Connecticut western news., 1895-12-26
CHRISTMAS SERMON.
REV. DR. TALMAGE ON THE BIRTH or
 CHRIST.


 Born In want-What the World Needs NoAt-Ths Nativity the Offenders Hope. Merry With the Thought of Sins For given.
 WASHINGTON Dec. 22.--In his sermon today Dr. Talmage chose the universal theme of the season-the Christmastide. The text selected was, "Now when Je- sns was born in Bethlehem,' Matthew ii, 1.N (
 At midnight from one of the galler- ies of the sky chant broke. To an or dinary observer there was no reason for such a celestial demonstration. A poor man and wife---travelers, Joseph and 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, tho everlast ing and divine significance of mother hood Y %@
 But such scenes had often occurred in Bethlehem, yet never before had star been unfixed or had baton of light marshaled over the hills winged orches-' tra. If there had been sYch brilliant and mighty recognition at an advent in the house of Pharaoh, or at all advent in the house of Cesar, or the house of Hapsbhrg, or the house of Stuart, we would not so much have wondered; but 8 barn seems too poor center for such delicate and aIchangelic circumference. The stage seems too small for so great an. act, the music too grand for such unappreciativa auditors, the window of the stable too rude to be serenaded by other worlds.
 A Humble Birth. .... : It is my joy to tell you what was born that night in the village barn, and as want to make my discourse cumu- llative and climacteric begin in the first place by telling you that that night in the Bethlehem manager was born en- couragement 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 ethe imperial throne in heaven. a-es ists/A EaF
 
 What name is mightiest today in Christendom? Jesus. Who has more friends on earth than any other being? Jesus. Before whom do the most thou sands kneel in chapel and church and cathedral this hourp 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 n8 be more poorly born or more disad- vantageously than this 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 worlds deliverers had barnlike birtbplaoes? Luther, the emancipator of religion, born among the mines. Shakespeare, the emancipator of litera- ture, born in humble home at Strat- ford d-on-Avon. Columbus, the discover CT of world. born in poverty at Genoa. HoGarth, the discoverer of how to make art accumulative and administrative of virtue, born in a humble home in Westmor1and. Kitto" and Prideaux, whose keys unlocked new apartments in the holy Scriptures which had never been entered, born in want. Yes, have totell you that nine out of ten of the world $ de1fverers 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 outsideC of your. occupations or professions there may De 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 manager. Oh, what magnificent Gnconragement for the poor ly started fS-ss s.sEs sEs-x@A, W eF
 Good Will To Men.
 Again, I have to tell you that in that village barn that night was born good wilfto mon, whether'yon call it kind ness or fotbe1f1nee or forgiveness or geniality Of affection or love. It was nadsport of high heaven to send its ia. vorite to that humiliation. 1t was sacri. flee for a rebelliouslworld. After the ca lamity in paradise not only did the oz begin to gore, and the adder to sting, <kn n1A k<,c 70 H. and the lion to put to bad use tooth and paw, but under the very tree from which the forbidden fruit was pluoked re,hatched out war and revenge and malice and envy and jealousy and the whole brood of cockatrices.
 But against that scene Iset the Beth. lehem manager, which says, 'Bless rsth. or than curse, endure rather than as sault, - and that Cbristmas night puts ont vindictiveness. It says, .".Sheathe your sword, dismount your guns, dis mantle your batteries, turn the warshiI Constellation that carries shot an6 shell into grainship to take food te furnishing Ireland, hook your cavalry horses to the blow, use your deadly gun powder in blasting rocks and in patriot 10 celebration, stop your lawsuits, quit writing anonymous letters, extract tht sting from your sarcasm, let your wi cofuscate but never burn, drop all tn, hxfsh words out of your vocabulary Good will to men.
 "Oh," you say, "I can't exercise it l won't exetcise it until they apologize won't forgive them until they ask mt to forgive them" You are no Christian then-fsay you are no Christian, or you are very inconsistent Christian. I you forgive not men their trespasses how can you expect your heavenly Fla finer to forgive you? Forgive them i they ask you. forgiveness and forgive them anyhow. Shake hands all around "Good will to men"
 o my Lord Jesus, drop that spiri intoall our hearts this Christmas time