The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-09-27
A CHRISTIAN JUBILEE.
Novel Proposition Presented In a
Sermon by Rev. DR.. Talmage.
We Should Have an Exposition Opened on
Christmas, 1900, to Commemorate
the Anniversary Of the Saviour
OF Menkind- MagniA-
cent Programme
Mapped Out.

an immense audience, taking for his
text Isaiah TX. 8: "To US q child is born."
That is tremendous hour in the his
tory Of any family when an immortal
spirit is incarnated. Out Of o very dark
cloud there descends very bright
morning, One life spared and another
given. All the bells Of gladness ring
over the cradle. know not why any
one should doubt that Of old Q
star pointed down to the Saviour's
birthplace, for star Of Joy points
down to every honorable nativity. A
new eternity dates from that hour,
that minute. Beautiful and appropri-
ate is the custom Of celebrating the
anniversary of such an event, and clear
on into the eighties and the nineties,
the recurrence of that day Of the year
in an old mans life causes recognition
and more or less congratulation. So,
also, nations are accustomed to cele-
brate the anniversary Of their birth
and the anniversary of the birth OF
their great heroes or deliverers or ben
efactors. The 22d OF February and the
4th of July are never allowed to pass
in our land without banquet and ora
tion and bell ringing and cannonade.
But all other birthday anniversaries
are tame compared with the Christmas
festivity, which celebrates the birth
day described in my text. Protestant
and Catholic and Greek churches, with
all the power Of music and garland and
procession and doxology, put the words
of my text into national and conti-
mental and hemisphere chorus: ITO
us a child Is born" On the 25th of De-
cember each year that is the theme in
st. Paul and st. Peters and st. Marks
and st. Isaac's and all the dedicated
cathedrals, chapels, meeting houses
and churches clear round the world.
We shall soon reach the nineteen hun
dredth anniversary of that happiest
event Of all time. This century is
dying. Only seven more pulsa-
tions and its heart will cease to
beat. The fingers of many Of you will
write at the head of your letters and
the foot of your important documents,
1000" II will be physical and
moral sensation unlike anything else
you have before experienced. Not one
hand that wrote 1891" at the induc-
tion of this century will have cunning
left to write 1901" at the induction Of
another. The death Of one century
and the birth of another century will
be sublime and suggestive and stu
pendous beyond all estimate. To stand
by the grave of one century and the
cradle Of another will be an oppor-
tunity such as whole generations Of the
worlds inhabitants never experienced.
pray God that there may be no sick
ness or casualty to hinder your arrival
at that goal, or TO hinder your taking
part In the valedictory Of the departing
century and the salutation Of the new.
But as that season will be the nine
teenth hundredth anniversary of a
Saviour's birth, now nominate that a
great international jubilee or exposi-
tion be opened in this cluster of cities
by the sea coast on Christmas day, the
25th Of December, 1900, TO be continued
for at least one month in the year 1901.
This century closing December 81,
1900, and the new century beginning
January 1, 1901, will 1t not be time for
all nations TO turn aside for a few
weeks or months from everything else
and emphasize the birth Of the greatest
Being who ever touched our planet, and
could there be more appropriate time
for such commemoration than this cul-
mination of the centuries which are
dated from His nativity. You know
that all history dates from either be
fore Christ or after Christ, from b. c
or A. d. 1t will be the year of our
Lord, 1900, passing into the year 1901
We have had the Centennial at Phila
delphia, celebrative of the one hun
dredth anniversary Of our nation'i
birth. We have had the magnificent
expositions at New Orleans, Atlanta
and Augusta, and St. Louis. We have
the present Worlds Exposition at Chi
cago, celebrative Of the four hundredtl
anniversary Of the, continents emerg
ence, and there are at least two .othel
great celebrations promised for thi
country, and other countries will hav'
their historic events TO commemorate
but the one event that has most TO d.
with tho welfare of all nations Is tn,
arrival Of Jesus Christ on this planet
and all the enthusiasm ever witnessed
at London or Vienna or Paris, or any o
our American cities would be eclipseC
J by the enthusiasm that would cele
brate the ransom of all nations, tn,
first step toward the accomplishing o
Il being taken by an infantile foot on
winters night, about five miles from
Jerusalem, when the clouds droppe'
the angelic cantata: "Glory TO God II
the highest, and on earth peace, goo'
will TO men,"
The three or four questions tha
would be asked me concerning thi
nomination Of time and place, pro
ceed TO answer. What practical us
would come Of such international cele
bration? Answer: The, biggest strid
the world ever took toward the evan
gelization Of all nations That Is
grand and wonderful convocation, tn
religious congress at Chicago. i
will put intelligently before tn
world the nature Of false re
ligions which have been brutal
izing the nations, trampling woman
hood into the dust, enacting the hon
rora Of infanticide, kindling funera
pyres for shrieleing Victims, and roll
Ing juggernauts across the manglo
hodIea nf THAR rxnrnhinarh Rut no on