Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-28


mas night in the village barn was sympa-
thetic union with other worlds. From
that supernatural grouping of the cloud
banks over Bethlehem and from the cs-
pecal trains that ran down TO the scene
L find that our world is beautifully and
gloriously and magnifcently surrounded
The meteorS are with us. for one of them
ran To point down TO the birthplace The
heavens are with us, because at the
thought of our redemption they roll hosan-
mas out of the midnight sky.
oh. yes, | do not know but our world
may be better surrounded than we have
sometimes ina Sined and when child is
born angels bring it. and when it 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 orr dead Angels in
the church ready TO fly heavenward with
the news of repentant souls. Angels above
the world. Angels under the world. An
gels all around the world.
Human Imperfcction.
Rub the dust of human imperfection out
of Your eyes and look into the heavens
and see angels of pity. angels of mercy,
angels of pardon, angels of help. angels
crowned. angels chariotcd. The world
defended 10y angels. girdled by angels.
cohorted by angels-clouds of angels.
Hear David cry out. The chariots of
God are 10000. even thousands of an
gels 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
rs the clean white linen was being
WRAPPED around the little torm Of that
CHILD emperor, not cherub. not a ser:tph
not an angel. not world but wcpt and
thrilled and shouted. oh, yes. orr world
has plenty of sympathizers, Our world is
only silver rung of 4 great ladder at the
top of which is our Fathers house. No
more stellar solitariness for our world 10
other friendless planets spun out into
space TO freeze. but n world in the bosom
OF divine maternity, star harnessed TO
manger.
Again, / remark that that night born
in that village barn was the offenders
hope. Some SermOniZers may say | ought
to have projected this thought at the be-
ginning of the sermon. Oh, no. | want
ed You to rise toward it. / wanted you to
examine the carnelians and the jaspers
and the crystals before | 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, 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 chandelierel
with stalactite and pillared with stalas-
mite. Christ was born in bare barn.
Christ's Mission.
Yet that nativity was the offenders
hope. Over the door of heaven are writ
ten 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 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 re-
mission. All erased, all washed away.
all secured out. all gone. That undergrad
ling and overarchinC 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-day
to celebrate such an event? Do YOU Won
der that we take organ and youthful voice
and queenly soloist to celebrate it? Do
You wonder that Raphael and Rubens
and Titan and Giotto and GhirlanGajo,
and all the old Italian and German paint
ers gave the mightiest stroke of their
ccnius To sketch the Madonna, Mary and
her boy:
The Star of Christmas.
Oh. now l see what the manager was.
Not so high the gilded and jeweled and
embroidered cradle of the Uenrys of
England. or the Louis of France. or the
Fredericks of Prussia. Now | find out
that that Bethlehem crib fed not so much
the oxen of the stall as the white horses
of Apocalyptic vision. Now | find the
swaddlnG clothes enlarging and emblaz-
Oning into an imperial robe for con-
queror 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 to understand that
the music of that night was not n com
pleted song. but only the stringing of the
instruments for Il great chorus of two !
worlds the bass to be carried by earthly !
nations saved, and the soprano by king
dOms of glory won.
Oh. heaven. heaven, heaven. / shall |
meet you there. After all our Imperfect
tons are gone l shall meet you there | |
look out to-day 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 you there as certainly as | see You
here. What Il time we shall have in high |
converse. talking over the sins pardoncd, |
and SORROWS cOmfOrted, and battles tri- |
umphant,
Some of your children have already |
gone and though people passing along The |!
street and seeing white Grape on the door !
bell may have said, 1T is only a child"
yet when the broken-hearted father came |
to solicit my service he said, Come |
around and comfort us, for we loved her |
so much.
Season of Rejoicing.
What n Christmas morning it will make |
when those with whom you used TO keep |
the holidays are all around you in heav |
ont S;lvar- ira1 old fa thor youpp opoip |