Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-25
TR light ON CHRIST.
sBEHolD An TIE BRIGHT AND MORNING
STAR"
CHRIS. he Herald Of he Spiri ual Dawn and as
Such Shines With INTENSE Briliancy nom
Amid the Eacknsss Of tho
Spiritual Night

BRooKLYN, December 2A-In the
BROOKLYN Tabernacle to-day, q great
audience assembled TO participate In
the Christmas services. Standing be-
fore the organ, festooned with Christ
mas green, this sermon was delivered
by Rev. DR.. Talmage, after the t1rongs
had sung; 1.-The Star OF Bethlehem.
Text Rev. 90: is. II an the Bright
and morning star
This is Christmas eve. Our atten-
ti0n and the attention Of the world Is
drawn 70 the star that pointed down TO
the c-aravanSary where Christ was
born. But do not let US forget that
Christ himself was a star, To that lum-
inous fact my text calls us.
1t seems as II the natural world were
anxious TO make up for the damage 10
did our race 10 furnishing the forbid
den fruit. III that fruit wrought death
among the nations, nOw all the natural
products shall become a symbol OF bles-
sing. The shOwering down OF the
wealth Of the orchard will make Us
think Of him who solomon describes as
the apple tree among the trees OF the
wood, and the flowers OF tangled and
cultured parterre shall be the dew
Rlinted garland for the brow Of the
Lord Jesus. Yea, even the night shall
be taxed, and its brightest shall! DO set
ula gem in the eOronet Of our holy re-
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN
the morning star advantageously? II
it was on your way home from a nights
carousal you saw nom Of its beauty.
If you merely turned ove on your pill
low in the darkness, glancing out or
the window, you know nothing about
the cheerful influence Of that star. But
there are many in this house tonight
who in great passes Of their life, some
of them far out az sea, have gaZed az
that star aud been thrilled through
with indescribable gladness. That star
ONE trembling as though with the
perils Of the darkness, and yet bright
with the anticipation Of day. 10 seems
emotional with all tenderness, It's eyes
filed with the tears Of many sorrows.
It ts the gem on the hand Of the morning
thrust up 20 signal It's coming. Other
stars aredim,lik holy candles In acathe-
draL. or silver beads counted tn super
stitious litany; but this is living star,
speaking star, an historic star, an
e~yangslistic star-bright aud brilliant,
and triumphant symbol Of the great
Redeemer. The telegraphic operator
puts his finger ON the silver key or
the electric instrument, aud the tidings
fy across the continent; and so It
seems to me that the finger Of in
sDiratiOn is placed upon this silver
point In the heavens, and 10 thrills
through all the earth: "BehOld 1
bring you good tidings Of great JOY
which shall be- to an people. Behold
am the bright and morning star
The meaning OF my text is this: as the
morning star preCedes aud promises
the coming of the day, so Christ heralds
the natural and spiritual dawn.
IN THE FIRST PLACE,
Christ heraidsd the coming Of the crea-
ton. There was a time when there
NJ order, no sOnnd or beauty. No
wfTs%eerred. No word was uttered.
No light sped. As FAR as God could
look up, as far down, as far out, there
was nothing. Immeasurabie solitude.
Helghth aud depth, ana length, and
breadth Of nOthingness. Did Christ
then exist ? on, yes. 'By Him were
AN things made that are made; things
in heaven and things In earth, aud
things under the earth" Yes, he ante
dated the creation. He led forth
Arcturus and his sons. He shOue before
the first morning. His voice was heard
in the concert when the morning stars
serenaded the advent Of our iniant
earth, when, wrapped In s%waddling
clothes Of light, il lay 10 the arms Of
the great Jehovah. de saw the FIRST
light klndled. That hand which was
afterwards crushed upon the cross vas
thrust into chaos, and it brought out
one world and swung 10 In that orbit;
and brought out another world and
swung 70 10 another orbit; and brought
all the worlds, and swung them To their
particular orbits. They came like
sheep 90 the call Of a shepherd. They
knew his voice, and he called them an
by their names. Oh, 10 Is an interest
ing thought 70 me to know that Christ
aAD SOMETHING TO DO
with tae creation. I see now why it
was SO easy for him 10 change water
INFO wine: be first created the water. /
sse now why it was so easy for him 20
Cure the maniac; he first created the TO-
reflect. / see now why 10 was 50 easy
for him 60 hush the tempest: be sank
Gennesaret. I see now why IL was so
easy for him to swing fish into Simon's
net; he made the fish. I see now why
it was so easy for him 20 give sight 20
the blind man; he created the optic
nerve. Isee now why 10 was so easy for
him to raise Lazarus from the dead; be
created the body Of Lazarus, and the
rock that shut him TO-. Some suppose
that Christ came a stranger to Bethle-
hem. Oh, 20. He created the shep-
herds, and the Gocks they watched, and
the hills on which they pastured, and the
heavens that ~overarched their heads.a and
the angels that chanted the chorus
on that Christmas night. That hand,
which was aiterward nailed to the
cross, was an omnipOtent aud creative
hand, and the whole universe was
poised on the tip OF one Of his fingers.
Before the world was, Christ was. An
the world came trOOping up out OF the
darkness, and be greeted them, rs q
father greets his children with a Good
morning" or a Good night" Hail,
Lord Jesus, morning star of the Erst
creation.
Again Christ heralds the dawn OF
comfort in a Christian soul. Some
times we Ome TO passes in life where
al kinds Of tribulations meet US. You
are building up some great enterprise.
You have built the foundatiOn-the
wall-yOu are just about 70 put on the
canstone. when everything is damol-