Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-01-04
CHRISTMAS l DISCOURSE \ 3 | /; !
,,s,,s cHRIsT THE hIilGItT AND
'h' MORNING STAR.

aas- 4! af5 III w. X
,,,s,,s CHRIsT THE hIalGHT AND
'A'N MORNING STAR.
VI. Morning star Precetlea nnil
a. ,..n,,.es the Coming Of the Dry,
:. C,,ri.t Heralds the Natural and
suirit unl Dawn. s5s
prooklyn, N. Y. Speclal.-In the
brooklyn Tabernacle today q great atl-
dance assembled to participate in the
CHRISTMAS services. Standing before
AIN organ festooned with Christmas
Greens. this sermon was delivered by
Rev. DR., Talmage, after the thrcngs
Ind sung 1.-The Star Of Bethlehem"
rext-Rev. xiii, 16: II am the bright
and morning star"
This is Christmas eve. Our attention
and the attention OF the world is drawn
~ tho star that pointed down to the
carayansary where Christ was born.
t p"t do not let us forget that Christ
himself was star. To that luminous
fact my text calls us.
II seems as II the natural world were
onyious to make up for the damage 1t
did our race In furnishing the forbid
dan fruit wrought death among the
aon fu,it. IL that fruit wrought
de e among the nations, now
all. al the natural productions shall
become a symbol of blessing. 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
tho flowers of tangled glen and cultur-
ed parterre shall be dew-glinted gar
land for the brow of the Lord Jesus.
Ven, even the night shall be taxed,
and it's brightest star shall be set as
gpm in the coronet of our holy religion.
Have YOU ever seen the morning star
adyantageously? If it was on your way
home from nights carousal you saw
none of its beauty. II you merely turn
cd 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 ut that star and been thrill
cd through with indescribable gladness.
That star comes trembling as though
with the perils Of the darkness, and
vet bright with the anticipation of the
day. 1t seems emotional with all ten
derness it's eyes filled with the tears
of many sorrows. 1t is the gem on the
hand of the morning thrust up to sig
nal its coming. Other stars are dim,
like holy candles in a cathedral. or
silver beads counted in superstitious
litany; but this is a living star, a speak
ing star. an historic star, an evangelist
star-bright, and brilliant, and trium-
phant symbol Of the great Redeemer.
The Geographic operator puts his fin
ger on the silver key Of the electric in
strlment, 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
thrills through all the earth: Behold,
bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to all people. Behold.
am the bright and morning star"
The meaning of my text is this: as the
morning star precedes and promises
the coming of day. so Christ heralds
the natural 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
Of 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. 1mneasure-
able solitude. Heighth and depth, and
length, and breadth of nothingness. Did
Christ then exist? Oh, yes. "By him
were all things made that are made;
things in heaven and things on earth,
and things under the earth" Yes, he
antedated the creation. He led forth
Arcturus and his sons. He shone be-
fore the first morning His voice was
heard i'll the concert when the morning
stars serenaded the advent of our in
FAINT earth, when, wrapped In swad-
ding 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 that was
afterward crushed upon the cross was
thrust into chaos, and it brought out
one world and swung it in that orbit;
swung it in another orbit; and brought
out all the worlds, and swung them
in their particular orbits. They came
outCp Ill LllC Cu1A VI IAC oACpAACAN'
They knew his voice and he called
them 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. 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 him
to hush the tempest; he sank Genne-
saret. I see now why it was so easy
for him to swing fish into Simon's
net; he made the fish. see now why
1t was SO easy for him to give sight
to the blind man; he created the optic
nerve. see now why it was so easy
Tor him to raise Lazarus from 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 heav-
ems that overlrched their heads, and
me angels that chanted the chorus on
mat Christmas night. That hand. which
was afterward nailed to the cross. was
an omnipotent and creative hand. and
me whole universe was poised on the
up of one of his fingers. Before the