The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-01-05
T a. ON CHRISTMAS.
THE LESSONS OF THE CHRIS
'TIANS4 MOST HOLY DAY.
The lllustrjous Birthday Annual
Decadence Can Not Be Stop
ped--The New Year and
What 1t May Bring.

What 1t May Bring.
sz BROOKLYN, N. Y.,-The sermon
preached by Rev. DR.. Talmage Christ
mas morning was of character espec-
tally appropriate to the holiday sea-
son, and was listened to with rapt at
tention by an audience that crowded
the Tabernacle. Before beginning
the discourse the preacher gave out
the opening hymn: Il
Joy to the world, the Lord has come,
Let earth receive her king.
The text selected was, Colosians H.,
10: I'm respect OF holy-day."
What the Bible here and elsewhere
calls a holy-day, we, by change OF one
letter and change of pronunciation.
call holiday. But by change of spelling
and accentation we cannot change the
fact that holidays have great signifi-
canoe. AS long as the world stands
Christmas Day and New Years Day
and Easter Day will be charged and
surcharged with solemn suggestiveness
and holy mirth. Whether you take
the old style of my text and call them
holy days or the modern style and
call them holidays, they somehow
set all my nerves a-tingle
and my deeper emotions into
profoundest agitation. am glad that
this season we have the holidays
completely bounded. For years
Christmas Day, starting in the midst
of one week and New Years Day
starting in the midst OF another
week, we have been perplexed to know
! when the holidays began and when
they ended, and perhaps we may
have begun them too soon or contin-
ued them too long. But this year
they are bounded by two beaches OF
gold: Sabbath, December 25, 1892,
| and Sabbath 1, 1898. The one Sab
bath this year commentaries the
| birth of the greatest being that ever
| walked the earth: the other celebrates
the birth of that which is to be one of
the greatest years of all time. The
one day supernatural because of !. an
unhinged star and angelic doxology,
and the other day natural, but part
of procession that started with the
worlds existence and will 60 on until
the world is burned up; both the first
and the last days of these holidays
coming in with Sabbatical splendor
and solemnity, and girdling all the
days between with thoughts that
have all time and all eternity in their
emphasis. How shall we spend them?
| At haphazard and without special
direction; and they leaving as they go
away from us physical fatigue and
mental exhaustion, the effect of late
hours and recklessness OF diet, adding
another chapter to the moral and
! spiritual and eternal disasters which
have resulted from misspent holi-
days? Oh, no! A stout and resound-
ing No! for all the eight days.
| / propose that we divide this holi-
| day season, the two Sabbaths of the
holiday and the six days between, in.
to three chapters. The first part a
4 chapter of illustlious birth day; the
second part q chapter of chronology.
cal introduction.
First, then, a chapter OF illustrious
birthday. Not day of any year but
has been marked by the nativity oil
some good or great soul. Among dis.
coverers the birthday of Humboldt
was September IA, and of David
Livingston March 10. Among as.
tronomers the birthday of Isaac
Newton was December 25, and OIL
Herschel November II, Among ora.
tors the birthday of Cicero was
January 3, and OF Chrysostom Janu
airy IA. Among prison reformers the
birthday of John Howard was Sep
TENDER 2, and of Elizabeth Fry May
1. Among painters the birthday q
Raphael was March 20, and o
Michael Angelo March 6. Among
statesmen the birthday of Washing
ton was February 20, Of Hamilton
May 8, and of Jefferson April 2
Among consecrated souls the birth
day of Mrs Hemans was September
25, of Lucretia Mott January 8, ani
of Isabella Graham July 20. Blu,
what are all those birthdays com
pared with December rs, for on o.
about that day was born one wht
eclipsed all the great names of al
the centuries-Jesus of Bethlehem
Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus of Col
gotha, Jesus of Olivet, Jesus of tn
heavenly throne? The greatest pict
ures have been made about scenes ii
his lifetime. The greatest sacrifices
on field of battle, or in hospital, O
in martyrdom have been inspired b,
his self abnegation. The finest word
of eloquence ever spoken have beer
uttered in the proclamation of hi
gospel. The grandest orators tina
have ever rolled from orchestras wer
descriptive of his life and death
d There have been other orators, blu
none like him who "spake as neve
| n, a n epoko ~ There h av., heen Otho