Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-12-25
CHRISTMAS SERMON.
THE TABERNACLE PULPIT FESTOOk-
ED WITH HOLIDAY GREEN

Rev. DR.. TaImage's Sermon on Christ the
Star-A Living, Speaking, Historic and
EyangeIistic Star-A Discourse That
CLOVIS with EIoGuenee.
BROOKLYN, Dec. 24.-In the Brook
fyn Tabernacle today great audience
assembled to participate in the Christ
mas services. Standing before the or
gan, festooned with Christmae greens,
this sermon was delivered by Rev. Dr..
Talmage, after the throngs had sung
ttThe Star Of Bethlehem" Text, Rev
citation xxi, 16, 81 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 car
pvansary where Christ was born. But
DO not let us forget that Christ himself
was star. To that luminous fact my
text calls US.
1t seems as if the natural world were
anxious to make up for the damage it
did our race ia furnishing the forbid
den fruit. If 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 ap-
pie tree among the trees Of the wood, and
the flowers of tangled glen and cultured
parte1re shall be the dew glinted gar
land for the brow of the Lord Jesus.
Yea, even the night shall be taxed, and
its brightest star shall be set as q gem
in the COronet of our holy religion.
Have you ever seen the morning star
advantag eously? If it was On your way
home from q nights carousal, you saw
none Of its beauty. If you merely turn
ed over On your pillow in the darkness,
glancing out of the window, you know
nothing about the cheerful influence 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 thrill-
ed through with indescribable gladness.
That star comes trembling as though
with the perils of the darkness, and yet
bright whit the anticipations Of the day.
1t seems emotional with all tenderness,
its eyes filled with the tears OF many
sorrOws. 1t is the gem on the hand Of
the morning thrust up to ignal its com
ing. Other stars are dim, like holy can
dies in a cathedral or silver beads count
ed in superstitious litany, but this is a
living star, q speaking star, historic
star, an evapgelistic star-bright and
brilliant and triumphant symbol OF the
great Redeemer. The Geographic OpG1-
ator puts his finger on the silver key Of
the electric instrument, and the tidings
fly across the continent. And SO it seems
to me that the finger OF inspiration is
placed upon this silver point IN the
heavens, and It's thrill through all the
earth. Behold, / bring you good It'd
ings of great Joy which shall be to all
people. Behold, 1 am the bright and
morning star The meaning OF my
text is this: AS the morning star pre-
cedes and promises the coming Of the
day, so Christ heralds the natural and
spiritual dawn.
La the first place, Christ heralded the
coming OF the creation. There was p
time when there was TO order. no sound
or beauty. No wing stirred. No word
was uttered. No light sped. AS far as
God could look up. as far down, as far
out, there was nothing. unreasonable
solitude. Height and depth and length
and breadth OF nothingnesa. Did Christ
then exist? Oh, yes. By him Were all
things made that are made: things il
heaven and things in earth and things
under the earth. . Yes, he annotated
the creation. He edforth Arctu1us and
his scns. He shone before the first morn
ing His voice was heard in the con-
cert when the morning stars serenaded
the advent of our infant earth, when.
=
it lay ia the arms Of the great Jehovah.
He saw the first fountain laid. Hesaw
the first light kindled. That hand which
was afterward crushed upon the cross
was thrust into chaos, and it brought
out one world and swung it in that or
bit, and brought out another world and
swung it IN another orbit. and brought
out ali the worlds and swung them III
their particular orbits. They came like
sheep at the call of q shepherd. They
knew his voice. and he called them all
by their names. Oh, it is an interesting
thought to me to know that Christ had
something to dc with the creation. |
see now why it was SO easy for him to
change water into wine. He first Gre
ated the water. I see now why it was
SO easy for him to cure the maniac. He
first created the intellect. | see now
why it was so easy for hinl to hush the
tempest. He sank Gennesaret. | see
now why 1t was SO easy for him to
swing fish into Simon s net. He made
the fish L see now why it was SO
easy for him to give sight to the
blind man. He created the optic
nerve. L see now why it was SO
easy for him to raise Lazarus from the
dead. He created the body of Lazarus
and the rock that shut him in. Some
suppose that Christ came stranger to
Bethlehem. Oh, no. He created the
shepherds. and the fiOcks they watched