The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-01-14

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Nlf-kS5lxtli The text selected
SN'StTSp,el was, Nov when
ES9.eaHO Jesus was born In
W VOM bethlehem" Matt.
n. 1.
AT midnight from one OF the galleries
OF the sky a chant broke. To an ordi-
nary observer there Was no reason Tor
such a celestial denomination. a poor
man and wife-trayelers. Joseph ana
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 check
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 a star
been unhxed. or had baton OF light
marshalled over the hills winged or
chestra. II there had been such bril-
liant and mighty recognition at an adj
ven, In the house Of Pharaoh, or az 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 a barn seems too poor a
center for such a delicate and archan-
gellc circumference. The stage seems
too small for so great an act, the music
too grand for such uuappreclatiye au-
ditors. the windows OF the stable too
rude to be sorenadod By other worlds.
Il Is my Joy TO tell you what was born
that night in the village barn; and as !
want TO make my discourse accumula-
tive and cllmacteric. begin. In the first
place by telling YOU that that night In
the Bethlehem manger was born en-
couragement for all the poorly started.
lie had only two frlends-they his par
ents. No satin-linod cradle no deli
cate attentions. but straw, and the cat
tie. 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 pow
erty he rose until to-day he Is honored
In all Christendom. and sits ON the Inn
perial throne In heaven.
What name is mightiest to-day 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 hour9 Jesus From
what depths Of poverty to what height
Of renOwnl And so LEI all those who
are poorly started remember that they
cannot be more poorly born. or more
dlsadyantageously, than this Christ.
Let them look up TO his example while
they have time and eternity to initiate
Il.
Do you know that the vast majority
OF the worlds deliyerero had barnlike
blrthplaces? Luther. the emancipation
Of religion. born among the mines.
Shakespeare. the emancipation OF litera-
ture. born In an humble home at STRAIT
ford on Avon. Columbus. the discov-
erer Of world. born In poverty at &c
noa. Hogarth. the discoyerer OF how
TO make art accumulative and admins
trativo OF virtue. born In an humble
home In Westmoreland Kitto and
PrideauN. 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 deliyorcrs were
born In want
I stir your holy ambitions to-day,
and want to tell you. though 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
eighteen hundred and ninety-ave years
ago was wrapped In swaddling clothes
and laid In a manger Oh. what mag
nlficent encouragement for the poorly
started
Again, have to tell you that In that
village barn that night was born good
will to men. whether you call Il kind
ness. or forbearance, or forgiveness. OF
genlallty. or affection, or love II was
no sport OF high heaven to sead Us Ia
vorito to that humiliation. Il was sac
rifios for a rebelliOus world. After the
calamity In Paradise. not only did the
or begin 20 gore. and the adder 10 sting
and the elephant to smile with his tusk
and the lion TO put 10 bad use tooth
and paw, but under the very tree from
which the forbidden fruit was plucked
were Matched out Wpr and revenge and
malice and envy and jealousy and the
whole brood Of cockatrices.
But against that scene set the Beth.
lehem manger. which says. Bless
rather than curse. endure rather than
assault" and that Christmas night puts
out ylndictiyenesS Il says. 'sheathe
your sword. dlsmount your guns. dis
mantle your batteries. turn the warshlp
Constellation. that carries shot and
shell. into a grain ship 10 take food Ia
furnishing ireland. hook your cavalry
j A.. A IN