Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-28
A CHRISTMAS SERMON
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW ON THE
CRADLE OF THE SAVIOUR.
DR.. TalmnEe Tells In n New and In
tercstina Way the story of the In
csrnstiop-Practicsl Uses of ReIi-
gious Festival Days.
Copyright. Louis Klopsch. 1891

gtous Festival Days.
copyright Louis Klopsch, 1897
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2I.--The story OF
the incarnation is here told by DR.. Tai
mage in n new way and practical use
is made of these days of festivity; text,
Matthew !, II, $50 all the generatieas
from &Araham to David are IA genera
tons, and from David until the carrying
away into Babylon are IA generations,
and from the carrying away into Babylon
unto Christ are Ii generations"
From what many consider the dullest
and most unimportant chapter of the
New Testament / take my text and find
II 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 apostle
Lefty enter. Three times Ia generations
are spoken Of in my text-that is, AZ
generations, reaching down to Christ.
They all had relation to him. And at
least AZ generations past affect us. II
they were good, we feel the result Of the
goodness. If they were bad, we feel the
result of their wickedncss. If some were
good and some were bad, it is an inter
mingling influence that puts its mighty
hand upon us. And as we feel the effect
Of at least AZ generations 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. No
tce among the shadows on that infants
led that there was here and there
)pecimen of dissolute ancestry. Beauti-
ul Ruth his auccstress? Oh. yes! De
vout Asa one of his forefathers? Oh,
yes' Honest Joseph his father? oh.
yes. Holy Mary his mother? Oh, yes.
But in that genealogical table were
idoatrous and cruel Ammon and op-
pressive Rehoboam and some men whose
abominations may not be particularized.
So you see bad men may have good de-
scendants. One of the most consecratcd
men | ever knew was the son of man
who lived and died blasphemer. In the
line Of ar oppressive Rehohoam comes
gracious and merciful and glorious
Christ. Great encouragement for those
who had in the A. generations that pre-
ceded them, however close by or how
ever far back, some instances of PERM
cious and bnleful 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 orig
irglly settled by honest men and good
womro. Some who are now on judicial
benches in Australia and in high gov
ornamental position and in learned and
useful professions and leaders in social
life are the grqndSons and granddaugh-
tiers ot men and women who were ex-
lied from Great Britain to Australia for
arson ard theft and assault and fraud
and murder. SO you see it is possible for
the descendants Of those who do wrong
to do risht. Perhaps we make too much
OF the doctrine OF her day. While those
Of us vino can gratefully turn in our fam
lily recor,' to heathful and viituous pedi-
gree Let not those who have had abhor
rent natures in the ancestral line despair
of usefulness and happiness and heaven.
We should BE Lenicnt.
Since we are all moro or less affected
by our ancestry we ought to be patient
with those who go wrong, remembering
that they may be the victims of unhappy
antecedents. How lcnient it ought to make
US in our judgments of the fallen, Per
haps they had ~ generations back of
them pushing them the wrong way. Five
hundred years before they were born
there may have been parentage of in
;c,,itv o,,rran+ed h., y corrunt narcntoee
300 years ago. DO not blame Il man be-
oor., ba cannot swim nm tho ronids of
Ni,oor. 10 NOT Name - shin cantain
ho,n,,so bo oo,,ro+ ontri5o a roriIih,,r
,,,bir,,.i,d Tho fotbor ~ th;s mon ubo
doas wrong NAV baye bean all ricbt and
Lis r,otbor oil r;,ht I'M ,,.o, Locl, In
,ho oar+,,r;or ,Lo.o ,,,or bo,a e,n,.tod -
had nraua,,sitr ,,I,iol, ~ a,,. f''ots ~
90 tbn no, commandments o;,,or an
Mount S;noi rocorniyos tLo foo+ tbo. OWL
nav sLJn a connrotio, whom tha oorn-
mondrnan+ snools ~ ,.;s;tir, ,tbo IN.
;ou;,, 80 ,ba fathors mon a.. ob;Idnan
INTO tho tbird AND fourth ao,orotio, y
h,t sors notIir, oho,,t tha sacou1 e,.n.
aro.io,,. ond ;f n7,u n,o,. sl,i, o,o ',orora-
zion wv va, +,,, ,,,d bror oro r,,,, ava
e. oonoro.io,,, ,,nI,inr, - n,i,rh.r laa,,
and aI:ybting very hard nnon ma bood
ond tbo honrt 90 eo,no ,,oor riotin,S pa,.
tn. no q Iittio r,o,oiful to,rord tha orIn,;t
last oftor avhiIo ea,no horaditary i,,iI
hor, In tbo roor 1000 or zoo Eo,.inn
sI.;nnaa ''o on.,I,;oo auaht ;,,st rs
hanr, n,o,' o,'
Mo,,,,L. l.a nas,u,. ,.,, ta,.,u,
ranords Tbo oIb rI,oa f.r tha fa,aii'
rooord j., ~ mi Iat,,.o,,, ,l,n ola ,,1
NJ Tas+an,ants l. VAST ar,nralr;a+1 -.