Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-12-29
CHRISTMAS TIMES.
DR.. TALMAcs ON THE LESSONS or
TIE ANNIVERSARIES.

BROOKLYN, Dec %. = The sermon
preached by Rev. DIR. Talmage this morn.
ing was of character especially appropri
ate 10 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 ii. 10
an respect of a holy day."
What the Bible here and elsewhere CALI
holy day we, by change of one letter and
change of pronunciation, call holiday. But
by change of spelling and aceenruation we
cannot change the fact that holidays have
great significance. As long as the world
stands Christmas day and New Years day
and Easter day will be charged and sur.
charged with solemn suggestiveness and
holy mirth. Whether you take the old
style of my text and call them holy days.
or the modern style and call them holt
days, they somehow set all my nerves attn.
Gle and my deeper emotions into profound
est agitation. | 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 10 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, Dec %, 1892, and Sabbath, Jan.
|. 1898. 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 all time, the one
day supernat dral because of an unhinged
star and angelic doxology, and the other
day natural but part of a procession
that started with the worlds existence
and will 20 on until the world is
burned up: both the first and the last days
Of these holidays coming in with Sabbat-
ical splendor and solemnity, and girdling
all the days between with thoughts that
have all time and all eternity in their
emphasis. How shall we spend them?
At haphazard and without special direc-
ton, and they leaving, as they go away
from us, physical fatigue and mental ex-
haustion, the effect of late hours and
recklessness Of diet, adding another chap
ter TO the moral and spiritual and eternal
disasters which have resulted from mis-
spent holidays? Oh, mol A stout and
resembling mol for all the eight days.
propose that we divide this holiday
season, the two Sabbaths of the holiday
apd the six days between, into three chap
ters-the first part a chapter of illustrious
birthday; the second part a chapter of an
nual decadence; the third part chapter
Of chronological introduction.
THE GREAT NATIyITIEs.
First, then, chapter ofillustrious birth.
day. Not day Of any year but has been
marked by the nativity of some good or
great soul. Among discoveries the birth |
day Of Humboldt was Sept. IA and of Da-
vid Livingston March 10. Among astron
omers the birthday Of Isaac Newton was
Dec % and of Herschel Nov. II. Among |
orators the birthday OF Cicero was Jan.
and Of Chrysostom Jan IA. Among prison
reformers the birthday of John Howard |
was Sept. and Of Elizabeth Fry May l. |
Among painters the birthday of Raphael
was March Is aud Of Michael Angelo
March g.
Among statesmen the birthday OF Wash |
ington was Feb % Of Hamilton May s. |
and of jefferson, April q Among conse
Grated souls the birthday Of Mrs. Hemans |
WIS pl 81 VI AsANItlth -Abhbs - an - anu /
of Isabella Graham, July 80 But what
are all those birthdays compared with Dec
%, 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 Oil
vet, Jesus of the heavenly throneY
The greatest pictures have been made
about scenes in his lifetime. The greatest
sacrifices on field of battle or in hospital or
on 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 grandest 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 re-
formers, but none like him who will not
have completed his mission until the
last prison is ventilated, and the last blind
eye opened, and the last deaf ear unstopped,
and the last lame foot bounds like 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
deliyerers, but none like him, the rescuer
Of nations. There have been other paint
ers, but none like him who put the image
of God on lost soul. No wonder we cele-
brate his birth-Protestant church, Cath
ole church, Greek church, st. Isaac's of
st. Petersburg, st. Peters at Rome, the
Madeleine at Paris, st. Paul's in London,
joining all otfr American cathedrals and
churches and log cabin meeting houses and
homes in keeping this pre-eminent birth
festival
TIE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
Elaborate aud prolonged efforts have
been made to show that the star that
pointed to the manager in which Christ
was born was not what it appeared To be,
but conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
Our wise men of the west say that the
wise men Of the east were mistaken. As
tronomers, you know. can calculate back
ward as well as forward, and as they can
tell what will occur a hundred years from
now among the heavenly bodies, SO they
can accurately calculate backward and
Hall y.