The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-12-27
CHRISTMAS SERMON.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE ON THE BIRTH or
CHRIST.

Most-The Nativity the Offenders Hope
Merry With the Thought of Sins For
given.
WASHINGTON Dec 22.-In his sermon
today DR.. Talmage chose the universe
theme Of the ,season-the Christmastide
The text selected was, "Now when Je
sus was born in Bethlehem" Matthew
ii, 1.
At midnight from one of the CALLER
les of the sky chant broke. To an or
binary observer there was no reason fol
slch celestial demonstration. A pool
man and wife-travelers, Joseph ant
Mary by name-had lodged in an out
house Of an unimportant village. The
supreme hour of solemnity had passed
and upon the pallid forehead and cheek
Of Mary, God had set the dignity, the
grandeur, the tenderness, the everlast
ing and divine significance of mother
hood.
But such scenes had often occurred in
Bethlehem, yet never before had star
been unfxed or had baton of light
marshaled over the hills winged orohes-
ira If 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 the house Of Stuart, we
would not SO much have wondered; but
barn seems too poor center for such
delicate and archangelic circumference.
The stage seems too small for so great
an act, the music too grand for such
unappreciative auditors, the window OF
the stable too rude to be serenaded by
other worlds.
A Humble Birth.
1t is my joy to tell you what was
born that night in the village barn, and
as I want to make my discourse cumu.
1ative and climacteric I begin in the
first place by telling you that that night
in the Bethlehem manger was born en-
enlargement for all the poorly started.
He had only two friends-they his par.
ents. No satin lined cradle, no delicate
attentions, but straw and the cattle and
the coarse joke and banter Of the camel
drivers. No wonder the medieval
painters represent the oxen as kneeling
before the infant Jesus, for there were
no men there at that time to worship.
From the depths of that poverty he rose
until today he is honored in all Chris
tendon and sits on the imperial throne
in heaven.
What name is mightiest today in
Christendom? Jesus. Who has more
Co. Je, 4ko, oil hoi,
Jesus. Before whom do the most thou
sands kneel in chapel and church and
cathedral this hour? Jesus. From what
depths of poverty to what height of re-
nown! And so let all those who are
poorly started remember that they can
not be more poorly born or more disad-
vantageously than Hnis Christ. Let them
look up to his example while they have
time and eternity to initiate it.
Do you know that the vast majority
of the world deliverers had barnlike
birthplaces? Luther, the emancipation
of religion, born among the mines.
Shakespeare, the emancipation of litera-
ture, born in humble home at STRAIT
ford Avon. Columbus, the discover
er of a world, born in poverty at Genoa.
Hogarth the discoverer of how to make
art accumulative and administrative Of
virtue, born in humble home in
Westmorland. Kitto and Prideaux,
whose keys unlocked new apartments in
the holy Scriptures which had never
been entered, born in want. Yes, have
to tell you that nine out of ten of the
worlds deliverers were born in want.
stir your holy ambitions today, and
want to tell you, although the whole
world may be opposed to you, and in
side and outside of your occupations
or professions there may be those who
would hinder your ascent, on your side
and enlisted in your behalf are the sym
pathetic heart and the almighty arm of
one who one Christmas night about 1 1895
years ago was wrapped in swaddling
clothes and laid in a manger Oh, what
magnificent encouragement for the poor
fy started
Good Will To Men.
Again. have to tell you that in that ,
village barn that night was born good
will to men, whether you call it kind
ness or. forbearance or forgiveness or
geniality or affection or love. 1t was
no sport of high heaven to send its IA
vorite to that humiliation. 1t was sacri-
fee for rebellious world. After the ca
lamity in paradise not only did the OK
begin to gore, and the adder to sting,
and the elephant to smite with his tusk,
and the lion to put to bad use tooth and
paw, but under the very tree from
which the forbidden fruit was plucked |
were Matched out war and revenge and |
malice and envy and jealousy and the
whole brood of cockatrices.
But against that scene set the Beth
lehem manger, which says, BLESS rath-
er than curse, endure rather than as
sault," and that Christmas night puts
ont vindictiveness. 1t says, "Sheathe
your sword, dismount your guns, dis
mantle your batteries, turn the warship |
Constellation that carries shot and !
shell into a grainship to take food to
furnishing Ireland, hook your cavalry
horses to the pillow, use your deadly gun
powder in blasting rocks and in patriot
ic celebration, stop your lawsuits, quit
writing anonymous letters, extract the
sting from your sarcasm, let your wit