Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-12-26

Again, f-emark tnaJ born GnaJ UnrIsD-
mas night In tho village barn was sympa-
thetio union with other worlds. From that
supernatural grouping of the cloud banks
over Bethlehem and from the especial
trains that ran down to the scene find
that our world is beautifully and glorious
ly and magnifcently surrounded. The
metrors are with us, for one of them ran
topoint down to tho birthplace. The heay-
ems are with US, because at the thought of
our redemption they roll hosannas out of
the midnight sky.
Oh, yes, do not know but our world
may be better surrounded than we have
sometimes imagined, and when n 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
caro- of the sick. Angels in the cemetery
to watch our dead. Angels in the church
ready to fly heavenward With, the news of
repentant souls. Angels above the world.
| Angels under the world. Angels all around
the world.
Human ImperfectIoa.
! 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 charioted. The world defended by
angels, girdled by angels, cohorted by
angels-clouds of angels. Hear David cry
out, "The chariots of God are 100000, 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
tho new covenant.
As the clean white linen was being
wrapped around the little form Of that
child emperor, not cherub, not seraph,
not an angel, not a world but wept and
thrilled and shouted. Oh, yes, our world
has plenty of sympathizersl Our world Is
only a silver rung of great ladder at the
top of which is our Fathers house. No
mere stellar solitariness for our world, no
other friendless planets spun out into space
to freeze, but O world in the bosom of di-
vine maternity, a star harnessed to a mar
ger.
| Again, remark that that night born in
that village barn was the offenders hope.
Some sernonizers may say ought to have
projected this thought at the beginning of
the sermon. Oh, mol wanted you to rise
toward it. I wanted you to examine the
carnelians and the iaspers and the crystals
before I showed you the Kohinoor-the
crown jewel of the ages. Oh, that jewel
had very poor settingl The cub of bear
is born amid the grand old pillars Of the
forest, the whelp Of lion takes its first step
from tho jungle of luxuriant leaf and wild
flower, the kid Of goat is born in cavern
| IL Al; wi pfoIn itn lnpa n
with stalagnlite. Christ was born in a
bare barn.
Christ's Mission.
Yet that nativity was the offender s
hope. Over the door of heaven are written
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 tho 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. I know that is putting it strongly,
but that is what understand by full re-
mission. All erased, all washed away, all
secured out, all gono. 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 eventP Do you Won
, der that we take organ and youthful voice
and qucenly soloist to celebrate itp Do you
wonder that Raphael and Rubens and
Titan and Giotto and Ghirlandajo, and
, all the old italian and German painters
, gave the mightiest stroke of their genius
, to sketch the Madonna, Mary and her boyi
Tho Star of Christmas.
OH now see what the manger was
Not so high the gilded and jeweled anG
, embroidered cradle of the Henrys of Eng
land, or the Louis of France, or the Fred
= ericks of Prussia. Now find out that
that Bethlehem crib fed not so much the
oxen of the stall as the white horses o.
Apocalyptio vision. Now find the swad
: ding clothes enlarging and emblazoning
into an imperial robe for conqueror
} Now I find that the star Of that Christmas
) night was only the diamonded sandal Of
: him who hath the moon under his feet
Now I come to understand that the music
+ of that night was not completed song
DuU OuAy bu6 Sbr1uSluG VI uuo lu6lIuA
for great chorus of two worlds, the bas:
to be carried by earthly nations saved, ant
the soprano by kingdoms Of glory won.
Oh, heaven, heaven, heaven! shall
} meet you there. After all our imperfec
| tions are gone shall meet you there.
! look out today through the mists Of years
. through the fog that rises from the colo
: Jordan, through the wide open door O.
solid pearl to that reunion. expect to set
, you there as certainly as see you here
5 What time we shall have in high con
verse, talking over the sins pardoned, ant
} sorrows comforted, and BATTLES triumphant
Some Of your children have already gone
and though people passing along the stree
8 and. seeing white Grape on the doorbel
3 may have said, sit is only a child, ye
r when the broken hearted father came IL
l solicit my service he said, Come arount
t and comfort us, for we loved her SO much. )
! Season of Rejoicing.
: What Christmas morning 1T will maxi
when those with whom you used to keel
the holidays are all around you in heaven
r Silver haired old father young again, ant
! mother who had SO many aches and pain
: and decrepitudes well again, and all you
Q brothers and sisters and the little ones
Q How glad they will be to see you! The,
Q have been waiting. The last time the!
0 saw your face it was covered with tear
Q and distress, and pallid from long watch
0 ing, and one Of them can imagine today
with one hand holding fast the shining
gate, and the other hand swung out to