Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-12-28
SNOW HILL. MARYLAND. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2S 1895

As the clean white linen was being
wrapped around the little form Of that
child emperor, not u cheruh. not "A scraph,
not an angel, not u world but wcpt and
thrilled and shouted. oh, yes, our world
has plenty of sympathizers. Our world is
only silver rung of u great ladder at the
top OF which is our Fathers house. No
mere stellar solitariness for our world, no
other fricndlcss planets spun out into space
To freeze, but world in the bosom of di-
vine maternity, "a star harncsSed to "a man
ger.
Again, | remark that that night born in
that village barn was the offenders hope.
Some scrmoniZcrs may say ought 10 have
projected this thought at the beginning of
the sermon. oh, no! wanted you to rise
toward IL. l wanted you tn examine the
carnelians and the iaspers and the crystals
before | showed you the kohinoor-thc
crown jewel of the ages Oh, that jewel
had "A very poor setting, Tho cub of bear
is born amid the grand old pillars of the
forest, the whclp of lion takes its first step
from the jungle of luxuriant leaf and wild
flower, the kid of goat Is born in cavern
chandcliercd with stalactite and pillared
with stalagmitc. Christ was born in a
bare barn.
Christ's Mission.
Yet that nativity was tho offenders
hope. Over the door Of heaven are written
these words, None but the sinless may
enter here. "Oh, horror, you say, that
shuts us all out" No Christ came to
the world in one door and he departed
through another door. He came through
the door of the manger, and he departed
through the door of the sepulcher, and his
one business was so to wash away our sin
that after we arc dead there will be no
more sin about us than about the eternal
God. know that Is putting 1t strongly,
but that is what i understand by full re-
mission All erased, all washed away, all
secured out, all gone. That undergirdling
and ovcrarching and irradiating and i'm
paradising possibility for you, and for me,
and for the whole race-that was given that
Christmas night.
Do you wonder we bring flowers today
10 celebrate such an event: Do you won
der that we take organ and youthful voice
and qucenly soloist to- celebrate i: DO you
wonder that Raphael and Rubcns and
Titan and Giotto and Ghirlandajo, and
all the old Italian and German painters
gave the mightiest stroke of their genius
TO sketch the Madonna, Mary and her boy:
The Star of Christmas.
OH now | see what the manager was.
Not so high the giltled and jcweled and
embroidered cradle Of the Henrys of Eng
land, or the Louis of France, or the Fred
ericks of Prussia. Now find out that
that Bethlehem crib fed not so much the
oxen of the stall rs the white horses of
Apocalyptic vision. Now find the swad-
ding clothes cnlarging and emblazoning
into an imperial robe for a conqucror.
Now find that the star Of that Christmas
night was only the diamondcd sandal Of
him who hath the moon under his feet.
Now l come to understand that the music
of that night WAS not "a completed song,
but only the stringing of the instruments
for great chorus of two worlds the bass
10 be carried by earthly nations saved, and
the soprano by kingdoms Of glory won.
Oh, heaven, heaven, hcavcni l shall
meet you there. After all our imperfcc-
tions arc gone shall meet you there. l
look out today through the mists of years,
through the fog that rises from the cold
Jordan, through the wide open door Of
solid pearl to that rcui .un. ! expect to see
you there rs certainly Is ! see you here.
What time we shall have in high con-
verse, talking over the sins pardoncd, and
sorrows comfortcd. and battles triumphant
Some Of your children have already gone,
and though people passing along the street
and seeing white Grape ON the doorbell
may have said, 1t is only IA child, yet
when tho broken hearted father came TO
solicit my service he said, Come around
and comfort us, for we loved her SO much. "
Season of Rcjoicing.
hot IL xx.ilt 10
when those with whom you used to keep
the holidays are all around you in heaven
Silver haired old father young again, and
mother who had 81 many aches and pains
and dccrcpitudes well again, and all your
brothers and sisters and the little ones.
How glad they will be to- sec you. They
have been waiting. The last time they
saw your face II was covered with tears
and distress, and p,,llid from long watch
ing, and one of them can imagine today,
with one hnnd holding fast the shining
gate and the other hand swung out to-
ward you, saying:
Steer this way. father. steer straight for me.
Here safe In heaven / am waiting for thee.
oh, those Bethlehem angels, when they
went back after the concert that night
over the hills. forgot To shut the door! All
the secret is out. No more use Of trying
to hide from Us the gluries to come. 1t Is
too late to shut the gate. II is blocked
wide open with hosannas marching this
way and halleliuahs marching that way.
In the splcn,lor Of the anticipation feel as
II was dying-not physically. for never
was more wcll--but in the transport of the
Christmas transiiguration.
What almost unmans me Is the thought
- n \
and have been. Ii it had been prov vidcd
only for those who had always thought
right, and spoken right, and acted right,
you and l would have had no inter
est in it. had no share in it, You
and l would have stuck To the raft
midocean and let the ship sail by carry
ing perfect passengers from perfect life
ON earth to u perfect life in heaven. But
/ have heard the commander Of that ship
Is the same great and glorious and SYM
pathetic one who hushcd the tempest
around the boat on Galilec, and / have
heard that all the passengers on the ship
are sinners saved by grace. And so we
hail the ship, and 1t hears down this way,
and we come by the side of 1t and ask the
captain two questions: "Who art thous
And WHENCE And he says, Il am Captain
of salvation, and am from tho mangcr. "
Oh, bright Christmas morning of my
souls delight! Chime all the bells. Merry
Christmas.
Merry with the thought of sins forgiven,
merry with the idea of sorrows comforted,
merry with the rapturcs To come. oh, lift
that Christ from the manger and lay him
down in all our hearts! We may not bring
To him rs costly present rs the Magi
brought, but we bring to his feet and to
the mangcr today the frankincensc Of our
JOY, the prostration of our worship.
Down at his feet, all churches, all ages,
all eartn, MI heaven. Down at his feet,
the four and twenty elders ON their faces.
Down, the great multitude that no man
can number" Down. Michael, the arch
angcl Down, all worlds at his feet and
worship GLORY To God in tho highest,
and on earth peace good will to mcnr'
Roman Crowns.
The Romans had various kinds OF
crowns, which they distributed as rewards
for nlnrtinl exhibits and extraordinary