The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-01-05
A CHRISTMAS DISCOURSE,
JESUS CHRIST THE hRuGur AND
MORNING STAR.

JESUS CHRIST THE bright AND
MORNING STAR.
AZ the Morning star Precedes and
Promises the Coming of the Day,
So Christ Heralds tLc Natural anil
Spirit unl Dawn,
brooklyn. n. Y. Spccial.-In the
brooklyn Tabernacle to-day u great au-
dience assembled to participate in the
Christmas services. Standing before
the organ festooncd with Christmas
greens. this sermon was delivered by
Rev. DIR. Talmage. after the throngs
had sung "Irlic Star Of Bethlehem -
Text-Rev. XIII, liz: II am the bright
and morning star"
This Is Christmas eve. Our attention
and the attention of the world Is drawn
10 the star that pointed down to the
carlvansary where Christ was horn.
But do not let us forget that Christ
himself was Il star. To that luminous
fact my text calls U.S.
1t seems as II the natural world were
anxious to make up for the damage It
did our race In furnishing the forbid
den fruit wrought death among the
den fruit. If that fruit wrought
death among the nations, now
all the natural productions shall
become symbol of blessing. The
sliowcring down Of the wealth of the
orchard will make us think Of him
whom Solomon describes as the apple
II
the flowers Of tangled glen and cultur-
Hl mrtcrrc shall he dew-glinted gar
land for the brow Of the Lord Jesus.
Yea. even the night shall be- taxed,
AMI its brightest star shall be set as a
gem In the cOronet Of our holy religion.
Have YOU ever seen the morning star
| advantageO,lsly? II II was on your way
home from Il nights carOusal YOU saw
none of It's beauty. IL YOU merely turn
cd over on yOur pillow In the darkness,
glancing out Of the window. you know
nothing about tho 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
el through with Understandable glatlncss.
That star comes trembling as though
with the perils Of the darkness. and
yet bright with the anticipation Of the
day. IL seems emotional with all ten
derncss. its eyes filled with the tears
OF many sOrrUws. 1t IL the gem on the
hand Of the morning thrust up TO s:g-
nal its coming. Other stars are dim.
like holy candles in a cathedral. or
silver heads counted In superstitiOus
litany: hut this Is living star. a speak
ing STIR. an historic star. an evangelist
star-bright. AMI brilliant. and triunl-
pllant symbol Of the great Retlccner.
The t"lpglHphic operator puts his fin
ger on the silver key Of the electric In.
strument. AMI the titllngs fly across the
continent; AMI so II seems to me that
the finger of inspiration IL placed upon
this silver point In the heavens. and 1t
thrills through all the earth: Behold.
l bring you good ti,llngs of great Joy
which. shall be tn MI people. Behold.
! am the bright and morning star. y
The meaning of my text IL this: as the
morning star precedcs and promises
th6 coming Of day. no Christ hcralds
the natural and spiritual dawn.
In the first place, Christ haraltlctl the
coming Of the creation. T'he." was Il
time when there WAS no order. no sound
| of beauty. M wing stirred. NJ word
was uttered. No light sped. As far as
God could look up. as far down. as fan
1 out, there was nothing. lmileasllrc
able solitude. Hcight;l and depth. nn,l
length. and breadth Of nothingness. Did
Christ then exist? oh. yes. by lin
were all things made that are made
things In heaven and things OH earth
Gntl things under the earth" Yes. II.
antelated the creation. He led .ortl
| Arrturlls and his sons. He shOle be-
fore the first morning. His voice was
heard In tho concert when the morning
stars screnalcd the advent Of our in
FAINT earth, when. wrapped IN swad
lling clothes Of light. 1t lay in the arm.
Of the great Jehovah. He saw tlt
first fountain laid Hc saw the first
light kindltsl. That land that was
afterwartl crllsllcsi upon the cross was
thrust into chaos. and 1t brought out
one world and swung 1t In that orbit
and brought ont another world and
swung it in another orbit; and brought
out all tho worlds. and swung them
in their particular orbits. They came
like sheep ut the call of the shepherd.
They knew his voice and llc called
them by their names. Oh. 1t is an
interesting thought TO me to know that
Christ had something to do with the
creation. | see now why 1t was SO easy
for linn to change water into wine;
he first created the water. | sre now
why 1t WIS SD easy for him To cure
The maniac; lie first created the intellect.
! see now why 1t was 40 easy for him
to hush the tempest: he sank Gcnne-
slrct. see now why II WAS so easy
for him to swing fish into SimOi's
net: he made the fish. see now why
1t was Sn easy for him 20 give sight
To the blind man; lle created tho optic
nerve. | see now why /! WAS NJ easy
for him tc raise Lazarus from the roll
that shut him in. Some suppose That
Christ came IL stranger to Bethlehem.
oh. no. He created til, Shepherds AMI
the flM.kS they watched. and The hills
on which they p:lsturtsi. AMI the hclv-
ems that Overiir:l ii their :l.:l,lS and
the angels that cllantcd the chorus on
that Christmas nisl,. That hand. which
was aftcrwarrl nailed to the cross. w:ls
an omnipo,,nt AMI creative hand. and
the whole universe was poised cn the
tip Of one OF his fingers. Before :llc
world was. christ was. Al the WORLDS
came troopin= up out Of the darkness.
and hc gree: III them. as Il father greets
his children. with 'goOd-mOrning."
or IL "goml-Dight" Hail. Lord Jesus.
morning stair of the first creation.
Again. Christ heral,l> :hc dawn Of
comfort In a Christian soul Sometimes
we come to passes in life where all
kinds Of tribulatioils meet lis. I9u are
building iii some great enterprise. fOu
lE,yo builf III" rniintlatinll-,hc wall
you are just about to put on the cap
stone. when everything IL demolished.
You have Il harp all strung for sweet
est accord. AMI some great agony
cl1lShcs 1t. There is Il little voice hush
ui in the household. Rluc eye closed
Color dashed out Of the cheek. Tie
rn0t atill. lu.,oah Of tho quick fopt ia
the hall. the heavy tread OF those who
march to the grave oh. what are
people TO do amid I'LL these sOrrows:
Some sit down AMI 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 IN what seems
to them an nnpltyinH heaven. some
pull their hair down over their eyes,
and look. through with Il ficn.l's glare.
Some with both hands press their hot
brain. and want to die. and cry: %
God! O GOd!" Long night, bitter night.
stulen,lOus night Of the worlds suffer-
ing! Some know not which way to
turn. But not SO tho Christian man.
He looks up toward tho heavens. He
sees Il bright appearance in the heav-
o,,s Gan II In Onlv n flashing mptpOr9