The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-12-27
THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
DIR. TALMAGE's SUNDAY THEME.
Out OF the Bethlehem Crib Came
''Pcacc on Earth, Good VIII to Men,

Text: Now when 'Iesus was born IN
Bethlehem. Matthew III. -
At midnight from one OF the galleries Of
the sky chant broke. To an ordinary OBJ
server there was no reason for such u ceIes-
tiai demonstration. A poor man anu wife
travellers, Joseph and Mary by name-had
lodged In an clubhouse OF au unimportant
village. The supreme hour of solemnIty had
passed, and upon the palld forehead and
cheek OF Mary. God had set tho dignity, the
grandeur, the tenderness. the everlasting and
divine Significance OF motherhood.
B"t S,ch scenes had often occurred in Beth
leh sin, yet never before had Il star been uu-
liked or had baton OF light marShaled over
the hlts winged orchestra. II fthere had been
such brilliant and mighty recognition mt an
advent in the house OF L ,araoh. or at au ad-
vent in tho house. Of C9 ar, or the house of
dapsburS, or the house uf Stuart, we would
not 80 much have woa LereI; but q barn
seems too poor center for such delicate and
archangelic circumference. Tho stage seems
! too small for so great an act. the music too
grand for such unappreciatiye auditors. tho
window OF the stable too rude 10 be serenaded
by other worlds.
1t Is my JOY to tell you what was born that
night in the village barn. and as I want to
make my discourse cumulative and climac-
teric begin in the first place by telling you
that that night in the Bethlehem manger was
born encouragement for all the poorly start
cd. He had only two frtends-they His par
ents. No satin lined cradle. no delicate at
tcntons but straw and tue cattle and the
coarse joke and banter Of the camel drivers.
No wonder the mehieval painters represent
the oxen rs kneeling before the infant Jesus.
for there were no men there Mt that time to
worship. From the depths OF that poverty
He rose until to-iay He Is honored in all
Christendom and sits on the imperial throne
in heaven.
What name is m,ghtiest to-day in Chris
tendon? Jesus. Who has more friends on
Ia 4, al k~..z
whom do the most thousands kneel in
chapel and church and cathedral ut this
hourf Jesus. From what depths of poverty
to what height OF renown! And so let all those
who are poorly started remember that they
cannot be more poorly born or moro disad-
vantageously than this Christ. Let them
lookup to His example while they have time
and eternity to initiate it,
Do you know that the vast majority Of the
worlds deliverers had barnlikc birthplncpsp
Luther the smancipatOr OF religion born
among the mines. Shakespeare. the eman-
cipator OF literature. born in n humble home
at tStratford-on-Avon. Columbus. tho dis
oorerer OF world, born in poverty ut Genoa.
Hogartb, the discoverer OF how to make art
accumulative and administrative OF virtue,
born in u humble home in Westmorelaud
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 delivercrs were born in want
l stir your holy ambitions to day, and
want to tell you, although the whole world
may be opposed to you. and inside and out
side OF your occupations or professions
there may be those who would hinder your
ascent, on your side and enlisted in your be-
half arc the sympathetic heart and the
almighty arm of one who ono Christmas
night about 1895 years ago was wrapped in
swaddiing clothes and laid in maLycr. Oh.
what magnificent encouragement for tho
poorly started!
Again, have 10 tell YOU that in tha; viii
laSe barn that night was born good will to
men, whether you call it kindnpss or fore
bearance or forgiveness or Senialty or afrec-
ton or love. II was no sport OF high heaven
to send its favorite to that humiliation. II
was sacrifice for rebellious world. After
the calamity In Paradise not only did tho OK
begin to gore, and tho adder to sting and
the elephant to smite with his tusk, aud the
lion to put to bad use tooth aud paw, but
under the very tree from which the forbid
den fruit was PLUGGED were hntchcd out war
and revenge and malice and envy and jeal-
ouSy and the whole brood OF cocSatricpS
But against That scene set the Bethlehem
manSer, which says "BlcsS rather than
curse, endure rather than assault" and that
Christmas night puts out vindictiveness. 1t
says, ''Sheathe your sword. dismount your
guns. dismantis your batteries, turn the
warship Constellation that carries shot and
she'll into Srainship to tako food 10 fam
ishiny Ireiand, hook your cavalry horse TO
tne piOW, use your deadly Sun-powder in
blasting rocks and in patriotic celebration,
stop your lawsuits, quit writing anonymous
letters, extract the sting from your sarcasm.
let your wit coruscate hut never burn drop
all the harsh words oat of your vocabular nv
Good will to men. -
"Oh." you say. 81 cant exercise it: won't
exercise it until they apologize; / won't for
give them until they ask me to forgive
them. You are no Christian then-I say
You are no Christian, or you are a very in
consistent Christian. II you forgive not
men their treSpasSes. how can You EXPECT
your heavenly Father to forgive you? For
give them il they ask your forgiveness ana
forgive them any how. Shake hands all
around. Good will to men"
o my Lord Jesus, drop that spirit into ali
our hearts this Christmas time. / tell YOU
else more helping hands. more sympathetic
disposition to give other people ride. and
TO carry the heavy end of the load and give
other people the light end. and to ascribe
good motives insteai of bad and to find our
happiness in making others happy.
Out OF that Bethlehem crib let the bear and
the lion eat straw like the OK. Good will
to men," That principle will yet settle all
controversies. and under II the world will
keep on improving until there will be only
two antagonists in all the earth, and they
will side by side take the ju bilaut sleigh ride
lnilmnted by the prophet when he said
"Holiness shall be on the bells ofths horses -
Again. remark that born that Christmas
night in the village barn was sympathetic
union with other worlds. From that su per-