The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-10
DIR. TALMAGES SERMON
SUNDAYS DISCOURSE BY THE NOTED
DIVINE.
Subject: Cradle of Clrjst-Shadows and
Sunshine on That Lowly Bed-The
Story OF the Incarnation Told in a
New Way-Uses OF the Featival

Subject: Cradle of CIirist-Shadows and
Sunshine on That Lowly Bed-The
Story OF the Incarnation Told in a
New Way-Uses OF the Festival.
ICopyrgh. Louis Klopsch 1897
WASHINGTON, D. C.-The story OF the In
carnation is here told by Dr.. Talmaco in n
new way, and practical use Is made OF
these days OF festivity; text. Matthew, l.,
II, $50 all the generations from Abraham
TO David are fourteen generations, and
from David until the carrying away into
Babylon are fourteen generations, and
from the carrying away into Babylon unto
Christ are fourteen generations"
From what many consider the dullest
and most unimportant chapter o. the New
Testament I take my text and find 1t full
of practical, startling and eternal inter-
est. The chapter Is the front door OF tho
New Testament, through which all the
splendors OF evangelism and apostolicity
enter. Three times fourteen generations
are spoken OF In my text-that is, forty
two generations-reachiRg down to Christ.
they al! had relation to Him, and Mt least
iorty-two generations past affect us. II
they were good. We feel the result OF the
goodness. It they were bad. we feel the
result OF their wlckedness. n some were
good and some were bad, 1t is an inter-
mingltng influence that puts its mighty
hand upon us. And as VIC feel the effect OF
at leastforty-two generations past we will
In turn IN huence at least forty,two gener-
atlons toscome, il the world shall last q
thousandsyears. SO, you see, tho cradle
Is more important than the grave.
q propose to show you some OF the shad-
3ows upon the Christie cradle OF Bethlehem
aud then the sunshine that poured in upon
the pillow OF straw. Notice among the
shadows on that Infants bed that there
was here and there specimen OF dissolute
ancestry. Beautiful Ruth His apcestress?
Oh, yesi Devout Asn one OF His forefathcrs?
Oh. yesi Honest Joseph His father? Oh,
yea! Holy Mary His Mother? Oh, yesl
But in that genealogical table were idol
atrous and cruel Ammon aud oppressive
Rehoboam and some men whose abomina-
stfons may not be particularized. So you
zee bad men may have good descendants.
One Of the most consecrated men ever
knew was the son OF man who lived and
died blasphemer. In the line OF an op-
pressives sRehoboam comes gracious and
mercifui$a and glorious Christ. Greaksehs
couragementff for those who hadSsfh tl6
forty-two generations that preceded them,
However close by or 3howeyer2 far back,
nDd corrupt ancestry. ~ tbE IN
To my amazement, found nthoseparts
sof Australia to which many year, 10 fei.
IONS we're transported from EnRlaf that
fthe pereentagS of crime was les9 In
those parts OF AustrSlth original Ily $sttied
by ho1sst mem md goodtwomen.Y Some
who ltehoy sd judicial benchesi In Austria.
n&Huds I'M high goyetnm entail positions.
sand IN learned and useful professions, and
leaders in social Iife, ,are the gran dsons and
anddaughters ofsmen and women who
were exiled from Great Britain to Au11ra-
lia for arson and theft and assault and
fraud and murder. So you see 1t Is posi-
BILE 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 most appropriate
place. Tint record, put In such impress
sivs' 'surroundingsEot chapter, bounded on
one SIDE by the prophecies OF Malachi, and
Matthew, will receive stress and sanctity
fromjts position. That record Is appro-
priately bou ndup with the eternities. Do
mot Simply say in your family record,
"Borh atf such nStime and died at such q
time,n but IL there has been among your
ancestors some man or woman especially
consecrated and useful make note ot: IT.
for the encouragement OF the following
seneration2 Two family records OF the
Bible-tt6 6or4 "a Matthew reaching from
Abraham Christ and afhe pnfh Luke
beeinn4n 11th oseph add read hack
to- the Gard "a Of Bden- with g ~ liine
statement w fSh was the son lam,
wbiGhSwas thsBon of, God" I chaz8 you
totHis dutyf keeping the family record
by the, ,y6StSatH0sagenerations whtchs are
past and sthS no easEat Ions which
are tocome. LIZ eosz the new
Another SHADOW on the 4tac cradle
w,Stbat 1t stood nnder ID king.
Herod was at that time ruler 6n c5nl-
plete fmpersonation OF oil dap6o ts. It
was m unfavorable time forssfh nee to
expect good treatment. So 8HH hs the
shadow dropping:on the cradle In that
iniqutous throne that the pesffA Hother
had to lift her babe ont OF make
hasty fight. Depraved hsbits Qose In
authority are apt tc>Ss copieq cots.
and froo, s-snes sfhfrn orats OF nSe1sc
thrass Judge of the immoral ation.
rh3fSswas n malaria OF sin inHH HIr when
thginfnnt Christ first breathee; ckest
sh;iwl could no. keep the Bab4 rm when
in That wintry month with Qther he
bedame fugitive.
Historians say that 1t wns time OF
pen ce that Christ was born. bqfHis birth
arohsed m 'antagonism otwh9cn.the beth
lelam massacre wus only a i5eeble. expires
sion. War OF the mi9htiests nation OF the
earth o Seped against that cradle! Thetn-
5Sifapea that came forth that night from
stEnr sdrrouh dig or camels and sheep and
oxe4S p nItehx8 the iniduities OF oil the
Rios and Will not Gease until u has
destfS8ed them. enanciamento
wont forth from fhnt 5ksk and barbarian
tfSrnnc, practically saying, "Slay MI the
jhA6Ss under two2years OF age, and gthat
3fiez slaughter will surely include the
death or the one child that most threatens
my dominion Awful time 1t wassfor the
Occupant OF that cradlel II He escape the
knife oethe assassin, then the wildsoeast's 8
paw or the bandits clutch or the midnight
chill between Bethlehem OF Judaa and
Cairo, Egypt, will secure His destruction.
All the powers Of earth and all the demons
OF hell bombarded that cradle.
Another shadow upon that Christie
cradle was the obscurity OF the place OF
birth. Bethlehem was an obscure village.
David, tho shepherd boy, had been born
there. but after bs became general and
king he gave 1t no significance, think
never mentioning it but to ask for drink
OF water out OF the old we'll 10 which he
used to 30 in :hiIdbood-the village Sc
smalt4and uuimportant that it had to be
separatsd In mind from another Bethlehem
then existing. and so was called Bethlehem
OF JudGa. There was Il great cap:tai OF
Jerusalem: there were the fifteen beauti-
lul cities on tho beach OF Galilee, any OF
them = good place to be born in; there
were great towns famous ut THAI time. but
the nativity we to-day celebrate was III II
village which Christ intlmated hau poem
called by some "the least among tne
princes OF Juda." Christ Himself was to
make the own famous for all time and all
eternity.
O men and women Of Iessianic oppor.
tunity why do you not make the place OF
your nativity memorable for your philan-
ihronies-hx tha churches yoe build. tho