The Portland daily press., 1892-12-30


Importance to Christmas-The Year s9i
! Is Certain to Be g. Memorable One-Nn-
lures Lesson of Growth and Decay.
BROOKLYN, Dec. 25.-The sermon
preached by Rev. DR.. Talmage this
morning was of a character especially
appropriate to the holiday season, and
was listened to with rapt attention by
an audience that crowded the Taber-
nacle. Before beginning his discourse
the preacher gave out the opening hymn:
Joy to tho world: the Lord has come;
Let earth receive her king.
The text selected was Colossians ii, 16,
i"In respect of holy day"
What the Bible here and elsewhere
caliG holy day we, by change of one
letter and change of pronunciation, call
holiday. But by change Of spelling and
accentuation 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 surcharged with
solemn suggestiveness and holy mirth.
Whether yon take the old style Of my
text and call them holy days, OF the mod
ern style and call them holidays, they
somehow set all my nerves a-tingle and
my deeper emotions into profoundest
agitation. l am glad that this season
we have the holidays completely bound
ed. 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 OF continued them too
long.
But this year they are bounded by two
beaches of gold-Sabbath, Dec. 25, 1892,
and Sabbath, Jan. l, 1898. The one Sab
bath this year eommemorates the birth
of the greatest. being that ever walked
the earth; the other celebrates the birth
of that which is to be one Of the greatest
years of all time; the one day super
natural bseause of an unhinged star and
angelic doxology, and the other day nat
nral, but part of a procession that started
with the worlds existence and will go
on until the world is burned up; both
the first and the last days Of these holi-
days coming in with Sabbatical 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 hap
hazard and without special direction.
and they leaving, as they go away from
us, physical fatigue and mental exhaus-
ton, the effect of late hours and reck-
lessness Of diet adding another chapter
to the moral and spiritual and eternal
disasters which have resulted from mis-
spent holidays? Oh, no! A stout and
Tesounding no! for all the eight days.
h propose that we divide this holiday
season, the two Sabbaths Of the holiday
and the six days between, into three
chapters-the first part chapter Of
illustrious birthday; the second part a
chapter of annual decadenoe; the third
part chapter of chronological introduce
ton.
BIRTHDAYS OF THE GREAT.
| First, then, chapter of illustrious
birthday. Not day Of any year but
has been marked by the nativity of some
good or great soul. Among discoveries
the birthday of Humboldt was Sept. IA
and of David Livingston March 10.
Among astronomers the birthday Of
Isaac Newton was Dec. 25 and Of Her
schel Nov. II. Among orators the birth
day of Cicero was Jan. and of Chrys-
ostom Jan. IA. Among prison reform
ers the birthday of John Howard was
Sept. 3 and of Elizabeth Fry May 1.
Among painters the birthday Of Raphael
was March rs and Of Michael Angelo
March 6. Among statesmen the birth
day of Washington was Feb. %, of
Hamilton May s and of Jefferson April
2. Among consecrated souls the birth
day of Mrs. Hemans was Sept. 25, Of
Lucretia Mott Jan. 8 and Of Isabella
Graham July 49, But what are all
those birthdays compared with Dec. Is,
for on or about that day was born one
who eclipsed all the great names Of all
the centuries-Je 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 illhis 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 eloauence 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 reform
ers, 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 I'M
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
deliverers, but none like him, the res
cuer of nations. There have been other
painters, but none like him who put the
image of God on a lost soul. No Won
L. .,,&l.