Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-10-05
PROPOSED BY TALMAGF.
A GRAND CELEBRATION OF THE
BIRTH OF CHRIST.

-
The Great Preacher Proposes Maxi
ling the Nineteen HundrcIth Annie
versary of Christ's Birth n Celebra-
tion In Which All the WerlA
should Take Part.
Brooklyn, N, Y, Specialize the
Brooklyn tabernacle Rev. DR.. Talmage
preached a sermon Of unusual interest
to vast audience, the subject being
sThe Nineteen Hundredth Anniversary;
Proposition concerning It." The text
was taken from Isaiah tx, 6: To us
q child is born
That is q tremendous hour in the his
tory Of any family when an immortal
spirit is incarnated. Out Of a very dark
cloud there descends q very bright
morning One life spared and" another
given. All the bells of gladness ring
over the cradle. ] know not why any
one should doubt that Of old star
pointed down to the Savior's birth
place, for a star Of joy points down to
even honorable nativity. A new eter-
nifty dates from that hour, that minute.
Beautiful and appropriate is the custom
of celebrating the anniversary of such
an event, and clear on into the eighties
and nineties, the recurrence of that
day of the year in an old mans life
causes recognition and more or less
congratulation. So, also, nations are
accustomed to celebrate the anniversary
of the birth of their great heroes or
delivereIs or benefactors. The 22d of
February and the 4th Of July are never
allowed to pass in our land without
banquet and Grafton and bell ringing
and cannonade. But all other birth
days are tame compared with tie
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
and continental and hemispher
@ic chorus: '"To us a child is born"
ION the 18th Of December each year
E8that is the theme in st. Paul's and
ssSSt. Peters and st. Marks and st.
9SS1saac's and all the dedicated cathedrals,
ssf1Sshapels, meeting. houses and churches
S|SSGlear round the world. We shall soon
Mfeach the nineteen hundredth anniver-
aMSary of the happiest event Of all time.
saEhis century is dying. Only seven
more pulsations and it's heart will cease
beat. The fingers of many Of you
Stll write at the head Of your letters
SSa6ISd the foot Of your important docu-
I|ssAaiiHents, "10OO." It. will be Il physical
|s3Sd moral sensation unlike anything
EAlse you have before experienced. Not
HySne hand that wrote 1891" at the
of this century will have Gull
Ming left to write 1901" at the induc
l ASfibn of another. The death of one
8gSESSntuly and the birth of another cen
MARY will be sublime and suggestive
and stupendous beyond all estimate.
ssasTo stand by the grave Of the century
#and by the cradle Of another will be
ss5san opportunity such as whole genera
&fions of the worlds inhabitants never
pray God that there
aIaay be no sickness or casualty to hinder
syour arrival at that goal, or to hinder
SNour taking part in the valedictory of
THE departing century and the saluta-
4 lion of the new. But as that season will
GSbe the nineteen hundredth anniversary
S0f a Savior's birth, now nominate that
SEa great international jubilee or EXPOSE
i5ttion be opened in this cluster of cities
ssby the sea coast on Christmas day,
sstht 25tk of December. 1900, to be con-
aStinued for at least one month into the
ssyear 1901. This century, closing Deem
Sssber 81, 1900, and the new century be-
saginning January 1. 1901, will it not be
NNsime for all nations to turn aside
ssfor few weeks or months from every
thing else and emphasize tile birth of
the greatest being who ever touched
our planet; and could there be a more
time for such commemora-
ssSftion than this elimination Of the CEN
8tlries which are dated from his nativ-
sSity. You know that all history dates
iaither from before Christ. or after
Christ, from B. G. or A. D. It will
1.-The year of our Lord. 1900. passing into
1.-THE year 1901. We have had the cen-
.8tennial at Philadelphia, celebrative of
the one hundredth anniversary of our
u hation's birth. We have had the mag
N 8sniticent expositions ut New Orleans,
Ssand Atlanta. ana Augusta and st. Louis
We have the present worlds EXPOSE
zion at Chicago. celebrative of the four
eSundredth anniversary of this CONT
E$nents emergence, and there are at least
limo other great celebrations promised
moi TINS country. ana Otner countries
twill have their historic events to COM
but the one event that has
most to do with the welfare Of all ma
SSs{a6ns is the arrival of Jesus Christ on
lsssSitRis planet, and all the enthusiasm
seVer witnessed at London or Vienna
sa0f Paris or any Of our American cities
would be eclipsed by the enthusiasm
sthat would celebrate the ransom Of
sallnations, the first step towards the ac-
ssSS,einplsbfns Of it being taken by an in
II 9ntile foot one winters night. about
|s$ilVe miles from Jerusalem. when the
IsSl0rds dropped the angelic cantata:
Glory to God in the highest. and on
II fFtf, peace. goodwill to men,"
h AThe three or four questions that
3nld be asked me concerning this
|SS ANIMATION of time and place. I pro-
ssd to answer. What practical use
would come of such international cello
Answer: The biggest stride
world ever took toward the evangel-
afion Of all nations. That is a grand
Il wonderful convocation, the Relig-
l0is Congress at Chicago. 1t will put
k1~r T.