The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-12-29
that the star pointed to the place of ma
A CLEAN OF SUNSHINE.

4
tivity.
A CLEAN OF SUNSHINE.
! Another CLEAN of sunshine striking
through the shadows abov that Chris
tic cradle was the fact of a special d.
vine protection. Herod was determined
upon the child's destruction. The
monster put all his wits together in
stratagem for the stopping OF that
young life Just started. He dramatized
piety. He would leave his palace and
take chariot and nave steeds whipped
up so that he could kneel at that era
die. We have to smile at what the i'm
perial william said when he ordered, CT
and search diligently for the young
child. and when you have found him
bring me word, that i may go and wor-
ship him also"
Dore's picture of the Massacre OF
the Innocents'' at Herod's command, a
picture full of children hurled over
walls and dashed against streets and
writhing under assassin's foot, gives
us > tile imp ession of the manner in
which Herod would have treated the
real child If he could Once have got his
hand on IT But Herod could not find
that cradle. All the detectives he sent
out failed in the search. Yet it had
been pointed out by fashlight from the
midnight heavens. All the neigh
borhood knew about it. The angelic
chorus in the cloud had called musical
attention to it. No sentinel guarded IL
with drawn sword, passing up and
down by the pillow Of that Bethlehem
caravansary. Why, then, was it that
the cradle was not despoiled of its trea-
sure? Because it was divineiy protec-
ted. Ther were wings hov7-'-- rat
mortal eye could not see. There We're
armed immortals whose b~randished
sword mortal eye could not follow.
There were chariots of the omliTotent,
the tumble of whose wheels only sup
ernaturals could hear. God had start
ID through the cradle to save our world,
and nothing could stop him.
You cannot reasonably account for
that urhurt cradle except on the theory
of a special divine protection. And
most cradles are likewise defended.
Can you understand why 50 many
children, with all the epidemics that
assail them and all their climbing to
dangerous heights and all their perilous
experiments with explosives and their
running against horses hoofs and dar-
ing of trolleys and carts was driven yet
somehow get through, especially boys
of high spirit and that are going to
amount to much? I account for their
coming through all night, with only a
few wounds and bruises, by 1.-THE fact
that they are divine1y protected. All
your charges of Don't do this" and
Don't do that and Don't go there
seem to amount to nothing. They. are
the same reckless. creatures about
whom you are constantly anxious and
wondering what is the matter now.
Divinely protected! The most Of your
children would rave been dead long ago
but for that.
They go through more perils N
fall from more heights and u1n into
~,,~ rrifI y,nrsn lnHI II
enZas and endure more earacheS and
suffer with more fevers and get through
not permanently damaged. How many
children go through all the accidents OF
childhood without an eye dlmmed or a
limb fractured or. "a. finger brOken
Every healthy boy is a miracle of divine
protection. Be thankful, all parents,
that it is so and trust your darlings' un-
der what the book of Ruth calls the
'wings OF the Almighty" Nearly all
cradles pass under six old fashioned
ailments. 1t always has been so. They
may be called by different names, but
we all had them, and We got through,
and yours, I hope will get through.
Young mothers, be not
Through the clouds OF invalidism how
ering over your cradles catch a little OF
this sunshine Of consolation.
THE STARTING PLACE.
Another CLEAN OF light scattering
some Of the gloom of that Christie pill
low in Bethlehem was the fact that it
was the starting place of the most Won
derful Of al careers. Looking at
Christ's life from merely worldly
s~tandpoints, it was amazing beyond all
capacity of pen or tongue or canvas 10
express. Without taking a years cur
riculum in any college, or even a day
at amy school, vt saying things thal
H. ~oicbt;o~t int of cuhSQn1lpnt
days have quoted and tried to expound.
Great literary works have for the most
part been the result of much elabora-
ton. Edmund Burke rewrote the con-
clusion of his speech against Warren
Hastings 16 times. Lord Brougham re-
wrote his speech in behalf or queen
Caroline 20 times, but the sermon on
|. Christ was eloquent without even hav-
ing studied one OF the laws OF oratory.
, He was the greatest orator that ever
t lived. It was not an ~eloQuence DOmos-
: thenic or Ciceronic or 4 that OF Jean
Baptiste MaSsillon Or like that which
: Wflliam Writ, himself a great orator,
was overcome with in bog cabin meet
ing houses of Virginia when the blind
preacher cried out in his sermon, so
crates died like a philosopher, but Jesus
t Christ died like a God"
> Christ's oratory was unlike anything
that went before OF came after. Even
the criticism of the world said, Never
man spake like this man." Dramatic?
Why, he took up a child out OF the au-
dience and set him on a table and by
the embarrassed ook of h child
taught humility. He sent the prosecu-
| tors of a poor, sinful woman, blushing
and COMPOUNDED, out OF the room by
one sentence of sarcasm. Notice his
power of emphasis and enunciation
when he revealed himself after his
resurrection by the peculiar way Tx
pronounced the one word Mary" His
power of look shown by the way Peter,
the great apostle, wilted under it. The
7 DOC "a "The Lord turned and looked
pon Peter" 1t was an omnipotent
facial expression. He ooked upon
Peter. Power of distinct u~tteTances, so
that every one could hear H opened
his mouth, saying" No mumbling and
indistinct u~tterance. He opened his
mouth. His voice, which had been de-
welcomed nv OMEN Ain Speakinp was a