The Globe-republican., 1893-09-29
CHRIsT'S ANNIVERSARY.
Dr.. Talmege Advises q Great
Christian Celebration.
He Proposes That the Nineteen Hundredth
Anniversary OF the Birth OF Christ
BE a Great Celebration by the
Christian World.


mon OF unusual interest to vast audi
ence. the Sd 3ject being The Nineteen
Hundredth Anniversary: 2 Proposition
Concerning it" The text was taken
from Isaiah tx. 9: TO US a child is
born" He said:
That is tremendous hour in the his
tory of any family when an immortal
spirit is incarnated. Out OF very
dark cloud there descends a very
bright morning. One life spared and
another given. All the bells OF glad
ness ring over the cradle | know not
why any one should doubt that of
old star pointed down to the Saviour's
birthplace. for a star of Joy points
down to every honorable nativity. A
new eternity dates from that
hour, that minute. Beautiful and APP
propriate is the custom of cele Drafting
the anniversary of such an event. and
clear on into the eighties and the nine
ties, the recurrence of that day of the
year in an old mans life causes recog-
milton and more or less congratulation.
So. also. nations are accustomed to
celebrate the anniversary of their birth
and the anniversary of the birth of
their great heroes or deliverers or ben
efactors- The I'D of February and the
18th of July are never allowed to
pass in our land without banquet and
oration and bell ringing and cannon
sde. But all other birthday anniver-
saries are tame compared with the
Christmas festivity, 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 dox-
ology, put the words of my text
into national and continental and
hemisphere chorus: To US child is
born" On the 18th of December each
year that is the theme in St Paurs and
St Peters and St Marks and St.
Isaac's and all the dedicated cathe-
irals, 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 dy-
ing. The death of one century and
the birth of another century will be
sublime and suggestive and stupendous
beyond all estimate. To stand by the
grave of one century and by the cradle
Of another will be an opportunity such
As whole genera tons of the worlds in
habitants never experienced. | pray
God that there may be no sickness or
casualty to hinder your arrival at that
goal, or to hinder your taking
part in the valedictory of the de-
parting century and the salutation OF
the new. But as that season will be
the nineteenth anniversary of the
great international jubilee or exposi-
ton be opened in this cluster Of cities
by the sea coast on Christmas day, the
18th of December, 1900, to be continued
for at least one month into the year
1901. This century, closing December
81, 1900. and the new century, begin
uinC January 1, 1901. will it 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 q more ap
propriate time for such commemora
ton than this elimination of the cen
turtles which are dated from his nativ.
ity? You know that all history dates
either from before Christ or after
Christ. from Il. c. or A. ID. 1t will be
the year of our Lord, 1900. passing into
the year 1901.
The three or four questions that
would be asked me concerning this
nomination of time and place, proceed
to answer. What practical use would
come of such international celebration:
Answer: The biggest stride the world
ever took toward the evangelization OF
all nations That is a grand and Won
derful convocation, the religious con-
gress at Chicago. 1t will put intelli-
gently before the world the nature OF
false religions which have been brutal
izing the nations, trampling woman
hood into the dust, enacting the hor-
rors of infanticide. kindliug funeral
pyres for shrieking victims. and rolling
juggernauts across the mangled bodies
Of their worshipers. But no one sup
poses that any one will be converted &c
Christ by hearing Confucianism OF
Buddhism, or any form of heathenism
eulogized. That is to be done afterward
And how can it so well be done as by q
celebration of many weeks of the brit
and character and achievements of the
wondrous and unprecedented Christ?
To such an exposition the kings anc
queens of the earth would not SEND
their Representatives; they would come
themselves The story of Saviour,
advent could not be told without telling
the story of his mission All the WORLD
would say: why this ado. this univer
sal demonstration" What vivid pre-
sentation it would be, when at such q
convocation, the physicians of the
world should tell what Christ had don,
for hospitals and the assuagement o.
human pain. and when Christian law
wears declare what Christ has done TO,
the blishment of good laws, and
Christian conouerors should tell wha,
Christ had done in the conquest o,
nations, and Christian rulers of the
earth would tell what Christ had done
in the government of earthly domin
ions Thirty days of such celebration
would do more to tell the world who