The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-12-31
JOYS OF CHRISTMAS.
What the Holy Babes Escape Means
to Humanity.
An Eloquent Holiday sermon by DR..
Tnlmnge from the Lessons OF
Herod's Efforts 10 Destroy
the Christ Child.

beCteu Win inc HhlNlly - tuiphuSl<'u
by DR.. Talmage in this Christmas dis
course; text. Matthew 2, 10: "llerod
will seek the young child TO destroy
him." The cradle Of the infant Jesus
had no rockers, for il was not 10 be
soothed by oscillating motion, as are
the cradles of other princes. 1t had no
canopy, for it was not TO be lowered
no embroidered pillow, for the young
head was not TO have such luxurious
comfort. Though n metear-ordinarily
the most erratic and seemingly ungoy-
ernable Of all skycy appearances-had
been sent TO designate the place where
that cradle stood and choir had been
sent from the heavenly temple 10 sere-
made its illustrious occupant with an
epic, yet that cradle was thetarget for
all earthly and diabolical hostilities.
Indeed | give you as my opinion that
IL was the narrowest and most wonder
full escape of the ages that the child
was not slain before he had taken his
first step or spoken his first word. Her
od could not afford to have him born.
The Caesars could not afford to have
him born. The gigantic expressions
and abominations Of the world could
not afford to have him born.
The llcrud who led the attack was
treachery, vengeance and sensuality
unprecedented. AS sort Of pastimc he
slew IIyrcanus, the grandfather of his
wife. Then he slew Marianne, his wife.
Then he butchered her two sons, Alex
andcr and Aristobulus. Then he slew
Antipatcr, his oldest son. Then he or
dercd burned alive 40 people who had
pulled down the eagle of his authority.
He ordered the mobiles who had attend
ed upon his dying bed 10 be slain, so
that there might be universal mourning
after his decease. From that same
.deathbed he ordered the slaughter of
all the children in Bethlehem under two
years of age, feeling sure that if he
massacred the entire infantile popula-
tion that would include the destruction
CT the child whose birthplace astron-
omy had pointed out with It's finger OF
light. What were the slaughtered babes
TO him, and as many frenzied and be-
reft mothers? IL he had been well
enough to leave his bed, he would have
enjoyed seeing the mothers wildly
struggling to keep their babes, and
holding them so tightly that they could
not be separated until the sword took
both lives at one stroke, and Others,
mother and child, hurled from roofs of
houses into the street until that village
of horseshoe shape on the hillside be-
came one great butcher shop. To have
such man, with associates just as
cruel, and an army at his command, at
tempting the life of the infant Jesus,
does there seem any chance for lis es-
cape? Then that flight southwark for
so many miles, across deserts and amid
bandits and wild beasts (my friend, the
late missionary and scientist DIR. Ian
sing, who took the same journey, said
it was enough to kill both the Madonna
and the Child, and poor residence in
Cairo. Egypt. You know how difficult
It is to take an ordinary child success
fully through the disorders that arr
sure to assail it even in comfortable
homes and with all delicate ministries
and then think of the exposure OF tina
famous babe in villages and lands
where all sanitary laws were put at de
fiancc, His first hours on earth spen
I'm a room without any doors, and oft
times swept by chilled night winds
then afterward riding many days un
der hot tropical sun, and part of man.
nights, lest the avenger overtake tn
fugitive before he could be hidden il
another land!
The sanhedrin also were afronted a
Che report Of this mysterious arrive
of a child that might upset all conven
fionalities and threaten the throne O
the nation. "Shut the door and bolt
aud double bar it against him." erie
all political and ecclesiastical power
Christ on a retreat when only fe'
DAYS of age, with all the privations an
hardships and sufferings of retreat
When the glad news came that Hero
was dead, and the Madonna was pacl
ing up and taking her Child home, ba
news also came, that Archelaus, III
son, had taken the throne-anothe
crowned infamy. What chance for III
babes life? Will not some short gray
hold the wondrous infantT'
"Put him TO deathl" was the order
ND and down Palestine, and all up an
down the desert between Bethlehem an
Cairo. The cry was: Here comes
iconoclast Of all established ordei
Here comes an aspirant for the crow
of Augustus! If found on the stree
of Bethlehem, dash him to death on Il
pavement! II found on hill, hurl hi
down the rocks! Away with him
But the Babe got home in safety al
passed up from infancy to youth al
from youth to manhood and from ca
penter shop to Messiahship and fro
Messiahship to enthronement, UNI
the mightiest name on earth is Jest
aud there is no mightier name
Heaven.
What want to call your attention
IL your narrow escape and mine al
the worlds narrow escape. Suppo
chat attempt on the young child's II
had been successful! Suppose that d'
eyatiop of wise men, who were to !
mort to Herod Immediately after tn,
discovered the hard bed in the Bethl