The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-29
A CHRISTMAS SERMON.
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW ON THE Ora
DIE OF OUR SAVIOUR.
DIR. Talmage Tells I'm a New and In
~teresting Way the story of the Incar-
nation Practical Uses OF Religious
Festival Days.
Copyright. Louis Klopsch, 1899

The story of the incarnation is here
told by DR.. Talmage in a new way, and
practical use is made of these days of
festivity; text, Matthew i, IL, $50 all
the generations from Abraham to
David are Ia generations, and from
David until the carrying away into
Babylon unto Christ are IA genera
tons"
From what many consider the dullest,
most unimportant chapter of the New
Testament 1 take my text nj find it
full of practical, startling and eternal
interest. This chapter is the front door
Of the New Testament, through which
all the splendors Of evangelism and
apostolicity enter. Three times IA gen.
erations are spoken of in my text-that
is, AZ generations, reaching Town to
Christ. They all had relation to him.
And at least AZ generations past affect
US. If they were good, we feel the re-
suit of the goodness. If they were bad,
we feel the result of their wickedncSS.
II some were good and some were bad.
it is an intermingling influence that
puts it's mighty Inc upon us. And as
we feel the effect of at least AZ genera
tons past we will in turn influence at
least AZ generations to come, IL the
world shall last 1000 years. SO you see
the cradle is more important than the
grave.
/ propose to show you some of the
shadows upon the Christie cradle Of
Bethlehem and then the sunshine that
poured in upon the pillow of straw.
Notice among the shadows on that in
fant's bed that there was here and
there a specimen of dissolute ancestry.
Beautiful Ruth his ancestress? Oh,
yes! Devout Asa one of his forefath-
ers? Oh, yes! Honest Joseph his faith
er? Oh, yes! Holy Mary his mother?
Oh, yes! But in that genealogical table
were idolatrouS and cruel Ammon and
oppressive Rehoboam and some men
whose denominations may not be par
ticularized. So you see bad men may
have good descendants. One of the
most consecrated men / ever knew was
the son of a man who lived and died a
blasphemer. In the line of an oppres-
sive Rehoboam comes a gracious and
merciful and glorious Christ. Great
encouragement for these who had in
the AZ generations that preceded them,
however close by or however far back,
some instances of perniciOus and bale
full and corrupt ancestry.
To my amaZement | found in those
parts of Australia to which many years
ago felons were transported from Eng
land that the percentage OF crime was
less than in those parts of Australia
originally settled by honest men and
good women Some who are now on
judicial benches in Australia and in
high governmental position and In
learned and useful professions and
leaders in social life are grandsons and
granddaughters of men n women
who were exiled from Great Britain tc
Australia for arson and theft and as
sault and fraud INC murder. So you
. see it is possible for the descendants
of those who do wrong to do right
Perhaps we make too much Of the doc
trine Of heredity. While those of us
who can gratefully turn in our family
record to healthful and yirtuous pedi.
gree, let not those who have had alb.
horrent natures in the ancestral linz
despair of usefulness n happiness
and heaven.
WE SHOULD BE LENIENT.
Since we are all more are less effect.
ed by our ancestry we ought to be pa
tient with those who go wrong, remem.
bering that they may be the victims Of
unhappy antecedents. How lienient i
ought to make us in u judgment o:
the fallen! Perhaps they had AZ gen
erations back of them pushing them tn,
wrong way. Five hundred years befor'
they were born there may have beer
a ~parentage of iniquity augmented b!
a corrupt parentage 200 years ago. d.
not blame a man because he 'canno
swim up the rapids Of Niagara. Do no
blame a ship captain because he can
not outride a Caribbean whirlwind
The father Of his man who does wrOnf
may have beer all right and his mo-
er all right, but away back in the cen
turtles there nay have started a bat
propensity which he now feels. One O.
the Ten Commandments given OF
Mount Sinai recognizes the fact tina
evil may skip a generation, when tn
commandment speaks Of visiting "th'
iniouity of thefathers upon the child
dren unto the third and fourth genera
tion," but says nothing about tn
second generation; and If evil may skill
one generation why not two n three
and four and five generations, making
q mighty leap and alighting very hare
upon the head and the heart of som
poor victim? Better be a little merci
ful toward the culprit lest after awhil,
some heredity evil born in the year 100
or 100, having skipped the centuries
alight just as heavy upon you.
Meanwhile keep carefully four famil!
records The old place for the family
record in the Bible, between the Old ant
New Testaments, is a most appropriate
place. That record, put IN Such I'M
pressive surroundings of chapter
bounded on one side by the prophecies
of Malachi and on the other side by thu
gospel of Matthew will receive stres:
and sanctity from it's position. Tina
record is appropriately bound up will
eternities. Do not simply say in YOU
family record, Born at such a time
and died at such a time" but if there
has been among your ancestors som
man or woman especially consecrate6
and useful make a note of it for thu
encouragement Of the following gene
rations. Two family records of thu
Bible-the one in Matthew reaching
from Abraham to Christ and the Other
in Luke beginning with Joseph an6
reaching back to the garden Of Eden
with the sublime statement (which
was the son Of Adam, which was the
son of God" I charge you to this duty
o. keeping the family record by the 4:
generations which are to come. It is
q good thing-the new habit abroad Of
seeking for ones pedigree. The old
family records hardly ever went back
further than the grandfather and
~H