Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1899-12-27


"PontifeN Maximus," the other title
of the emperor, and then came the
overwhelming answer of Christ:
Render 10 Caesar the things that
are Caesars aud 10 God the things
that are Gods" Magnetic and cpl
grammatic this inspired peasant!
Useless attempts he declares as
pearls cast before swine;" unimpor-
tant results He describes rs the at
tempt 10 gather figs of thiStles."
AlleSories, Why, the parallels are
all allegorics, and how lie flung them
out upon His audiences. whole arm
fuls of amethysts and emeralds and
diamonds and rubics,
But we must not only look ut Him
from worldly standpoint. How He
smote whirlwinds into silence. and
made the waves of the sea lie down.
and opened doors of light into the
midnight of those who had been born
blind. and turned deaf ears into gal
lerics of music. and with one touch
made the scabs OF iucurahle leprosy
fall oil. and renewed healthy circula-
ton through scvcrest paralysis. and
made the dead girl wakcn aud ask
for her mother. ard at His crucilix-
ion pulled down the clouds until az
- o'clock at noon IL was rs dark
as - o'clock ut night. and started
an influence that will 60 on until
the last desert will grow roses. and
the last ease of pareSis take hcaithru
brain, and the last illness become
rubicund of cheek and robust OF chest
and bounding Of foot. anil the last
pauper will get his palace. and the
last sinner taken unto the warm
bosom Of Il pardoning God. Where
| did all this start? In t:nit cradle
within sound of blcating sheep aud
believing cattle and amid rough ban
tcring of herdsmcn and camel driv-
crs. What low place To start for
such great heights, O artists, turn
your camera obscurn on that village
OF Bethlehem! Take it MI in-the
wintry skies lowering. the flocks shis-
| ering in the chill air. Mary. the pale
mother. and Jesus. the child. No
wonder that Paul Neroncsc and Cuyp
and Rubens and Tintorctto and Cor
| reggie and Perugino and Ghirlanda 10
and Raphael put their best pencils in
| that scene. Lord God, by Thy gra-
cious spirit, fix that Madonna in all
! our souls! so these thoughts come in
! upon us at this gladdest part OF the
! year.
! Swing softly. bells on Christmas morn.
Wake not the King OF Glory!
| Swing soft and swift across the snow
The old Judean story.
So have shown you the shadows and
! the sunshine Of that Christie cradle Of
| bethlehem. In these Christian times
! realize that there are many cradles UNI
! der shadows. Oh, the story of empty
! cradles all up and down the earth. in
| cabins and in palaces! There are stand
! ing IN garrets or in storcrooms cradles
! that Will never rock again. Rachel
mourning for her children and will rot
be comforted because they are not -
But through all the shadows break
! CLEANS of sunshine, as the clouds Of the
Christie cradle were cleft by glorious
! light. Escaped from the struggles
through which we have all passed and
must yet pass. those little ones took
Heaven at one bound. Instead Of an
earthly career it is Il Heavenly career.
| with capacities. with vclocities. with
/ opportunities beyond our comprehen-
sion. Instead OF celebrating ON earth
the SGviour's birth they stand i'm the
Saviour's presence. Instead Of the hol-
iday celebrations Of the old homestead
II is 80 them eternal jubilee AZ table
where the angels of God are The cup
| bearers and amid festivities that re-
sound with laughter and music
ard blaze with brilliance and n glory
that eye hath not seen nor ear heard :"
NO use in wishing them merry Christ
mas, for the merriments Of Heaven ring
out upon them from temples that are
always open. amid pleasures that never
die. Oh. il is not a dull Heaven. but
n lively Heaven. for there are so many
children there! They ;broug the
streets; thcy look out Of the House of
Many Mansions;" they stand on the
beach 10 see the fleets cast anchor with
in the vale; they crowd the pates With
! greetings when the old folks come in:
they clap tbcir hands in an eternal
giadrcss; they dance ~ nm eternal rlce.
See You not the sunshine that pours
into thc shadows OF that cradle until
they are all gone?
But shadows have their uses. There
must be "a background 10 every GOOD
picture. Turner always put AZ least
one flock of clouds on his canvas. and
the clouds Of earth will be- the back
ground 10 bring ont more nightly the
brightness Of Heaven. And will il not
be glorious If after all this scene Of
earthly vicissiiudc we meet again in
our Fathers house and talk over the
/ past in an everlasting holiday But
meanwhile look ont for The cradles.
How much they decide for This world
and The next! When Wellington was
born at Morningtop. England. that de-
cldtd Waterloo and saved Europe.
when Handel was born in Dale. sax
ouy. ihat decided the oratorios Of ''Ju.
das MaccabacuS" and Esther" anG
l ~ Israel ig I'ut-Uf"' urT st Ion I.t 90 md