St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-01-28
JOYS OF CHRISTMAS.
What the Holy Babes Escape Means
to Humanity.
An Eloquent Holiday Sermon By Dr..
TalsnaEe from the Lessons of
Ner0d's Efforts to Destroy
The Christ Child.
Washington,

him." The cradle Ct the infant Jesus
had no rockers. for it was rot 10 be
soo;hed by csciliating motion. as are
the cradles of other princes. II had nc
canopy, for it was rot 10 be covered
over by anything SO exquisite. 1t had
no embroidered pillow, for the young
head was not to have such luxurious
comfort. Though meienr-ordinarily
tie most erratic and seemingly ungov-
| ernable of all skyey appearancek-had
been sent 10 designate the place where
shat cradle stood and choir had been
| sent from The heavenly temple 10 xere-
made its illu.tricus occupant with on
epic. yet that cradle was the target for
all earthly and Giabo,ical hostiiities.
it 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.
| Cd could not afford to have him born.
The Caesars could NO, afford 10 have
him born. The gigantic expressions
and aboIninai.ors of the world could
rot llOrG 10 nave mar. porn.
The Herod who led The attack was
treachery, vengeance ard sensualiiy
iInpersonateG. As sort of pastime lie
slew Hyrcanus, the grandfather OF his
wife. Then he slew Marianne. his wife.
Then he butchered her two sons, Alex
anLer and Aris;obuius. Then Re slew
.ntipater. his Oldest son. Then be or
dereG burned alive 40 people who had
pulled down the eagle of his authority.
He ordered the mobiles vino had attend
ed upon his dying bed TO be slain, so
that there might be universal mourning
after his decease. From that same
deathb.d he ordered the slaughter OF
;tl!the children in bethlehem under 1xo
years Of age. feeling sure thar it he
massacred the entire infartife popuia-
ton that would include the destruction
Ct the child whose birthplace astroD-
omy had pointed OUT with lis finger of
light. What were the slaughtered babes
to him, and as many frenzied and be-
rett mothers? il he had been well
enough 10 leave lis bed. he would have
enjoyed seeing the mothers wildly
struggling 10 keep their babes, and
holding them so tightly that they could
lot be separated until the sword took
both lives Mt 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 a man, with associates just as
cruel. and an army at his command. al
tempting the life of the infant Jesus.
docs there seem any chance for His es-
cape. Then that flight southwark fer
so many miles, across deserts and amid
bandits and wild beasts (my friend. the
late missionary and scientist DR.. Ian
sing, who took the same journey. said
IL was enough to kill both the Madonna
AID the Child. and poor residence in
Cairo. Egypt. You know how Difficult,
it is 10 take an ordinary child success
fully through tie disorders that ar.
sure to aseaii it even in comfortable
homes and with all delicate ministries.
and then think of The exposure OF that
famous babe in villages and lands
where al sanitary laws were put at de-
fiance, His first hours on earth spent
in . room without any doors. ard oft
times swept by chilled night winds;
then afterward riding many days un-
der hot tropical sun. and part OF many
nights. lest the avenger cyer:ake the
fugitive before he could be hidden in
another land.
The sanhedrin also were aflronted at
the report Of this mysterious arrive!
of child that might upset all conven-
tionalities and threaten the throne Of
The nation. Shut the door and bolt it
and double bar it against him." cried
all political and ecclesiastical power.
Christ on q retreat when only few
days of age. with all the priyations and
hardships and sufferings of retreat!
When the glad news came that Herod
WAS dead, and the Madonna WAS pack
ing up and taking her Child home, bad
news also came, that Archelaus. the
son, had taken the throne-another
crowned irfamy. What chance for the
babes life? Viii not some short grave
hold the wondrous infantas'
Put him to DEATH" was the order all
up and down Palestine. and all up and
down the desert between bethlehem and
Cairo. The cry was: Here comes an
iconoclast Of all established order!
Here comes an aspirant for the crown
Of Augustus. II found on the streets
Of Bethlehem, dash him to death on the
pavement. II found on hill. hurl him
down the rocks. Away with him..
But the Babe got home in safety and
passed up from infancy TO youth and
from youth to manhood and from car
renter shop to Messiahship and from
Messiahship TO enforcement. until
the mightiest name on earth is Jesus,
and there is no mightier name in
Heaven.
What want 10 call yonr attention to
IS your narrow escape and mine and
the worlds narrow escape. Suppose
that attempt on the young child's lie
had been successful! Suppose that del
egation ct wise men. who were to re-
port to Herod Immediately after they
discovered the hard bed in the Bethlc-
hem caravansary, had obeyed orders
and reported. Suppose the beast carry
ing the Madonna and the Child in the
flight had stumbled and flung to death
its riders. Suppose Archelans had got
his hands on the babe that his father
had failed to find! Suppose that among
the children dashed from the Be'h!e-
hem house tops or separated by sword
Of the enraged constabulary JESUS had
persisted.
Then. TO begin on the outmcst rim OF
my subject. Christmas festivities would
never have been observed. Christmas
carols never sung, Christmas gifts
never bestowed, Christmas games never
played. Christmas bells never runE.
What all awful subtraction from the
worlds brightness would have been the
making of December Is like other days
OF the year. Glorious day. After
England and Holland and