The Baptist headlight., 1894-01-11
A CHRISTMAS SERMON
PULPIT FESTOONEO WITH HOLl-
DAY GREEN.
Rev. DR.. TaImage's Sermon on Chrlst the
Star-A Living. Speaking, Historie' ana
EVaneelistic Star-A Discourse Ihat
CLOVIS with Eloquence.
Back in Brooklyn.

before the organ, teStOOneu WIN
Christmas greens. this sermon was de-
livered by Rev. DR.. Talmage, after the
throngs had sung THE Star OF BETH
lehem." Text, Revelation XIII, Ito,
Il am the bright and the morning
star"
This is Christmas eve. Our atten-
ton and the attention of the world Is
drawn to the star that pointed down to
the caravansary where Christ was
born. But do not let us forget that
Christ himself was a star. 10 that
luminous fact my text calls us.
1t seems as If the natural world were
anxious to make up for the damage IL
did our race in furnishing the forbid
den fruit. If that fruit wrought death
among the nations, now all the natural
product shall become symbol of bless
ing. The shOwering down of the wealth
of the orchard will make 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. Yes, even the night shall
be taxed, and its brightest star shall
be set as gem in the cOrOnet of our
holy religion.
Have you ever seen the morning star
advantageously? fit was on your way
home from a nights carousal, you saw
none of its beauty. lfyOu 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
e. 1T e. NF fnr Of
sea, have gazed at that star and been
thrilled through with indescrible glad
ness. That star comes trembling as
though with the perils of the dark
ness, and yet bright with the anticipa-
tions of the day. 1t seems emotional
with all tenderness, its eyes filled with
tears of many sorrows. 1t is the gem
on the hand of the morning thrust up
to signal its coming. Other stars are
dim, like holy candles in cathedral
or silver beads counted in superstitious
litany, but this is a living star, "a speak
ing star, historic star, an evangelis-
tic star-bright and brilliant and
triumphant symbol of the great Re-
deemer. The Geographic operator
puts his finger on the silver key of the
electric instrument, and the tidings fly
dCIOSS UIlC COuUlIlCIIu. anu ~ IL SCCLI4o
to me that the finger of inspiration is
heavens, and its thrill through all the
earth "Behold. bring you good It'd
ings of great iOv which shall be to all
people. Behold, [ 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 natur al and
spiritual dawn.
In the first place, Christ heralded
the coming of the creation. There
was a time when there was no 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 moth
| ingness. Did Christ then exist? Oh,
yes. "By Him were all things made
| that are made: things in Heaven and
things in earth and things under the
earth" Yes. He antedated the crea-
ton. He led forth Arcturus and his
sons. 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.
wrapped in swaddling clothes of light,
| it lay in the arms 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 chaos. and il
brought out one world and swung it in
| that orbit, and brought out another
| world and swung it in another orbit.
and brought out all the worlds and
swung them in their particular orbits.
They came like sheep at the call of a
| 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
do with the creation. | see now why
| it was so easy for Him to change water
| into wine. He first created the water.
| 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 Him to hush the tempest. He
| sank Gennesaret. | see now why it
was so easy for Him TO swing fish into
| Simon's net. He made the fish. | see
now why it was SO easy for Him TO give
sight to the blind man. He created
| the optic nerve. | see now why it was
| SO easy for Him 10 raise 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 the shepherds. and the fOcks
| they watched. and the hills on which
they pastured. and the heavens that
overarched their heads, and the
| angels that chanted the chorus on
that Christmas night. That hand
which was afterward nailed 10 the
cross was an nmnipotent and creative
hand and the whole universe was poised
on the tip of one of his fingers Be
lore the world was Christ was. All
the world came trooping up out OF t ne
darkness and He greeted them, a. Il