The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-02-24
rcopyrisht. Louis Kiopsch. isas.

tCopyright, Louis Kiopsch. fsaa.l
WASHINGTON, u. C.-The story OF the In
sarnation Is here told by DR.. Talmaga in a
,ew way, and practical use u made OF
these days OF festivity; text, Matthew, l.,
", $50 all the generations from Abraham
20 David ARD 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 dultest
and most unimportant chapter OF the New
Testament take my text and and 1t full
IL practical, startling and eternal inter-
sst. The chapter IL the front door OF tho
New Testament, through which all the
,plendors OF evangelism and apostolicity
snter. Three times fourteen generations
are spoken OF In my text-thss Il. forty
:wo generations-reaching down to Christ.
they al! had relation to Him, and at least
:orty.two generations past affect ia. II
they were good. we feel the result OF the
goodness. II they were bad, we feel the
result OF theft wickedness. n some were
good and some were bad, 1t IL an inter-
ningling Influence that puts its mighty
hand Upon us: And as We feel the effect OF
1t least forty-two generations past we will
ID turn Influence at least for y-iwd gener-
atoms to come, II the world shall last d
thousand years. So, you see, the cradle
ID more important than the grave.
propose to show you some OF the shad-
ows 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 a specimen OF dissolute
ancestry. Beautiful Ruth His ancestress?
Oh, yesi Devout. Asa one OF His forefathers7
Oh, yesi Honest JOSEPH His father? Oh,
yesl Holy Mary His Mother2 Oh, yesl
But In that genealogical table were idol
atrous aud cruel Ammon and oppressive
Reboboam and some men whose abomina.
tons may not be particularized. So you
see bad men may have good descendants
One OF the most consscrated men l ever
knew was the son Of a man who lived and
died n blasphemer. In the line OF an OPP
pressive Rehoboam comes gracious and
merciful and glorious Christ. Great en-
couragemant for those who had in the
forty-two generations that preceded them,
however close by or however far back,
some instances Of pernicious and baleful
and corrupt ancestry.
To my amazement, found In those parts
of Australia to which many years ago fel.
ons were transported from England that
the percentage OF crime was less than Ia
those parts or Australia originally settled
by honest men and good women. Some
who are now on judicial benches In Austria
| liza, and In high governmental positions
and in learned and useful professions, ant
| leaders In social life, are the grandsons ant
granddaughter of men aud women who
| were exiled from Great Britain to Austria
| liza for arson and theft and assault ant
fraud and murder. So you see 1t is posi-
BILE for the descendants OF those who d.
wrong to do right.
| Meanwhile keep carefully your tamil!
records. The old place for the famil,
record In the Bible, between the Old ant
| New Testaments. IS most appropriate
place. That record, put In such impress
| sive surroundings OF chapter, bounded OF
one side by the prophecies Of Malachi ant
| on the other side by the Gospel o
Matthew, will receive stress and sanctit,
from its position. That record is appro
priately bound up with the eternities. d.
not simply say In your family record
| "Born at such time and died at such
time" but II there has been among you
ancestors some man or woman especial
consecra.ed and useful make note OF
for the encouragement OF the followln,
generations. Two family records OF tn
Bible-the one in Matthew reaching frou
Abraham to Christ and the one In LUX
beginning with Joseph and reaching bac
to the Garden of Eden-with the sublim
statement (which was the son of Alan
which was the Son OF God" I charge yo
to this duty of keeping the family recor
by the forty-two generations which ar
past and the forty-two generations while
are to come. It is good thing-the ne,
habit abroad OF seeking for ones pedigree
Another shadow on the Christie cradl
was that 1t stood under depraved king
Herod was at that time ruler and the G IN
plete impersonation OF all depravfties.
was an unfavorable time for innocence t
expect good treatment. SO dark was th
shadow dropping on the cradle from tina
!, Ubiquitous throne that the peasant mothe
had to lift her bate out OF It and max
hasty flight. Depraved habits OF those 1
authority are apt to be copied by subject!
J and from the immorals OF the Herodi
! throne Judge OF the immorals of nation
There was malaria OF sin In the air whe
the infant Christ first breathed 1t. Thicke.
. shawl could not keep the Babe warm whe
| in that wintry month with His mother b
became fugitive.
Historians say that It was at a time I
peace that Christ was born, but His brit
I aroused an antagonism VI which the Bett
lehem massacre was only feeble EXPIRE!
sion. War OF the mightiest nation OF tt
earth opened against that cradlei The Il
fuence that came forth that night fro
that surrounding Of camels and sheep an
oxen challenged the iniquities OF all II
centuries and will not cease until 1t III
destroyed them. What pronunciament
{ vent forth from that black and BARBARA
.nrone, practically saying. 'Slay all Il
babes under two years Of age, and tn,
: wide slaughter will surely Include Il
Z death OF the one child that most threaten
= nv dominion" Awful time It was for Il
occupant OF that cradle! II He escape Il
! knife OF the assassin, then the Wild beast
q paw or the bandits clutch or the mining
j chill betws.A Bethlehem OF JudBa ar
Cairo, Egypt, will secure His destructio
y OF hell bombarded that cradle.
Il Another shadow upon that Christ
a cradle was the obscurity OF the place
birth. Bethlehem was an obscure vlilag
David, the shepherd boy, had been boz
there. but after he became general al
king he gave 1t no Significance. thiI
u never mentioning 1t but to ask for drill
lof water out OF the old we'll to which
used to go In childhood-tho village
small and unimportant that 1t had to
separated in mind from another Dethlehe
then existing, and 50 was called Betblehe
Of Jud@a. There was q great capital
Jerusalem; there were the fifteen beaul
full cities on the beach OF Galilee, any
J them a good place to be born In; the
were great towns famous at that time, b
the nativity we to-day celebrate was In
village which Christ intimated had be
called by some "the least among t
princes OF Juda." Christ Himself was
rake the town famous for all time and
eternity: :
o men and women Of Messienic Opt
tunity why do you not make the place
vour nativity memorable for your phlla
thropies-by the churches you build, t
free libraries you open. the colleges y
e, endrw? 60 back to the village where y
a, we,e born, as George Peabody went ba