The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-02-17
STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
~ Am the Bright and the Morning
Star"


In the Brooklyn Tabernacle Sunday
a great audience assembled to partici-
pate in the Christmas services. Stand
| ing before the organ, fcstooned with
Christmas greens, this sermon was de-
| livered by Rev. DIR. Talmage, after the
throngs had sung ''The Star of Bethie-
hem" Text, Revelation xxi, 10, Il
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
caravansary 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 il the natural world were
anxious to make up for the damage it
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 Yea, even the night shall
be taxed, and it's brightest star shall
be set as gem in the coronet in our
holy religion.
Have you ever seen the morning star
advantageously? If it was on your way
home from nights carousal, you saw
none of it's beauty. If you merely
turned over on your pillow in the dark
ness, glancing out of the window, you
know nothing about the cheerful infiu-
cnce 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 thrilled through with indescriba-
BILE gladness. That star comes tremb-
ling as though with the perils of the
darkness. and yet bright with the an
ticipations of the day. It seems emo
tional with all tenderness, its eyes
filed with the tears of many sorrows
Il is the gem on the hand of the morn
ing thrust up to signal its coming.
other stars are dim, like holy candles
in cathedral of silver beads counted
in superstitious litany, but this is liv-
ing star, q speaking star, historic
star, an evangelistic starlight and
brilliant and triumphant symbol of the
great Redeemer. The telegraphic oper-
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 Its thrill is sent through all
the earth Behold, l 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
prccedes and promises the coming of
the 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
or beauty. No wing stirred. No word
was uttered. No light sped As far as
God could look up, as far down, as far
ont, there was nothing. Unreasonable
solitude Height 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 in earth and things
under the earth" Yes, he antedated
the creation. He led forth Arcturus
and his sons He shone before the first
morning. His voice was heard in the
concert when the morning stars seren-
- f. - - h
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 aftorward
crushed upon the cross was thrust into
chaos, and it brought out one world
and swung it in that orbit, and brought
out another world and swung it in an
other orbit, and brought out all the
worlds and swung them in their partic-
ular orbits. They came like sheep at
the call of 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 ere
ated 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 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, and the hills
on which they pastured, and the
heavens that overarched their heads,
and the angels that chantcd the cho'
rus on that Christmas night. That
hand which was afterward nailed t.
the cross, was an omnipotent and crea'
tive hand and the whole universe wal
poised on the tip of one of his fingers
; Before the world was Christ was AL
the world came trooping up out of tht
darkness and he greeted them, as Z
I. father greets his children, with "goot
: morning. or good night" Hail