Milford chronicle., 1895-12-27
A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
REV.. DR.. TALMAGE breaches ON
CHRlsT'S MISSION

I The Worlds Great Emancipators Were Al
of Lowly Birth-The Offenders Hope
The Season of Forbcarance and Forgive
ness-Good WIN to Men.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 22. in his sermon
today DR., Iamago chose the universal
theme Of the scason-the Christmastidc.
The text selected was, Now when jesus
was born in Bethlehem" Matthew ii, 1.
AT midnight from one Of tho galleries Of
the sky chant broke To an ordinary OBJ
server there was no reason for such CO.
lestial demonstration. A poor man and
wife-travelors, Joseph and Mary by name
had lodged in an clubhouse of an unim-
portant village. The supreme hour of
solemnity he'd passed, and upon the pallid
forehead and cheek of Mary God had set
the dignity the grandeur, the tenderness,
the everlasting and divine significance Of
motherhood.
But such scenes had often occurred in
Bethlehem, set never before had star
been unfxed or had baton of light mar
shaded over tho hills winged orchestra. IL
there had been such brilliant and mighty
recognition at an advent in the house Of
Pharaoh, or at an advent in the house of
Caesar, or the house of Hapsburg, or tho
house of Stuart, we would not so much
have wondered, but a barn seems too poor
a center for such delicate and archangelic
circumference. The stage seems too small
for so great an act, the music too grand
for such unapprcciative auditors, the win
dow of the stable too rudo to be serenaded
by other worlds.
1t is my joy to tell you what was worn
that night in the VILLAGE barn, and as 1
want to make my discourse accumulati-e
and climacterio l begin in the first place
by telling you that that night in the Beth
lehem mangor was born encouragement
for all the poorly started Ho had only
two friends-they his parents. No satin
lined cradle no delicate attentions, but
straw, and the cattle, and the coarse joke
and banter Of the camel drivers. No won
der the mid@ival painters represent tho
oxen as knceling before the infant Jesus,
for there were no men there at that time
to worship. From tho depths of that pov-
crty he rose until today he is honored in
all Christendom and sits on the imperial
throne in heaven.
Mightiest Name In Christendom.
What name is mightiest today in Chris
tendoms Jesus. Who has moro friends
on earth than any other being? Jesus. Be
fore whom do the most thousands kneel in
chapel and church and cathedral this hourg
Jesus. From what depths of poverty to
what height of ronownl And so let all
those who are poorly started penemhep
that they cannot be more poorly born or
more lisadyantagoously than this Christ.
Let them look up to his example wEilO
they have time and eternity to initiate IL.
Do you know that the vast majority OF
he worlds deliyerers had barnliko birth
places? Luther, the emancipation Of reli-
giOn, born among the mines. Shakespeare
-he emanoipator Of literature, born in an
humble home at Standardization. Co
umbus, the discOverur Of world, born in
poverty at Genoa. Hogarth, the discoverer
If how to make art accumulatiye and adj
illustrative Of virtue, born in "a humble
lome in Westmoreland Kitto aud Pri-
leaux whose keys unlocked new apart
nents in tho Holy Scriptures which had
lever been entered, born in want. Yes, l
AVE to tell you that nine out of ten of the
worlds deliverers were born in want.
1 stir your holy ambitions today, and
want to tell you, although the whole world
nay ba opposed to you, and inside and
utside Of your occupations OF professions
here may be those who would hinder your
SCENT on your side and enlisted in your
ehalf are the sympathetic heart and the
mighty arm Of one who one Christmas ]
light about eighteen hundred and ninety I
We years ago was wrapped in swaddling
lothes and laid in a manger. Oh, what
magnificent encouragement for the poorly ,