The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-09-28
A GREAT CHRISTMAS.
raE NINETEEN HuNDRETH AN.
NIvERSARY
of christs Birth. Rev. DR.. Taimsge
Proposes an International
Time OF Rejoicing.

l"
Tint Is n tremendous hour In the history
=, any innily when an immortal spirit IL in
..rnsted. Out OF q very dark cloud there
Ssscends very bright morning. One life
.osred and another given. All the bells OF
IIsdness ring over the cradle. know not
NV sny one should doubt that OF old a star
rolntei down to the Saviour's birthplace. for
star OF Joy points down to every honorable
nStIylty. new eternity dates from that
hour. that minute.
BEAUTIFUL and appropriate Is the custom OF
,eebratng the anniversary OF such an event.
"a clear on into the eighties and nineties
the recurrence OF that day OF the year IN an
IA mans lifo causes recognition and more or
Isss congratulation. SO also Nations are ac-
ms,omed TO celebrate the anniversary OF
,beIr birth and the anniversary OF the birth
of their great heroes or deliverers or benetnc-
Tor. The 22d OF February and the ath Of
july arr never allowed TO pass in our land
ri,hout banquet and oration and bell ring
inc and cannonade. But all other birthday
anniversaries are tame compared with the
| chrls.mns fcstivity 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 doxoloyy, put
the words OF my text into National and con
| unpntal and hemisphere chorus, "To us n
mid Is born" On tho 25th OF December
Zach year that II the theme I'm st. Paul's and
y Peters and st, Marks and ~. Isaac's and
Al! the dedicated cathcdrals. chapes. meet
Ing houses and churches clear round the
world.
We shall soon reach the nineteen hum
Ireith anniversary Of that happiest event OF
Al time This century Is dying. Only seven
rore pulsatlons, and its heart will cease TO
heat The fingers OF many OF you will write
K II the head OF your letters and the foot OF
YOUR important documents. 1900" II will
h. physical and moral sensation unlike
ANYTHING else you have before experienced.
No, one hand that wrote that "lSOl" at the
Induction OF this century will have cunning
ei, 20 write ''i90i' at the induction OF an-
other.
The death OF ono century and tho birth of
another century will bo sublime and sug-
,estiye and stupendous beyond nll estimate.
10 stand by the grave OF one century and by
the cradle OF another will be- an opportunity
such ms whole generations OF the worlds In
habtants never experienced. / pray God
lha, there may be- no sickness or casualty 10
hinder your arrival at that goal or TO hinder
your taking part in the veledictory OF the de-
parting century and the salutation OF the
new.
But as that season will he the nineteen
hundredth anniversary OF a Slviour'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-
,inued for at least one month into the year
1901. This century closing December 3ist.
1900. and the new century beginning Janu-
ary lst. 1901. will It, not be time for all Ma
lions to turn aside for few weeks or months
from everything else and emphasize the birth
Of the greatest being who ever touched our
planet and could there DO more appropri-
ate time Tor such commemoration than this
elimination OF the centuries which are dated
from His nativity You know that all his
jory dates either from before Christ or after
Christ from B. @. or A. d. II viii be the
year OF our Lord 1900 passing into the yeaS
iOl.
We have had the Centennial at Philadel-
phia, celebrative OF the one hundrrdth an
niyersary Of our Nations birth. Wa have
he'd the magnificent expositions at New Or
leans and Atlanta and Augusta and st.
Louis. We have the present Worlds exposi-
ton at Chicago, celeoratiye OF this CONT
nent's emergence, AMI there are at least two
other great celebrations promised for this
country, and other countries will have their
historic events 10 commemorate, but the one
event that has most to do with the welfare
OF all Nations IL 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 cele-
brate the ransom OF all nations the first step
toward the accomplishing OF it being taken
by an infantile foot one winters night about
i've miles from Jerusalem, when the clouds
dropped the angelic cantanta, "Gloryto God
10 the highest, and on earth peace. gooiw will
10 men,"
The three or four questions that would be
asked me concerning this nomination oftimc
and place l proceed to answer. What prac-
teal use would come OF such international
celebration2 Answer-The biggest stride
the world ever took toward the evangelical
ton OF all Nations. That is u grand and
wonderful convocation, the religious con-
eress at Chicago. 1t will put intelligently be-
lore the world the nature OF false religions
which have been brutalizing the Nations,
tranpng womanhood into the dust. enact
lnS the horrors OF infanticide, kindling
funeral pyres for shrieking victims, and
rolling juggernauts across the mangled bod
les OF their worshipers.
But no one supposes that any one will DO
converted to Christ by hearing Conflcianism
or buddhism or any form OF heathenism
eulogized. That Is to be done afterwards.
And how can 1t so well be done as by q cele-
bration OF many weeks OF tho birth and char
acter and achievements OF the wondrous and
Unprecedented Christ? To such an exposi-
Ton the kings and queens OF the earth would
not send their representatives-they would
come themselves.
The story OF Saviours advent could not
DO told without telling the story OF His mis-
sion. All the world say, "Why this ado,
this universal demonstrationY" What n vivid
Presentation 1t would be, when at such a con-
vocation the physicians OF the world should
tell what Christ has done for hospitals and
,he assuagement of human pain, and when
christian lawyers declare what Christ has
done for the establishment OF good laws, and