The Penn's Grove record., 1893-12-29
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
rHE BROOKLYN OWN 1.'S SUM-
DAY SERMON.



TEXT: az am he bright and The morning
stan. "-Revelation xii, 16.
This is Christmas Eve. Our attention AMI
the attention of the world is drawn to the
star that pointed down TO the carIvtnsary
where Christ was born. but do not let us
forget that Christ himself was q star. To
that luminous fact my text calls us.
1t seems as if the natural world were
anxious to make up for the damage 1t did our
race in furnishing the forbidden fruit. IL
that fruit wrought death among the Nations,
now all the natural pro met shall become a
symbol of blessing. The showering down OF
the wealth of the orchard will max 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 a gem in the coronet Of our holy religion.
Have you ever seen the morning star ad-
vantageously? II it was on your way home
from a nights carou5al, you SAW none OF its
beauty. II you merely turned over on your
pillow in the darkness, CHANGING out of the
window, o know nothing aoout the
cheerful influence OF thai star. But there are
many in this house tonight who In CREST
passes of their life, some of them far out at
sea, have gazed at that star and been thrilled
through with indescribable 9ladness. That
star comes trembling as though with the
perils of the darkness, and yet bright with
the a~nticipations Of the day. 1t seems emo
tional with all tenderness, its eyes fill with
the tears Of many sorrows. 1t is the gem on
the hands OF the morning thrust up to signal
Its coming. Others stars are dim, like holy
candles in a cathedral or silver beads count
ed in superstitious litany, but this is a living
stars, q speaking star. a historic star, an
--- 49, I-t.LA --1 III ..ol
triumphant symbol of the great Re1eemer.
Photographic operator puts his finger on the
silver key of the electric instrument, and tho
tidings fly across the continent. And so 1t
seems to me that the finger of inspiration Is
placed Upon this silver point in the heavens,
and its thrill through all the earth. Be
hold L bring you good tidings OF great joy
to all people. Behold, 1 am the bright anil
morning star" The meaning OF my text is
this: As the morning star precedes AMI
promises the coming of the day, so Christ
heralds the natural and spiritual lawn.
In the first place, Christ keralie the COM
ing OF the creation. There was a time when
there was no order, no soun | or bsauty. No
wing stirred. No word was uttered. No
light sped. As far as Col could look up, as
far out, there was nothing. Immeasu reable
solitude. Height and depth and length and
brsadth of nothingness. Did Christ then
exist? Oh, yes. SPY him were all things
ntut iiit uE5 li le tllnSS III HeuNtH tH l
thtnss in earth an things un Ter the earth"
Yes, he antedRted the creation. He led forth
Arcturus and his sons. He shone before the
first mornin-. His voice was heard in the
concert when the morning stars serenaded
the advent Of our infant esrto, wnen, wrapped
in swaadling clothes of light. il lay in the
ar MS OF the great Jehovah. He saw the first
fountain laid. He saw the first light kindled.
That hand which WAS afterward crushed
upon the cross was thrust into ehao., an lit
brought out one world an l swung it III that
orbit, and brought out another world an
swung ii in another croft, an brought out
all the worlds and swung them in their
particular orbits. They came like sheep
ut the call of n shepherd. They knew
his voice. and he called them all by
their names. Oh, it is an interesting
thought 10 me to know that Christ had some-
thing TO do with the creation. l $40 now
WHY IL was so easy for Him to change water
into wine. He first createi the water. [
see now why it was 50 easy for Him to cure
the maniac. He first create | the intellect. /
see now why il was so easy for Him to hush
the tempest. He sank Gannesaret. / see
now why it was so easy for Him to swing fish
into Slmon's net. He made the fish. | sac
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 rais5
Lazarus from the dead. He created the
body of Lazarus and the rock that shut him
in. some suppose that Christ came a stranger
to Bethlehem. Oh, no. He created tho
shepherds, and the iocks they watched, aud
the hills OF which they pasturei, and the
heavens that overarched their heads, and tht
an gels that chanted the chorus onthatC Christ
mas night. That hand which was a;tsrward
nailed 10 the cross, was an omnipotent and
creative hand and tho whole universe " Is
poised on the tip of one Of His fingers. b.
fore the world was Christ was. All tho
world tslfOA Fnnnnp nm puf DT fhl HaFlsn sIS
and He greeted them, as Il father greets MS
children, with a good morning. or a goo
n;gat." Hail. Lord Jesus, morning star OF
the first creation.
Again, Christ heralds the dawn of comfort
in a Christian soul. Sometimes we come to
passes in life where all kinds OF tribulations
meet us. You ar1 building mp some grAat
enterprise. You have built the foun iatiol-
the waii-you are just aUop. 10 put on the
cspstone, when everything - demolished.
You have a harp all strung for sweetest ac-
cor and some great agony PUSHES it.
There is a little voice hushed in the HOUSE,
hold. Biue eve closed. Color dashed Out OF
the cheek. The loot still. Instead OF tine
quick ieet in the hall, the heavy tread OF
those VINO march to tho grave. Oh. what
are people to do amid all these sorrows2
Some sit down and mourn. Some bite their
lip until the blood comes. Some wiring their
pale hands. Some fall on their faces. Some
lie on their backs helpless and look up into
what seems to them an Implying heaven.
Some pull their hair down over their eyes
and look through with q fend's glare. Some,
with both hands, press their hot brain and
want to die and cry, 20 God, U God!.
Long night, bitter night, stupendous night
OF the worlds suffering! Some know not
which way to turn. But not so the Christian
man.. He looks up toward the heavens. He
gees n bright appearance in the heavens.
Can 1t ne only q flashing meteor? Car 1t be
only a tiiilng star? Can 1t be only a delu-
sion? Nay. nay. The longer he looks the
more distinct it becomes, until after
awhile he cries out, "a star-a morn
ing star, Il star OF comfort. a star
OF grace, a star of peace, the star of
the Redeemer" Peace for all trouble.
Balm for all wounds. Life for all dead.
Now Jesus, the great heart healer, comes
all understanding. We look up through our
tears. We are comforted. It is the morn
ing star OF the Redeemer. "'Who broke on
that flower?" said one servant in this garden
to another. "Who broke OF that flower?'
AnIthe other servant said, "rhe master"
Nothing more was said, for if the master had
not a right TO break of a tiower to wear over
his heart or to set nthe vase OF his mansion.
who has a right to toueh the I'VE And
when Christ comes down into our garden to
gather lilies, shall we fight Him back? Shall
we talk as though He had no right to come?
II any Olb III All int uhiNtEo5 hhS "a AlSut "
that which Is beautiful in our homes, then
our Master has, and He will take it and He
will wear 1t over His heart, or He will set it
in the vase of the palace eternal. "fhe
Lord gave. and the Lord hath taken away
blessed be the name OF the Lord" Peace,
troubled soul! 1 put the balm on your
wounded soul tonight. The morning star,
the morning star OF the Redeemer.
Again, Christ heralds the dawn of millen-
NAL glory. 1t is night in China, night in In
dIa, night in Siberia, night for the vast ma
jority of the worlds population. But 1t
seems to me there are some limitations of
the morning. All Spain Is to be brought
under the influence of the gospel. What 10
that light / see breaking over the top OF the
Pyrenees? The morning! Yea, all Italy
shall receive the gospel. She shall have
her schools and her colleges n her
churches. Her vast population shall
surrender themselves to Christ. What Is that
light | see breaking over the top OF the Alps7
The morning. All India shall come to God.
Her idols shalt To cast down.. Her jugger-
nauts shall be broken. Her temples Of in
iquity shall be demolished. What Is that