Democratic messenger., 1892-12-31
BIRTHDAYS OF THE GREAT.

First. then. Il chapter of illustrious
birthday. Not Il 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. Il
and of David Livingston March 10.
Among astronomers the birthday of
Isaac Newton WAS Dec. - and of Her
schel Nov. II. Among orators the birth
day Of Cicero was Jan. 3 and of Chrys-
ostom Jan. II. Among prison reform
ers the birthday of John Howard was
Sept. . and of Elizabeth Fry May l.
Among painters the birthday of Raphael
WAS March ~ and of Michael Angelo
March q. Among statesmen the birth
day Of Washington was Feb. 30, Of
Hamilton May and Of jefferson April
2. Among consecrated souls the birth
day of Mrs. Hemans was Sept. 25, of
Lucretia Mott Jan. 3 and of Isabella
Graham July %. But what are ali
those birthdays compared with Dec. 25,
for on or about that day was born one
who cclipsed all tine great names of all
the centuries of Bethlehem, Jesus
of Nazareth, Jesus of Golgotha, Jesus
of Olivet, Jesus of the heavenly throne:
The greatest pictures have been mad"
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 i'll the proclamation
Of his Gospel. The grandest oratorios
that have ever rolled from orchestras
We're 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 un-
stopped, and the last lame foot bounds
like roe. and the last case of dementia
shall come TO its right mind. There
have been other discoverers, but none
Just with God. There have been other
,leliverers. but none like him. the res
ruer of nations. There have been other
painters, but none like him who put the
image of God on lost soul. No Won
der we celebrate his birth. Protestant
church. Catholic church, Greek church.
st. lsaac's of St Petersburg. St Peter !,
at Rome, the Madeleine at Paris, St
Paul's in London joining all our Ameri-
can cathedrals and churches and 10.
cabin meeting houses and homes in
keeping this preeminent birth festival.
THE sCPERNAL LIGHT.
Elaborate and prolonged efforts have
been made to show that the star that
pointed to the manger in which Christ
was born was not what it appeared 10
be-. but conjunction Of Jupiter and Sat
urn. Our wise men of the west say that
the wise men of the east We're mistaken.
Astronomers. you know, can calculate
backward as we'll as forward, and as
they can tell what will occur Il hundred
years from now among the heavenly
bodies, so they can accurately calculate
backward and tell what occurred eight
cen or nineteen hundred years ago. And
1t is true that seven years before Christ,
in Chaldea, about three hours before day
dawn. there was a conjunction of Jupi-
ter and Saturn. Standing i'll Jerusalem
and looking over toward Bethlehem,
those two Stars would have seemed 10
hang over that village. and ~ is sug-
gested 10y "A learned professor that the
magi may have had weak eyes, 50 that
the two stars may have looked like oLe.
In order To take everything supernatural
out Of the story we have to blind the
eyes of the magi and introduce a second
star to help ont the idea of the one star.
But Iprefer the simple story of the Bible,
that light of some kind stellar or me
pointed from the sky TO the straw
cradle When it is so easy for God to
make n world that he puts eighteen mil