The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1895-12-27
CHRISTMAS SERMON.
REV. Or. IALMAeE ON THE BIRTH OF
CHRIST.

CHRIST.
Born In want-what the World Needs
Most-The Nativity the Offenders Hope.
Merry with the Thought of Sins For-
given.
WASHINGTON Dec. 22.-In his sermon
today DIR. Talmage. chose the universal
theme of the season-the Christmastide.
The text selected was, "Now when Je-
sus was born in Bethlehem" Matthew
ii, /.
At midnight from one of the CALLER
les of the sky chant broke. To an or
binary observer there was no reason for
such 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, the everlast
ing and divine significance Of mother
hood.
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-
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 te. tell you what was
born that night in the village barn, and
as / want to make my discourse cumu
lative 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-thsy 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
III heaven.
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 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 this Christ. Let them
look up to his example while they have
time and eternity to initiate 1t.
Do you know that the vast majority
of the worlds 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-on 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 inca 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 delverers were born in want.
l 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 1916
years ago was wrapped in swaddling
clothes and laid in manger. Oh, what
magnificent encouragement for the poor
ly started
Good Will To Men.
Again, have to tell you that in that