The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-07-30
MR.. PENROSE'S SERMON.
HE SPEAKS OF THE HOUSE OF
THE BOY JESUS"


winch READS as lOllONs' huu lhe
child grew and waXed strong in spirit,
filed with wisdom and the grace of
God was upon him."
Speaking upon the text the preacher
said
As you ride up the narrow mountain
path which leads from the plains OF
Esdemlon into the hills of Galilee, you
come suddenly into IA little open valley
only quarter of a mile across, and
seeming like flower garden to your
wearied eye. The fields in the bottom
lands are green and richly fruitful.
Olive orchards and fig trees and palms
cluster here and there. The hill-sides
are carpeted all with bright wild
flowers, anemones, phlox, rock roses,
white and yellow, cytisus, pink con
volvulus, and thousand varieties of
strange oriental plants.
Yonder. up on the hillside which is
the northern wall of the little valley,
the town of Nazareth nestles in the
hollows of the PLAIN, its white roofs aud
buildings showing clearly from out the
clustering trees. AS you come nearer
you see that the narrow streets run in
terraces, one above the other, along the
slope.
High above the town rises the hill,
lifting its head into the sunset air, and
standing stately, massive bulwork
against the cold, bleak winds from the
wintry North,
The flat rooted houses, built of the
yellowish white limestone of the neigh
borhood, shines in the sun with dazz
ling brightness, from among gardens,
and fig trees, olives, Expresses, and the
white and scarlet blossoms of the orange
and promeganate.
Birds are singing everywhere, up In
the clear air overhead, on the flower
strewn hillside, in and out of the cactus
hedges. and down among the trees in
the bottom.
Great butter flies are fitting from
flower TO flower, while flocks of sheep
and goats dot the slopes OF the hill and
plains below. You can see the brook
winding its way through the fields. 1t
is the only one in the valley, and it
comes gushing out from the hill above
the town with an unfailing supply of
clear, sweet water.
The boy Jesus when he came with his
mother to the spring for their daily
urnful perhaps, used to dip his little
hands into the cool depths of the
fountain and laugh to feel the re-
freshing flow of the waters. 1t is
there to day just as it was two
thousand yea ago, and every night
and morning Mary used to come with
her water pitcher to draw for the house
hold use.
Let us go into the town along one of
the narrow streets. There is the syna-
gogue. a square, white hall with pillars
in front to mark its character. Across
the street there is a rich mans house
built of brick and whitewashed. 1t is
two stories, with no windows on the
street side, but only a door which ad.
mits into an inner court. Against the
side of the house, on the outside, stair
way leads from the ground direct tc
the roof, where, protected by the en-
circling parapet the family and friends
will gather in the cool of the evening
Keep on down the street, and stop. il
front of this poor mans house. There
are hundreds of Others just like it, anC
it will serve as fair illustration of tn,
house of Joseph, the carpenter. A on
roomed, square hut, it stands plain ant
humble by the roadside.
Enter the door. You cannot see any
thing, because you are standing i'll tn
light. There are no windows. All tn
light comes in through the doorway
and in the afternoon sunbeams fall upol
the bare clay floor, worn hard am
smooth by many feet. There is nothin
which we could call furniture. Com
fort, according to our ideas, was vi
known TO Orientals, for, as a rule, con
tort is studied in proportion to tn
climate. In Palestine people live in tn
open air and the house of poor ma
was as bare and comfortless in the fir'
century as that of the poorest Arab
our day. Joseph's house consisted {
one room which served all purposes
kitchen, bedroom and workshop.
In the corner are rolled the rugs upo
which the family sleep at night. Afe
coarse mats are on the floor for you
sit on; IN the floor, too, stand the fe
clay pots, and dishes in which the sin
pie cooking is done. Against the wa
stands a wooden chest into which,
summer time all the wooden covering
and rugs are put to keep them from tt
insects. Moths are apt TO spoil ever
thing in summer, while in winter d
rust gets easily into such cellarle
house and Injuries the workman's too
How easy too for thieves to brei
through the thin walls of diced clay
night. Foolish enough man is W
laws up treasure in such house, "whe
moth and rust doth corrupt and thieN
break through and steal"
Such are the external features of t
home where Jesus lived. In such
home. in the white, walled town of
little valley among the hills Jesus spe
his whole life except three short yea
He was a Kings son, but he lived il
poor mans hut. He had known
glories of heaven, but had humb
himself.
How often the boy must h'
climbed that hill, alone, and with
other boys, his playmates! And as
reached the top and the whole amaz
panorama burst upon him with e
new lovliness, how his heart must hi
I LII IL. 4.