Milford chronicle., 1895-12-27

n Angels under the world. Angels all AROUND
the world
Human Imperfection.
Rub the dust Of human imperfection on
/, of your eyes and look into the heavens anl
see angels Of pity, angels Of mercy, angels
= Of pardon, angels Of help, angels crowned
= angels oharioted. fho world defended by
angels, girdlod by angels cohorted by
angels-clouds Of angels Hear David CRY
Z out, Tho ohariots Of God are 10000, ever
! thousands of angels. But the mightiesi
: angel stood not that night in the cloud.
s over Bethlehem; the mightiest angel that
night lay among tho cattle-tho angel Of
I the new covenant.
Z As the clean white linen was being
wrapped around the little form Of that
/ child emperor, not a oherub not "a seraph,
? not an angel not world but wept and
Z thrilled and shouted Oh, yes, our world
[ has plenty of sympathizersl Our world is
only silver rung of a great ladder at the
top Of which is our Fathers house. No
mere stellar solitariness for our world, no
other friendless planets spun ont into space
to freeze, but world in the bosom of di-
vine maternity, a star harnessed to man
ger.
Again, remark that that night born in
that village barn was the offenders hope.
Some sermonizers may say 1 ought to have
projected this thought at the beginning of
the sermon. Oh, mol 1 wanted you to rise
toward it. 1 wanted yau to examine the
carnelians and the iaspc-s and the crystals
before l showed you the Kohinoor-the
crown jewel Of the ages. Oh, that jewel
had very poor setting! The cub of bear
is born amid the grand old pillars of the
forest, tho whelp Of lion takes its first step
ia Ia If nnN rrf
flower, the Kid Of goat is born in cavern
chandeliored with stalactite and pillared
with stalagmite. Christ was born in a
bare barn.
Christ's Mission.
1 Yet that nativity was the Offenders
! hope, Over the door of heaven are written
! these words ''Nono but the sinless may
entor here. e''Uh, HORROR you say, 'that
shuts us all out" No. Christ camo to
the world in ono door and he departed
through another door, He came through
the door of the Manager, and he departed
through the door of the sepulcher, and his
ono business was so to wash away our sin
that after We arc dead there will be no
moro sin about us than about the eternal
God know that is putting it strongly |
but that is what l understand by full re-
mission. All erased, all washed away, all 4
secured out all gone. That undergirdling |
and overarching 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
to celebrate such an eventS Do you won
der that we take organ and youthful voice
ana queenly soloist to celebrate il Do you
wonder that Raphael and Rubens and 4
Titan and Giotto and Ghirlandajo, and
all the old Italian and German painters
gave the mightiost stroke Of their genius
TO sketch the Madonna, Mary and her boy?
The Star Of Christmas.
Oh now l sec what the mangor was
Not so high the gilded ard jeweled and
embroidered cradle Of the Henrys of Eng
land, OF tho Louis Of France, or the Fred
ericlls of Prussia Now l find out that
that Bethlehem crib fed not so much the
oxen of the stall as tic white horses of
Apocalyptic vision. Now l find the swad-
ding clothes enlarging and emblazOning
into an imperial robe for a conqueror.
Now l find that the star of that Christmas
night was only tho diamOnded sandal of
him who hath the noon under his feet.
Now l come to understand that the music
of that night was not a completed song,
but only the strlnging Of the Instruments
for "a great chorus Of two worlds, the bass
to be carried by earthly nations saved, and
the soprano by Kingdoms of glory won
Oh heaven, heaven, heayonl 1 shall
meet you there. After all our imperfeo-
tions are gone 1 shall meet you there. 1
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 reunion. l expect TO see
. hs,r., sY,rrr
What time we shall have in high con-
verse, talking over the sins pardoned, and
sorrows comfOrted 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, ut is only child, yet .
when the broken hearted father came to J
solicit my service he said, Come around /
and comfort US, for we loved her so much, - e
Season of Rejoicing.
What Christmas morning it will make I
when those with whom you used to keep
he holidays arc all around you in heayenl
5ilvor hurried old father young again, and \
mother who had SO many aches and pains
md decrepitudes well again, and all your =
,rothers and sisters and the little ones, I
low glad they will be to see you'll They .
AVE been waiting. The last time they
aw your face il was covered with tears
nd distress, and pallid from long watch
ng, and oneof them l can imagine today, t,
With one hand holding fast the shining b
ate, and the other hand swung out to- b
yard you, saying: Il
Steer this way, father, steer straight for me. h
Here safe in heaven l am waiting for thee, il
Oh, those Bethlehem angels when they Fl
vent back after the concert that night b
yer the hills forgot to shut the door All Il
be secret is out. No more use of trying n
D hide from us the glories to come. 1t is al
DO late 10 smut thc gate. It is blocked Il
tide open with hosannas marching this CT
'ay and halleliuahs marching that way. W
n the splendor Of the anticipation l feel as 81
was dying-not physically, for l never ca
'as more well-but in the transport Of the a
hristmas TRANSPORTATION, pG
What almost humans me is the thought al
nat it is provided for such sinners as you y
nd have been, If it had been provided
My for those who had always thought AZ
ght, and spoken right, and acted right, IN
1u and Z would have had no inter tn
It in il, had no share in it, You m
nd l would have stuck to the raft 81
idocean and let the ship sail by carry Rl
u perfect passengers from a perfect life IN
, earth to perfect life in heaven. But gf
baye heard the commander Of that ship OF
the same great and glorious and SYM ~
thetio ono who hushed the tempest sci
ound the boat on Galilee and have va
ard tnat all tho passengers on the ship 80
c sinners saved by grace And so wo VOC
II the ship, and It bears down this way, as
ID VIC come by tho side Of it and risk tho cal
plain two questions: "Who az thou?
nd whenoe?' And he says, II am Captain
salvation, and am from the manager" :
D, bright Christmas morning of my OF
uls delight Chime all the bells. Merry ma
lristmasl oa'
Merry with the thought Of sins forgiven, gen
cry with the idea of SORROWS comforted, up
cry with tho raptures to come, Oh, lift EN-
al Christ from the manager and lay him one
wn in all our hearts, We may not bring uel
him as eosflV nrasenf as tho Mnnl WI