Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-12-27

side take the jubilant sleigh ride init
mated by the prophet when he said,
Holiness shall be on the bells Of the
horses.
Union with other Worlds.
Again, Ire.nark that born that Christ
mas night in the village barn was sym
pathetic union with other worlds. From
that supernatural grouping Of the cloud
banks over Bethlehem, and from the
special trains that ran down to the scene
find that our world is beautifully and
eloriously and magnificently surround
ed. The meteors are with Us, for one OF
them ran to point down to the birth
place. The heavens are with US, because
at the thought of our redemption they
roll hosannas out Of the midnight sky.
Oh, yes, lido not know but our world
may be better surrounded than we have
sometimes imagined, and when a child
is born, angels bring it, and when 1t
dies. angels take it, and when an old
man bends under the weight Of years,
angels uphold him, and when a heart
breaks, angels soothe it. Angels in the
hospital to take care Of the sick. Angels
in the cemetery to watch our dead.
Angels in the church ready to fly heav-
onward with the news Of repentant
souls. Angels above the world. Angels
under the world. Angels all around the
world.
Rub the dust Of human imperfections
out Of your eyes, and look into the heav-
ems and see angels Of pity, angels OF
mercy, angels of pardon, angels Of help,
angels crowned, fngels charioted. The
world defended by angels, girdled by
angels, cohorted by angels-clouds OF
angels. Hear David cry out: 1.-The char
lots of God are 1000. Even thousands
Of angels. " But the mightiest angel
stood not that night in the clouds over
Bethlehem; the mightiest angel that
night lay among the cattle-the angel
of the new covenant.
AS the clean white linen was being
wrapped around the little form Of that
child emperor, not a cherub, not a SER
aph, not an angel, not world but wept
and thrilled and shouted. Oh, yes, our
world has plenty Of sympathizers Our
world is only a silver rung Of a great
ladder at the top of which is our Fa-
theirs house. No more stellar solitarl-
ness for our world, no other friendless
planets spun out into space to freeze,
but a world in the bosom Of divine ma
ternity. A star harnessed to manger
The Offenders Hope.
Again, l remark that that night born
in that village barn was the offender S
hone. Some sermonizers may say
ought to have projected this thought at
the beginning Of the sermon. Oh, mol l
wanted you to rise toward it. l wanted
Won to examine the carnelians and the
iaspers and the crystals before l showed
Won 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, the
whelp Of lion takes its first step from
the Jungle of luxuriant leaf and Wild
flower, the kid Of goat is born in cavern
chandeliered with stalactite and pillar
ed with stalagmite. Christ was born III
a bare barn.
Yet that nativity was the offender S
hone. Over the door Of heaven are writ
rem these words, "None but the sinless
NAV enter here" "Oh, horror" you
saw. 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 man
ger. and he departed through the door
Of the sepulcher, and his one business
was so to wash away our sin that after
we are dead there will be no more SIN
about us than about the eternal God. l
know that is putting it strongly, but
that is what understand by full remis-
sion. All erased, all washed away al
secured out, all gone. That undergir-
ding and overarching and irradiating
and imparadising possibility for you,
and for me. and for the whole race, that
was given that Christmas night.
Do you wonder we bring flowers to-
dav to celebrate such an event? Do you
wonder that we take organ and youth
ful voice and queenly soloist to cele.
brate it? Do you wonder that kaphaei
and Rubens and Titan and Giotto and
Gbirlandajo and all the old Italian and
German painters gave the mightiest
stroke of their genius to sketch the Ma
donna, Mary, and her boy:
OH now see what the manger was.
Not so high the gilded and jeweled and
embroidered cradle Of the Henrys OF
England. or the Louis Of France, or the
Fredericks of Prussia. Now | find ont
that tar Bethlehem crib fed not SO
much the oxen Of the stall as the white
horses Of Apocalyptic vision. Now
| find the swaddling clothes enlarging and
erlblazoning into an imperial robe for
a conoueror Now find that the star
of that Christmas night was only the
diamonded sandal Of him who hath the
moon under his feet. Now / come tc
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 to be
carried by earthly nations saved, anc
the soprano by kingdoms Of glory won.
Oh. heaven, heaven, heaven l shall
meet you there. After all our imperfec
tions are gone shall meet you there
look out today, through the mists oi
years, through the fog that rises from
the cold Jordan, through the wide opel
door Of solid pearl to that reunion.
expect to see you there as certainly as
see YOU here. What time we shai
have in high converse, talking over SIM
pardoned and sorrows comfcrted an'
battles triumphant :,
Some Of your children have alread!
gone, and though people passing alon'
the street and seeing white Grape Oh tn
doorbell may have said, ut is oni.
a child" yet when the broken hearte'
father came to solicit my service n
said, "Como around and comfort US, 10
we loved her so much. "
Sins Forgiven.
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