The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-12-27
STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
~ Am the Bright and the Morning
STAR"
Rev. DR.. T. De Witt TaimaSe's Cbristmai
Sermon-Chris Heralds the Dawn of
Heaven Upon Every ChristiAn's
Dying Pillow.

n
ing before the organ, festooned with
Christmas greens, this sermon was de-
livered by Rev. DIR. Talmage, after the
throngs had sung 1.-THE Star Of Bethle.
hem" Text, Revelation xxi, 16, ~
am the bright and the morning star.
This is Christmas eve. Our attention
and the attention of the world is drawn
to the star that pointed down to the
caravansary where Christ was born.
But do not let us forget that Christ
himself was a star. To that luminous
fact my text calls us.
1t seems as II the natural world were
anxious 10 make up for the damage II
did our race in furnishing the forbid
den fruit. II that fruit wrought death
among the nations, now all the natural
product shall become a symbol of bless
ing. The showering down of the wealth
Of the orchard will make us think OF
Him whom Solomon describes as the
apple tree among the trees Of the wood,
and the flowers OF tangled glen and
cultured parterre shall be the dew.
glinted garland for the brow of the
Lord Jesus. Yea, even the night shall
be taxed, and its brightest star shall
be set as gem in the coronet in our
holy religion.
Have you ever seen the morning star
advantageously? II it was on your way
home from nights carousal, you saw
none of its beauty If you merely
turned over on your pillow in the dark
ness, glancing out of the window, you
know nothing about the cheerful infu.
ence of that star. But there are many
in this house tonight who in great
passes of their life, some of them far
out at sea, have gazed at that star and
been thrilled through with indescriba-
BILE gladness. That star comes tremb-
ling as though with the perils OF the
darkness and yet bright with the an
ticipations of the day. 1t seems emo
tional with all tenderness, its eyes
filed with the tears OF many sorrows
| 1t is the gem on the hand OF the morn
ing thrust up to signal its coming.
Other stars are dim, like holy candles
in cathedral Of silver beads counted
in superstitious litany, but this is liv-
ing star, speaking star, a historic
star, an evangclistic star-bright and
brilliant and triumphant symbol OF the
great Redcemer The telegraphic oper-
ator puts his finger on the silver key OF
the electric instrument, and the tidmgs
fly across the continent And so II
seems to me that the finger
of inspiration is placed upon
this silver point in the heavens
and its thrill is sent through al
the earth. Behold, bring you good
tidings of great joy which shall be Il
all people BEHOLD, / am the brigh
and morning star" The meaning o
my text is this: AS the morning sta
precedes and promises the coming o
the day, SO Christ heralds the natura
and spiritual dawn
In the first place, Christ heralded tn
coming OF the creation. There was
time when there was no order, no soun,
or beauty. No wing stirred. No wor'
was uttered. No light sped As far a
God could look up as far down, as ia
out, there was nothing. Immeasurabl
solitude. Height and depth and lengt
and breadth Of nothingness Did Chris
then existp Oh, yes. by Him were Al
things made that are made; things i
Heaven and things in earth and thing
under the earth" Yes, he antedate
the creation. He led forth Arcturu
and his sons He shone before the frs
/. morning. His voice was heard In tn
! concert when the morning stars serer
AIDED the advent of our infant eartf
/; when, wrapped in swaddling clothes {
light, II lay in the arms of the grea
Jehovah. He saw the first fountai
laid. He saw the first light kindleC
That hand which was afterwar
crushed upon the cross was thrust int
chaos, and it brought out one worl
and swung IL in that orbit, and brougi
out another world and swung II in al
} other orbit, and brought out all II
worlds and swung them in their parti
i ular orbits They came like sheep
!, the call OF shepherd. They kne
!. His voice, and he called them all /
: their names oh, IL is an interestin
y thought TO me TO know that Christ ha
! something to do with the creation.
y see now why IL was so easy for Him
! change water into wine. He first CT
e ated the water. see now why II WI
h so easy for Him 10 cure the maniac. i
/" first created the intellect see no
4 why IL was so easy for Him TO hush u
tempest He sank Gennesaret 81
C now why II was so easy for Him
> swing fish into Simon's net He mao
, the fish. see now why IL was so eai
for Him TO give sight to the blind ma
He created the optic nerve. / see no
why II was so easy for Him 10 raj
Lazarus from the dead. He create
the body Of Lazarus and the rock thi
; shut him in, Some suppose that Chri
, came stranger 10 Bethlehem oh, n
He created the shepherds and u
fiocls they watched, and the hil
= on which they pastured, and q
| heavens that overarched their head
and the angels that chanted the ch
/ rus on that Christmas night Tn
/ hand which was afterward nailed
i the cross, was an omnipotent and ere
4 tive hand and the whole universe W
] poised on the tip Of one of his finger
! Before the world was Christ was A
: the world came trooping mp out OF q
darkness, and he greeted them, rs
father greets his children, with go
morning." or q good night" Ha
Lord Jesus, morning star OF the fiji
creation.
Agaiz. Christ heralds the dawn
comfort in Christian soul Sometim