The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-01-06
JOYS or CHRISTMAS.
What the Holy Babes Escape Means
to Humanity.
Aa Eioaurat iiniiiay sermon by Dr,
1sImaae FROM the Lessons OF
Iicsod's Efforts to Destroy
the Christ Giild.
--tCopyrlgbt.

Washington, -tcopyrlgbt.
Ia II most unusual way u scene con-
nre,ed with the nativity is emphasized
rs DR.. Talmage in this Christmas dis
s.antsc; text, Matthew =, i3: "Herod
vail seek the young child TO destroy
him The cradle Of the infant Jesus
had no rockers, for 1t wRs not 10 he
suptbed by osciiIating motion, as are
the cradles Of other princes, II had no
t.anopy, for II was not 10 be lowered
over BY anything so exquisite. ii had
no embroidered pillow. for the young
head WA not TO have such luxurious
~amfprt. Though a msteor~~ordlnhrily
the most giraffe and seemingly ungov-
crnabic Of all skyey appearances~~had
secn sent TO designate the place where
shat cradle stood and n choir had been
scus from the heavenly temple to sere-
Hasie IT'S illustrious occupant with an
epic, yet that cradle was the target for
all earthly and diabolical hostilities.
ib,eed | give you ms my opinion that
IL was the nnrrowest aud most wonder
full escape of the ages that the child
IVES not slain before he had taken his
first step or spoken his first word, Her
s4i could not afford TO have him born.
The Caesars could not afford to have
nim born. The gigantic expressions
and abomlnaiions " the world could
uet afford to have him born,
The lierod who led the attack was
treachery, vengeance and scnsualitS
inpcrsonatcd. AS n sort Of pastlme he
s,!sw HSrcanus, the grandfather OF hts
uifr. Then be slew Marianne, his wife.
Then he hutchcred her two sons, Alex
snter and Atisiobulus. Then he slew
Antipa,er, his oldest sou Then he or
s,ere,i burned alive ~ people who had
l.nilca down the eagle Of his authority.
Vic ordered the mobiles who had attend.
I'D upon his dying bed to be slain, so
that there might be universal mourning
nfter his decense. From that same
sieathbed he ordered the slaughter Of
alithc children In Bethlehem under two
years Of age, feeling sure that il he
massncred the entire infnntile popula-
tiHn that would include the destruction
ct the child whose birthplace astron-
had pointed ont with its finger OF
What were the slaughtered babes
10 him. and us many frenzled and be-
mothers? If he had been well
enough to leave his bed, he would have
enjoyed seeing the mothers wildly
struggling TO keep their babes, and
holding them so tightly that they could
no, be separated until the sword took
both lives ut one stroke, and others.
smother and child, hurled from roofs u
into the street until that village
ot horseshoe shape on tha hillside be-
one great butcher shop, TO have
treh n iuau. with associates Just as
and M army ut his command, at
: empting The lite OF the infant Jesus.
does there seem ans chance for Ills es-
Then that tight southwark for
80 s1any miles, across deserts and amid
aud Wild beasts (my friend, the
ate missionary and scientist DR.. Lam
,irg, who took the same journey, said
4 MAS enough TO kill both the Madonna
md tAc Child, and poor residence in
afro, Eg, pit, You know how difficult
. Is to take an ordinary child success
'uily through the disorders that are
,urc to assail II even in comfortable
and with all delicate ministries.
md then think of the exposure OF that
babe III villages aud lands
where all sanitary laws were put ut de-
His first hours on earth spent
u a room without any doors, aud oft
ines swept by chilled night winds;
hen aitcrward riding many days un.
Ter hot tropical sun, and part of many
lest the avcnger oyertakc the
might've before he could be hidden in
mother landl
'Ibc snnhedrin also were alrontcd at
he report Of this M Mysterious arrived
" a child that might upset all conven.
and threaten the throne Of
he nation. "Shut the door and bolt II
nd double bar it against him." cried
~ political and ecclesiastical power.
'hrist on a retreat when only a few
lays OF age, with all the privations and
,ardsnips and suffcrings Of retreat!
When the glad news came that Hcrod
vas dead. and the Madonna was pack.
ny up and taking her Child home, bad
'ews also came, that Archclaus. the
on. had taken the throae--another
infamy. What chance for the
HE? win not some short grave
Io'd the won1rous infant" |,
''rut him TO DEATH" was the order all !.
and down Palestine, and all up aud I,
the desert between Bethlehem and :
afro. The cry was: Here an !
Of all established order!
'sre comes an aspirant for the crown ]
Z Augustus! II found on the streets
i Bethlehem. dash him to death on the |
,vsment. II found on a hill. hurl him !
the rnelsi Avnv with hI,pf" l