to our world
in cloud, as he will descend on his
next visit in a cloud. In what a
chariot of illumined vapor he might
have rolled down the sky, escorted by
mounted cavalry, with lightning for
drawn sword. Elijah had carriage
Of fire to take him up; why not Jesus
d carriage of fire to fetch him DOWN.
Or, over the arched bridge of a rain
bow the Lord might have descended.
Or Christ might have had his NOR
tality built up on earth out of the
dust of garden. as was Adam, in
fnll manhood at the start. without
the Introductory feebleness of in
fancy.
No, mol Childhood was to be hon
ored by that advent. He must have
child's light limbs, and a child's
dimpled hand, and a child's beaming
eye, and a child's flaxen hair; and
babyhood was to be honored for all
time to come, and cradle was to
mean more than a grave. Mighty
Godl May the reflection of that one
child's face be seen in all infantile
faces.
Enough have all those fathers and
mothers on hand if they have child
in the house. A throne, a crown, a
scepter, a kingdom, under charge.
Be careful how you strike him across
the head. jarring the brain. What
you say to him will be centennial
and millennial, and a hundred years
and a thousand years will not stop
the echo and re-ccho. Do not say,
1T is only a child Rather say, 1T
is only an immortal" 1t is only a
masterpiece of Jehovah. 1t is only
a being that shall outlive sun and
moon and star and ages quadrennial
God has infinite resources, and he
can give presents of great value; but
when he wants to give the richest
possible gift to household he looks
around all the worlds and all the uni
verse and then gives a child.
The greatest present that God eve"
gave our world he gave about 1891
years ago, and he gave it on Christ
mas night, and it was of such value
that heaven adjourned for a recess
and came down and broke through
the clouds to look at it. Yea, in all
ages God has honored childhood. He
makes almost every picture failure
unless there be a child either playing
on the floor, or looking through the
window, or seated on the lap gazing
into the face of the mother.
CHILD TOLD HIM THE WAY.
1t was a child in Naaman's kitchen
that told the great Syrian warrior
where he might go and get cured of
the leprosy, which at his seventh
plunge in the Jordan was left at the
bottom of the river. 1t was to the
cradle of leaves, in which child was
laid, rocked by the Nile, that God
called the attention of history. 1t
was a sick child that evoked Christi
curative sympathies. 1t was child
that Christ set in the midst of the
squabbling disciples, to teach the les
son of humility We are informed
that wolf and leopard and lion shall
be yet SO domesticated that a little
child shall lead them.
A child decided Waterloo, showing
the army of Butcher how they could
take short cut through the fields,
when. if the old road had been fol
lowed. the Prussian general would
have come up too late to save the des-
TIMES of Europe. 1t was a child that
decided Gettysburg. he having over
heard two Confederate generals in a
conversation, in which they decided
to march for Gettysburg instead Of
Harrisburg. and this, reported to
Governor Curtin, the Federal forces
started to meet their opponents at
Gettysburg.
And today the child is to decide all
the great battles, make all the laws
settle all the destinies and usher in
the worlds salvation or destruction
Men, women, nations, all earth and
all heaven, behold the child Is there
any velvet so soft as child's cheek
Is there any sky so blue as child'E
eye? Is there any music so sweet as
the child's voice? Is there any plume
so wavy as child's hair.
GOD HONORED SCIENCE.
Notice also that in this Bible nigh
scene God honored science. Who arr
the three wise men kneeling before
the Divine Infant? Not Doors, no
ignoramuses, but Caspar Belthasal
and Melchior. men who knew all tina
was to be known. They were thu
Isaac Newtons and Herschels an(
Faradays of their time. Their alche
my was the forerunner of our sublime
chemistry their astrology the mothel
of our magnificent astronomy. The,
had studied stars, studied metals
studied physiology. studied every
thing.
And when | see these scientist
bowling before the beautiful babe.
see the prophecy of the time whel
all the telescopes and microscopes
and all the Leyden jars. and all tn
electric batteries, and all the observa
tories, and all the universities shall
bow to Jesus. 1t is much that wa,
l. 4 L,