Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-10-11

Bethlehem was imported from another
world, and when the star left its usual
sphere to designate the birthplace all
astronomy felt the thrill. II there be any
thing true about our religion, it is that other
worlds are sympathetic with this world and
IN communication with IT. The glorified OF
heaven would join in such a celebration
The generations that toiled to have the
world for Christ would take part in such
1ubllation and prolonged assemblage.
The upper galleries OF Gods universe
would applaud the scene, whether we heard
the clap OF their wings and the shout of their
voices or did not hear them Prophets who
predicted the Messiah, and apostles who
talked with Him, and martyrs who died for
Him would take part in the scene, though to
our poor eyesight they might be invisible.
The old missionaries who died in the malariak
swamps OF Africa, or were struck down by
Egyptian typhus or were butchered at Luck
now, or were slain by Bornesian cannibals
would come down from their thrones to re-
joice that at last Christ had been heard Of
and so speedily in all nations. At the frst
roll of the first overture OF the first day OF
that meeting all heaven would cry: Heart
Hear ~
Aye! Aye. 1 think myself such a vast pro-
cedure as that might hasten our Lords COM
Ing, and that the expectation of many mil
lions of Christians who believe in the second
advent might be realized then at that con-
junction of the Nineteenth and Twentieth
Centuries. do not say it would be, yet who
knows but that our blessed and adored Mas
ter, pleased with such plan of worldwide
observance, might say concerning this wan
derlng and rebellious planet, ''That world at
last shows disposition to appreciate what
have done for'it, and with one wave of nv
Scared hand will bless and reclaim and
save it,
That such a celebration of our Lords birth,
kept up for days and months, would please
all the good Of earth and nightly speed on
the gospel chariot and please all the heavens.
sanity, cherubic, seraphic. archangelic and
divine, ID beyond question. Oh, get ready
for the worlds greatest festivityl Tune your
voices for the worlds greatest anthem. Lift
the arches for the worlds mightieSt process
sion. Let the advancing standard OF the
army of years, which has inscribed on one
side of it 1890" and on the other side "l90I,"
have also inscribed on it the most charming
name OF all the universe-the name of Jesus.
Whether this suggestion ola worEd's cele-
bration of the nativity be taken or not, it
has allowed me an opportunity in a some
what unusual way OF expressing my love for
the great central character of all time and
all eternity. He is the infinite nonesUch.
The armies OF heaven drop on their knees
before him. After Bourdaloue, before over
whelmed audiences, has preached Him, and
Milton in immortal blank verse has sung
Him, and Michael Angelo has glorifed the
ceiling of the Vatican with His second con-
ing, and martyrs while girdled and canO-
pied with the flames of the stake
have with burning lips kissed his mem-
DRY, and in the hundred and forty and four
thousand" of heaven with feet on seas of
glass intershot with sunrise, have with up
lifted and dOwnswung baton, and sounding
comets, and waving banners. and heaven
capturing doXOlOgies celebrated Him. the
story of His loveliness and His might and His
beauty, and His grandeur. and His grace, and
ia inr is of is
birth, and His death will remain untold. Bs
His name on our lips while we live, and when
we die after we have spoken farewell to father
and mother and wife, and child let us speak
that name which is the lullaby Of earth and
the transport OF heaven.
Before the crossing of time on the mid
night between December 81, 1900, and the
1st Of January, 1901, many OF US will be
gone. Some ofyOu will hear the clock strike
twelve OF one century and an hour after it
many of you will not that midnight hear
either the stroke of old the city clock or OF
the old timepiece in the hallway Of the home
stead. Seven years cut wide swath through
the churches and communities and Nations.
But those who cross from world to world
before Old Time in this world crosses that
midnight from century to century will talk
among the thrones Of the coming earthly
Jubilee, and on the river bank and in the
house of many mansions. until all heaven
will know of the coming of that celebration,
inat will fill the earthly Nations with joy and
help augment the Nations of heaven. But
whether here or there we will take part in
the music and the banqueting if we have
made the Lord our portion.
oh, how l would like TO stand at my front
door some morning or noon or night and see
the sky part and the blessed Lord descend in
person, not as he will come in the last judg-
ment, with fire and hail AMI earthquake, but
in sweet tenderness to pardon all sin, and
heal all wounds. and wipe away all tears,
and feed all hunger, and right all wrongs,
and illumine all darkness, and break all
bondage, and harmOnize all di5cords. Some
:hink he will thus come. but about that
coming 1 make no prophecy, for l am not
enough learned in the Scriptures, as some of
any friends are, to announce a very positive
opinion.
But this do know, that it would be we'll
for US to have an international and an inter-
world celebration OF the anniversary of His
birthday about the time of the birth of the
new century, and that it will be wise beyond
all others wisdom for US to take Him as our
present and everlasting cOldjutor, and If
that Darling of earth and heaven will only
accept you and me after all our lifetime OF
nnworthiness and sin we can never pay Him
what we owe, though through all the eternity
TO come we had every hour a new song amt
every moment a new ascription OF homage
and praise, for you see We were far out
among the lost sheep that the gospel hymn
go pathetically describes
out in the desert he heard It's cry,
Sick aud relple~s ~ to die,
But all through the mountain thunder Tiven,
AMI up from the rocky steep,
here rises a cry to the gate OF heaven.
''Rei ,ice have found my sheep
And the angels echo round the throne,
"Retuice, for the Lord brlnss back His Own!"