Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-12-29

died the same week In which he was born |
there never would have been q triumphant |
Christian deethbcd. 1t Is the wonderful |
tory Of Christ now rapidly filling the |
earth, that makes triumphant Christian |
lcathbcds. The Bethlehem star had to |
rive way before the rising sun which was |
90 become tho MONDAY Sun Of Righteous |
ness.
The Necessity of Christ.
Are you ready now for thought that |
overtowers all other thoughts in impor-
tanoe and GRANDEUR Pray that you may
be ready. It as far exceeds anything l
have said as all the gold mines Of Califor-
mia, developed and undeveloped, exceed
tho thiinbleful Of gold dust which in 1S4s
California miner brought from mill
race and put upon the desk Of surprised
capitalist In remarking upon the narrow
escape which you and 1 and the world
made let me say that had tho Hcrodio raid
on that room OF the Bethlehem khan been
successful raid or Ind some cold taken by
the child in that flight toward Cairo been
fatal heaven would have been to us an
eternal impossibility. With our fallen ma
turo unchanged, unregenerated, unrccon-
structed through Jesus Christ, the human
race would DO no more fit for heaven than
nosome weed is fit for queens gGr-
land, no moro than shattered bass viol
is fit to sound in n Dusseldorf musical ju-
bilee. II at one time Garibaldi seemed to
hold In his right hand the freedom of
Italy, and Washington seemed at one time
to hold in his right hand American indo-
pendencc and Martin Luther seemed to
hold in his right hand the emancipation
of the church Of God for all nations, SO in
grander and better sense the infant born
in that Bethlehem stall held in one hand
the ransom of earth and In the other tho
rapture Of heaven. He started that night
for three places which he must reach, or
wo never could reach heaven, Gethsemane
and Calvary and Oliyet, the FIRST for ago
nizing prayer, the second for excruciating
suffering, the third for glorious ascension
as the law Of gravitation relaxed for once
| to let him up out of his exile. Had his
life been only one day or one year of dura-
| ton instead of 33 years, had he died in
| Bethlehem or in Cairo or In tho desert be-
| tween, not u church would ever have been
| built, not n hospital ever opened, not n
| nation ever freed, not civilization ever
| inaugurated, not n soul saved. oh, what
n crisis that was in the worlds history
| What crisis in tho eternities! think
| that the angels who composed the choir
! for the Christmas cantata above Bethle
! hem were not the only angels around that
night. l think there were some who in.
stead of holding lbrettos Of celestial mu-
sic stood all up aud down the sleeps Of
heaven with drawn swords, keen and two
edged. That cradle must be defended
That flight into Egypt must be lowered
over by winged cohort. That humbl,
stopping place in Cairo must be watched
by celestial bands descending amid the
| nyp inn nv dc hp
had already stood there for ages celobra,
| ing kings, none of whom ever had such
glory as will be won by that Prince sleep
ing in his mothers arms under their long
shadows. Hear 1t ALL yo psople-in that
| babes survival our heaven was involved
And shall we not add to our usual Christ
mas cOngratulation at "a Saviour's birth
the JOY at the bnbe's rescue?
Time For Joy.
Now let the Christmas table be spread
! Let IL I've an extension table made up OF
the tables Of your households, and addcG
| to them the tables Of celestial festiyity
all together making table long enough
| to reach across "A hemisp here-yea lGng
enough to reach from earth to heaven
! Send out tho invitations To all the guests
! whom we would like to have GENE anu
dine. Come all tho rsnsomed of earth anu
all the crowned Of heaven As ut ancient
banquets the King who was to presid,
came In after all the guests had tnkeL
their places at the table, so perhaps it may
be now. Let the old folks who sat At
either end Of your Christmas table 10 or
20 or Az years ago be seated, their aches
and pains all gone. Behold they sit down
in tho exhilaration of everlasting youth
Come brothers and sisters VINO used to r.
xr-tf
that the mysteries OF bestowed gift
might be kept secret and who rose with
us early on Christmas morn to see VIVA.
was to be revealed Come all the old
neighbors Of our boyhcod and grhood
days who used to happen in toward the
close of this day to wish us u merry time
Come all the ministers of Christ who have
III pulpits for many n year been tellin"
the story of the star that pointed TO the
! world first Christmas gift and at the
same time Weakened Hcrods apprehen
sions. Come and sit down ye heralds OF
1.-THE glad tidinrs," whether you were
sprinkied or plunged whether your thanks
today be offered in liturgy of ages or
prayers spontaneous, whether you be
gowned in canonicals or wearing plain
coat of backwoods meeting house. Come
in Room at this Christmas table for ali
3 those who have bowed AT the manager in
whatever world you now live:
Part of the host have crossed the food,
And part are crossing now.
Yea, come and sit ut this Christmas ia
bic, all heaven, Archangcl ut that end of
the table, and all the angels under him
adjoining. Come down. Come in And
take your places ut this Christmas ban
quet. Tho table is spread. and the King
who will preside is about to enter. He
comes-him Of Bethlehem, him of Cal
vary, him of Olivet, him of the throne!
Rise and greet him. Fill all your chalices
with the wine pressed from the heavenly
Eschol ard drink at this Christmas ban.
quot to the memory of the babes rescue
from Herodic pursuit and the memory oi
those astronomers OF the east W no defeated
the malice and sarcasm and irony and in
fernal stratagem Of the monsters mani
festo, "Go and search diligently for the
young child. and when We have found
him, bring me word again, that l may
come and worship him also" Given at
the palace. Herod the Great"