The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-10-11
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: stA Proposition to Celebrate
the Nineteen Hundredth Birth
day Of Christ by an Inter-
national Jubilee
TEXT: "To US child is born," Isaiah * ,

of any family when an immortal spirit is in
carnated. Out Of q very dark cloud there
descends very bright morning. One life
spared and another given. All the bells Of
cladness ring over the cradle. know not
why any one should doubt that of old star
pointed down to the Saviour's birthplace, for
star of JOY points down to every honorable
nativity. new eternity dates from that
hour, that minute.
Beautiful and appropriate is the custom Of
celebrating the anniversary Of such an event,
and clear on into the eighties and nineties
the recurrence of that day Of the year in an
old mans life causes recognition and more or
less Generalization. So also Nations are ac-
customed to celebrate the anniversary OF
their birth and the anniversary of the birth
of their great heroes or deliverers orbenetac-
tors The 22d OF February and the 4th OF
July are never allowed to pass in our land
without banquet and oration and bell ring
inc eand cannonade. But all other birthday
anniversaries are tame compared with tho
Christmas fes.ivity. which celebrates the
birthday 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 con-
tinental and hemisphere chorus, ITO us
child is born" On the 25th OF December
each year that is the theme in st. Pauls and
st. Peters and st, Marks ard St. lsaaes and
all the dedicated cathedrals, chapels, meet
ing houses and churches clear round the
world.
Wo shall soon reach the nineteen hum
dredth anniversary of that happiest event of
all time. This century is dying. Only seven
more pulsations, and its heart will cease to
beat. The fingers of many Of you will write
it at the head Of your letters and the loot OF
YOUR important documents, 1890" 1t will
be a physical and moral sensation unlike
anything else you have before experienced.
Not one hand that wrote that "lSOl at the
Induction of this century will have cunning
left to write s'19O1" at the induction OF an
other.
The death of one century and the birth OF
another century will be sublime and sug-
eestive and stupendous beyond all estimate.
To stand by the grave Of ono century and by
the cradle OF another will be an opportunity
such as whole generations OF the worlds In
habitants never experienced. / pray God
TINT there may be no sickness or casualty to
hinder your arrival at that goal or to htndor
your taking part in the veledictory OF the de-
parting century and the salutatlon OF the
new.
But as that season will be the nineteen
hundredth anniversary OF a Sayiour's birth,
now nominate that great international
Jubilee or exposition be opened In this clus-
Ter of cities by the seacoast on Christmas
day, the 25th OF December, 1900, to be con-
tinued for at least one, month into the year
1901. This century closing December 3lst,
1900, and the new century beginning Janu-
ary 1st, 1901. will it not be time for oil Ma
tions to turn aside for few weeks or months
from everything else and emphasize ne Dlrth
OF the greatest being who ever touched our
hor hQ n IL
ate time for such commemoration than this
elimination OF the centuries which are dated
from His nativity You know that all his
tory dates either from before Christ or after
Christ, from B. C. or A. D. 1t will be the
wear Of our Lord 1900 passing into the year
1901.
We have had the Centennial at Philadel-
phia, celebrative OF the one hundredth an
niversary of our Nations birth. We have
had the magnificent expositions at New Or-
leans and Atlanta and Augusta and st.
Louis. We have the present Worlds exposi-
tion at Chicago, celebrative OF this conti-
nent's emergence, and there are at least two
other great celebrations promised for this
country, and other countries will have their
historic events to commemorate, but the one
event that has most to do with the welfare
of all Nations is the arrival OF Jesus
Christ on this planet, and all the enthusiasm
ever witnessed at London or Vienna or Paris
or any of our American cities would be
eclipsed by the enthusiasm that would ceie-
brate the ransom OF all nations, the hrst step
toward the accomplishing OF 1t being taken
by an infantile foot one winters night about
Ave miles from Jerusalem, when the clouds
dropped the angelic cantants, "Gloryto God
in the highest, and on earth peace. good will
to men,"
The three or four questions that would be
asked me concerning this nomination oftime
and place proceed to answer. What prac.
tical use would come of such international
celebration? Answer-The biggest stride
the world ever took toward the evangellza-
ton OF all Nations. That is grand and
wonderful convocation, the religious con-
gress at Chicago. 1t will put intelllgently be-
fore the world the nature of false religions
which have been brutalizing the Nations,
tramping womanhood into the dust. enact
ing the horrors of infanticide, kindltng
funeral pyres for shriekfng victims, and
rolling iuggernauts across the mangled bod
les Of their worshipers.
But no one supposes that any one Will be
converted TO Christ by hearing Confu uc1anism
or Buddhism or any form Of heathenism
eulogized. That is to be done afterwards.
And how can it 80 we'll be done as by cole
bration OF many weeks Of the birth and char.
acter and achievements OF the wondrous and
unprecedented Christ? To such an exposl.
ton the kings anfqueens OF the earth would
not send their representatives-theyW would
come themselves.
The story OF Sayiour's advent could not
be told without telling the story Of His mis-
sion. All the world soy, "Why this ado,
this universal demonstrations What vivid
presentation it would be, when at such con-
vocation the physicians Of the world should
tell what Christ has done for hospitals and
the assusgement OF human pain, and when
Christian lawyers declare what Christ has
done for the establishment OF good laws, ana
Christian conquerors should tell what Christ
had done in the conquest OF Nations, and
Christian rulers of the earth would tell what
Christ had done in the Government OF earthly
dominions
Thirty days OF such celebration would do
more to tell the world who Christ IL than
any thirty years. Not land on earth but
would hear OF it and discuss it. Not an eye
30 dimmed by the superstition OF ages but
would see the illumination. The difference
of Christ's religion from all others Is that its
one way of dissemination is by simple
"telling," not argument, not skilful exeget-
lists, poemics or the science Of theological
fistcuffs. but telling" TELL .ye tue
daughter Of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh."
'to quickly anu toli MO uiooip'eo tAe'
has risen from the dead" "Go home to thy
friends and tell them how great things the
Lord hath done for thee" "When He is
come, He will tell us oil things" religion
Of '.telling.'
And in what way could all Nations 40 we'll
be told that Christ had come as by such On
international emphasizing OF His nativity
All India would cry out about such an affair.
for you know they have their railroads anu
telegraphs. 'What is going on in America
All China would cry ont. What Is that great
excitement in America" All the islands OF
the sea would come down the gangplanks OF
the arriving ships and ask. what is that
in Ar,norina VI II would