The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1899-12-28
REV. Or. TaLMAGE.
THE EMINENT DIvINE's SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.
Subject; Cradle OF Chrisi-Shadows and
Sunshine on That Lowly Bed-The
Story OF the Incarnation Told in u
New Wnx.-Uaea of the Festival.

WASHINGTON, d. C.-.The story OF the in.
carnation Is here told by Dr.. Talmnge In n
new wny, and practical use is made oI
these days OF festlvity; text, Matthew. H.
II, 80 all the generations from Abraham,
to David nre fourteen generations, and
from David until the carrying away into
Babylon are fourteen generations, and
from the carrying away into Babylon unto
Christ are fourteen generations"
From what many consider the dullest
and most unlmportant chapter OF the New
Testament take my text and lind Ii full
OF practical startling and eternal inter.
est. The chapter is the front door Of tho
New Testament, through which all the
splendors OF evangelism and apostollcity
enter. Three times fourteen generations
are spoken OF in my teyt-that IL, forty.
two ogencrations--reachin down to Christ,
They nj! had relation TO Him, and at least
forty-two generations past affect us. II
they were good we feel the result OF the
goodness. III they were bad VIC feel thu
result OF their wickudncss II some were
good and some were bad, 1t is nm inter
mingling influence that puts it's mighty
hand upon ns. And rs we feel the effect o.
ut least forty-two generations past we will
in turn influence vt least foriy-two gener
HtiCns to come. II the world shall last q
thousand years. SO, you see, tho cradle
is more important than the grave.
l propose to show You some of the shad
OWA upon tue OHIlNtlc cTuule oil Betnlenem
ana then the sunshine that poured In upor
the pillow OF straw. Notice among the
shadows on that Infants bed that there
was here and there Il specimen OF dissoluts
ancestry. Beautiful Ruth His ancestressi
Oh, yesl Devout Asa one OF His forefnthers'
Oh, ypsl Honest Joseph His father? Oh,
yes Holy Mary His Mother? Oh YES
But In that genealogical table were idol
atrous and cruel Ammon and oppressive
Rehoboam and some men whose abomina.
tions inny not be particulnrized SO you
see bad men may have good descendants.
One OF the most consecrated men eyeI
knew was the son OF n man who lived aud
died blasphemer. In the line OF nm op.
pressivo Rehoboam comes II gracious and
merciful and glorious Christ. Great on.
| couragemant for those who had in the
forty-twO generations that preceded them
however close by or however lar back
some instances OF pernicious and balefui
and corrupt ancestry.
10 my nmazement, found in those parts
| OF Australia to which many years ago fel.
ons were transported from England thni
| tho percentage OF crime was less than In
those parts or Australia originally settled
| by honest men and good women. Some
| who ARE now on judicial benches in Austria.
| lia and In high governmental positions
aud In learned and useful professions, and
leaders In social life, nrc the grandsons and
| granddaughters OF men and women who
| were eXiled from Great Britain to Austria.
| lin for arson and theft and assault and
| fraud and murder. so you see 1t is posi-.
| bio for the descendants of those who do
| wrong to do right.
Meanwhile keep carefully your family
| records. The old place for the family
record in the Bible, between the Old and
| New Testaments, is u most appropriate
| place. Tint record, put In such impres.
sive surroundings OF chapter, bounded on
one side by the prophecies of Malachi and
| on the other side by the Gospel oil
Matthew, will receive stress and sanctity
from its position. That record is appro.
prlately bound up with the eternities. Dc
not simply say in your family record
| "Born mt such a time aud died at such d
time," but II there has been among your
ancestors some man or woman especially
consecrated and useful make Il note of II
| for the encouragement of the following
| generations. Two family records of the
Bible-the ono in Matthew reaching from
| Abraham to Christ and the one In Luke
beginning with Joseph and reaching bach
| to the Garden of Eden--with the sublime
statement (which was the son OF Adam
| which was the Son of God" L charge you
to this duty Of keeping the family RECORD
by the forty-two generations which art
| past and the forty-two generations whcl
are to come. 1t Is n good thing-the new
| habit abroad OF seeking for ones pedigree
| Another shadow on the Christie cradl,
was that 1t stood under a depraved king
| Herod was ut that time ruler and the C ON
| plete impersonation OF all, depravities.
was an unfavorable time for innocencetC e
| expect good treatment. SO dark was tn,
shadow dropping on the cradle from tha
iniquitous throne that tue peasant mother
had to lift her babe out OF 1t and max,
hasty flight. Depraved habits OF those Ii
, authority are apt to be copied by subjects
| and from tha i'm m Ornla nj IA
throne judge OF the immorals OF u nation
| There was Il malaria of sin In the air whei
tho infant Christ first breathed 1t. Thickes
shawl could not keep the Babe warm wnei
In that wintry month with His mother n,
became fugitive.
Historians say that 1t was ut a time o
peace that Christ was born, but His birtl
aroused an antagonism Of which the Bet h
lehem massacre was only IL feeble eypres
sion. War OF the mightiest nation OF th
earth opened against that cradel The in
| fluenco that came forth that night from
that surrounding OF camels and sheep nm,
oxen challenged the iniquities OF all TIN
centuries and will not cease until 1t ha
destroyed them. What pronunclamentt
went forth from that black and barbarian
throne, practically saying, "Say all th
babes under two years of age, and tina
wide slaughter will surely include tn
death OF the one child that most threaten
occupant OF that cradle II He escape tn
knife of the assassin, then the wild beast
paw or the bandits clutch or the mijngh
chill between Bethlehem of Judma an,
Cairo, Egypt, will secure His destruction
All the powers OF earth and all the demon
OF hell bombarded that cradle.
Another shadow upon that Christi
cradle was the obscurlty OF the place o
birth. Bethlehem was an obscure village
David, tho shepherd boy, had been borl
there, but after he became general an
king he gave 1t no Significance, thin
never mentioning 1t but to ask for II drln
OF water out OF the old we'll to which H.
used to go In chlldhood-the village s.
small and uninp that 1t had to b
separated IN mind from another Bethlehem
then existing, and so was called Bethlehem
OF Judea. There was u great capital o
Jerusalem; there were tho fifteen boauti
ful cities on the beach OF GAllee, any o
them II good place to be born in; ther
were great towns famous Mt that time, bu
the nativity wo to-day celebrate was in
village which Christ intmated had bee
called by some 'the least among til
princes OF Juda." Christ Himself was /
make tho town famous for ali tlmo and al
eternity.
men ana women OF Messlanlc oppor
tunity, why do you not make the place o
your nativity memorable for your phllan
thropies-by the churches you build, tn
free Libraries you open, the colleges yo
endow? Go back 10 the village where yo
were born, as George Peabody went bac
to Danvers Mass, and with your wealt
bless the neighborhood where in chlldhoo
| you played and near by where your fathe
and mother sleep tho last sleep. There ar