Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-01-08

tore I show YOU the Kohinoor-the crown
swel Of the ages. Oh, that jewel had q very
poor ssttingi Tho cub Of bear IL born amid.
= tstes s Of stsD IS.
tnxuriant leaf and Wild flower. the kid Of
goat u born in cavern chandeliered with "a.
actite and pillared With staiagmite. Chri1
ms born In . bare barn.
Yet that nativity was the offenders hopa
Over the door Of heaven are written these
words: None but the stnless may enter
here" "Oh, horror" you say, ''that shuts
10 all outr' No. Christ came to the world
n one door, and He departed through an
door OF the sepulcher. and His one business
was 80 to wash away our sin that after we
arc dead there will be no more sin about u
than about the eternal God. know that =
putting Il strongly, but that Is what un.
derstAnd by full remission. AL erased. Ill
washed away. all secured out, all gona.
That undertaking and ovecarching and ir-
cadtattng and imparedisinE possibility fog
You, and for me, and for the whole race.
hat was given that Christmas night. ~
Do you wonder we bring flowers to-dayta
celebrate such an eveni2 Do you wonder
that we take organ and youthful voice and
queenlv soloist to celebrate II? Do you
wonder that Raphael and Rubens and Titan
and Giotto and Ghirlandajo and all the old
Italian and German painters gave the
the Madonna, Mary, and her boy2
Oh! now sec what the manager was. Not
70 high the giided and jeweled snd embroid-
sred cradle Of the Henrys of England. or the
Louis Of France, or the Fredericks of Prus-
yia. Now / ind out that that Bethlehem
srib fed not SO much the oxen of the stall q
the white horses OF Apocalyptic vision. Now
find the swaddlin4 olothss eolar9inx and
s.hblazoning into an imperial robe for Q
sonqueror. Now ind that the star Of that
Christmas night was only the diamonded
Sandal of Him who hath the moon under His
!eet. Now I come TO understand that tho
music of that night was not a completed
song, but only the stringing Of the instru-
men;s for great chorus Of two worlds. the
oass to be carried by earthly Nations saved,
and the soprano by kingdoms OF glory won.
Oh, heaven, heaven, heaven! shall meet
you there. After all our imperfections are
gone shall meet you there. l look out to-
dsy, through the mists OF years, through the
fog that rises from the cold Jordan, thl ouGh
the wide open door of solid pearl to that re-
ly as 1 see you here. What time we shall
have in high converse. talking over sins
pardoned and sorrows comforted and battles
triumphant!
Some Of your children have already gone,
and though people passing along the street
and seeing white Grape on the doorbell may
have said, "It Is only a child," yet when the
broken hearted father came to solicit my
service, he said, "Coms around and comfon
us. for we loved her so much"
What q Christmas morning it will make
when those with whom you used to keep the
holidays are all around you In heaven!
Silver haired old father young again. and
mother who had so many aches and pains
and decrepitudes well again. and ali your
brothers and sisters and the little ones.
How glad they will be to see you! They
have been waiting. The last time they saw
your face 1t was covered with tears and dis
tress. and pallid from long watching, and
| one of them I can imagine to-day, with
1 one hand holding fast the shining gate, aud
| the other hand swung out toward you, say.
| ing:
Steer this way, father. steer straight 70,
me;
| Here safe In heaven I am waiting for thee"
| Oh, those Bethlehem angels. when they
i vent back after the concert that night over
I. he hills, forgot to shut the door! All the
| ,ecret is out. No more use OF trying to hide
rom US the glories to come. 1t is too late
20 shut the gate. It Is blocked wide open
| With hosannas marching this wav, ard halle
| iuiahs marching that way. In the splendor
| of the anticipation ! feel as II l was dying
not physically, for I never WAS more well
but In the transport of the Christmas trans.
9guration.
What almost unmans me is the thought
| that ii Is provided for sucn sinners as you
and I have been. II it had been provided
| only for those who had always thought right
| and spoken right and acted right, you and I
would have had no interest in Ii, had no
i share in 1t; you and would have stuck to
/ the raft midocean, and let the ship sail by
| carrying perfect passengers from a perfect
life on earth to a perfect life in heaven. But
| have heard the commander OF that ship is the
| same great and glorious and sympathetic one
/ who hushed tho tempest around the boat on
| Galilee, and 1 have heard that all the pass
| engers ON the ship are sinners saved by
grace. And 80 We hail the ship, and 1t bears
down this way, and we come by the side OF
| It and ask the Captain two questions, who
| are Thou?' and "whence2" And He says,
"I am Captain Of Salvation, and am from
| the manger." Oh, bright Christmas morn.
Ing of my souls delight! Chime all ths
| BELLS Merry Christmas!
/ Merry with tho thought Of sins forgiven,
merry with the idea of SORROWS comforted,
merry.wtth the raptures to come. Oh, lift that
Christ from the manger and lay Him down
| In all our hearts! We may not bring to Rim
| ss costly a present "a the magi brought. but
| We bring to His feet and to the manger to.
| day the frankincense Of our joy, the prostrs
| Non of our worship.
| Down at His feet all churches, ll.:aees. all
| earth all heaven. Down at Hts feet the four
| and twenty elders on their faces. Down the
"great multitude that no man can number"
Down Michael. the archsngsl! Down all
worlds at His feet and worship. "Glory to
God in the highest, and on earth peace, good
will to men!''