Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1899-01-07
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE EMINENT DivINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE


TKxr. "Heroa will seek ths young chlli
10 destroy Hlm."-Matthew g.. i3.
The cradle of the infant Jesus had no
rockers. for e Was NOS 10 be- socthed BY o--
cillating motion as are the cradles of other
princes. Il had no embroidered pillow. for
he Young head was not 90 have such lux
urions comfort. Though a meteor. ord!n.
arily tho most erratic and seemingly un-
govcrnRble ~ NJ skyey appearances. had
teca sent 20 designate tho place where
that cradle stood. and choir had been
sent from the heavenly temple 60 sereoaie
its iilustrious occupant with an epic. yet I
the cradle was tho target for all earthly /
and diaholical hCstHitie-. Indeed, I give P
You - my opicion that 70 was the narrow
est and most wonderful escape 0f the ages .
that the child was not slatn before He
had taken His 1rst step or epoken his first
word. Hcgod could not aCcrd TO have
N IA horn. The Cc,sars could not a1ori "a
have Him born. The gigantic expressions
acd abominations OF tho world could not
anCrd TO have Him born. Was there ever
planned a more systematired cr appalling
bomhardment I'm al The world than the
lomhardment % that cradle2
The Hcrod wholed the attack WAS reach
cry. vengeance and sensualitv imper-
sonated. As a sort % pssiime ne slew Hyr-
canus. the grandfather % his Wife. Then
be slew Marianne. bis wife. Then De
hutchered her two sons. Alexander and
Aristobulus. Then he slew Antipater. his
forty people who had pulled down che eagle
~ his authority. lie ordered the mobiles
Who had attended upon his dying bed Go pe
slain. 80 that there might be universal
! RI burning after his disease. From that
! sume deathhed he ordered the slaughter 90
ell the children in BethCiem under two
years % age. feeling suve that Il he mas
/ sacred the entire infantlle population shat
/ would include the destruction ~ the child
| whose birthplace astronomy had pointed
1 rmf srIf "a IN fuh
i the siau entered babes 60 him, and a. many
/ frenzied and tcrcft mothcrsl II he had
. been we'll enough 90 leave hts bed, he would
have enjoyed seeing the mothers Willy
struggling 90 keep their babes and holding
them. 80 tightly that they could not.hr
seharatod until the sword took hotn lives
a. one stoke. and others. mother and
I child. hurled FROM roots of houses tnto
the street. until that village ot horse
/ shoe share on the hillside became one
great butcher shop. To have such man,
/ with associates iu>t a. cruel aud an RFny
az hts command. attempting the hie ot the
infant Jesus does there seem any chance
for Hts escape? Then that flight soutlwRrd
for go many mlles. across deserts srG amid
bandits and wild beasts fmy friend, IN
late missionary and scientist Or. Lansing
who took the same Journey. said Il wa
enough 90 XIII both the Madonna and th'
I Child. and poor residence Ia Cairo. lcl
7 know how difncult a a. 20 take an crdinar'
( child successfully through the disorder
that are sure 90 assai it even IN comfort
! able homes and With al delicate ministries
and then think of the exposure OF tha
famous babe In villages and lands wher
J. all sanitary laws wcrc put at defiance III
o flrst hours on earth spent iu room with
a out any doors, and otttimes swept o
f. chilled night Winds. then atterward ridin
many dnYs under hot tropical sun, an
e mart OF many nights lest the avenger owes
take the fugitive before lie could be hidde
IN another land.
d, The sanhedrin also were anrontct AZ Oh
" report of this mysterious arrival oi ehil
y that might upset all conventional les an
q threaten the throne 0f The nation. 'Sht
t. the door and bolt II and double bar
.- against HINT cried all political and cecil
b, siAstlcai power. Christ on a retreat Whs
:, only few days OF age. with all the prlv
, ttcns and hardships and suneringa OF r
y treat When the glad news came that hers
was dead and the Madonna was packing
K and taking her Child home. bad news al
;. came that Archeiaus. the son, had TAX
,o / tho throue-anotbe her crowned lnfamy. WI
=. chance for the babes ltre2 VIII not sor
short grave hold the wondrous infantf
Put Him 20 deathi~ was the order all
and down Palestine and all up and dcy
81 the desert between Bethlehem and Calls
= The cry was. "H-Te comes an tconoclast
all establish ed orderi Here comes an d
ls pirant for the crown OF Augustusl IL fou'
lh on the streets OK Bethiemem, dash Him
y death on the pavement IL found on bl
ne / nuNl him down tue I0fkel Away W
of Himf' But the babe got home ia safety a
"a passed up from infancy 20 youth, and frs
youth 10 manhood, ard from carpenter sh
a. 10 Messiahship. and from Messiahship
N environment. until the mighttcst name
~ earth is Jesus, and there - no might
" name in heaven.
he What want to call your attention "a
nt your narrow escape and mine and
- worlds narrow escape. suppose q
~ attempt on the young child's lie bad b
on successful Suppose that delegation
ot wise men, who were 20 report 20 Hei
Immediately after they discovered the "a
bed in the Bethlehem caravans0rys
oteyed orders and reported suppose
beast carrying the Madonna and the CT
In the flight had stumbled and huns
eA death its ridersi Suppose Arcbslaus
got his hands on the babe that hts TAT
N, bad failed 60 fndl suppose that ans
:. the children dashed from tho kathiei
~ house tops or separated by sworn or
ere enrnge1 constabuiary Jesus had perisl
ed Still further remsrking upon the mar
Tits escape which you and had and all
nd. world bad ia that babes escape, let me
pss- that bad that Herodie plot been success
- the one instance OF absolutely per
s"n character would never have been unfoi'
asy The world had enjoyed the lives OF N
> Ia splendid men before Christ came. IL bad
Ugh mired SIS Plato among philosophers,
his Mitbridates among heroes, its Herod'
,ar among historians. its Phsdiss am
.nS sculptors, It's Homer among poets
Esop among fabulists. It's Esch
aus among dramatists. its Demosthenes am
Ter. orators, its Ksculaplus among physfci
red yet among the contemporaries OF q
the men there were two opinions, as
leo there are two opinions. coneerI
So every remarkable man. There were pl'
~ IN those days who said OF them, HE
was not speak, ," or he cannot sing" or
able connot nhilosophize." or His mill
at achievement MAS n mere accident, or
With ehisel, his pen, his medical preserip'