The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-10


taxation. Besides that, these two humble
folk had nothing to tax. The mans tur-
| ban that protected his head from the sun
was not worth taxing; the woman's sandals
| which kept her feet from being cut by the
| limestone rock, OF which Bethlehem is
! mostly made up, were not worth taxing;
| No; the fact Is that a proclamation had
been made by the emperor that all the peo-
pie between Great Britain and Parthia and
Of those lands included should go to some
appointed place and give their name. In,
| be registered and announce their loyalty TO
| the Roman emp ror. e
They had walked eighty miles over
rough rond to give their names and take
the oath of allegiance. Would we walks
eighty miles to announce our allegiance to-
| our king, one Jesus9 Cesar Augustus
| wanted to know by the record on which
that man and that woman wrote their
names OF had them written, just how many
people In his empire he could depend on IN
| case OF e1i2eucy. How many men wouid
unsheathe sword for the Roman eagle and
how many women could be depended onto
| The trouble is that In the kingdom OK
| Christ we do not know how many can ps-
| depended on. There are so many men and
| women who never give Ia their Names.
| They serve the Lord on the sly. They do
not announce their allegiance to the king
| who, In the battles to come, will want
| all His tps. In all cur 'churcbes'
| pies, so many one-third espousers.
| They rather think the Bible Is true, at any
rate parts OF it, and they hope that some-.
how Christianity will disenthrall the ma
tons. They stay away from church on
communion daystand hope when they nave
lived rs long MS they can In this world they
can somehow sneak into heaven. On, give
In your names! Be eregistered on tho cnHreh
record down here and in the Lambs BOOK
OF Life up there. Let all the world know
where you stand, II you have to so as far
as Joseph and Mary walked, II you have 20
90 eighty miles before you find just ther
right form OF worship and just the rights
creed. re
Another CLEAN OF sunshine striking
through the shadows above that Christie
cradle was the fact OF special DIVIDE
protection. Herod was determined upon
the child's destruction. The monster put
all his wits together In stratagem for the
stopping OF that yoIng life JUST started
He dramatized piety; he suddenly got re
ligious; he would leave his palace and take
chariot and have steeds whipped up, SO
that he could kneel at that cradle. we
have to smile at what the imperial villain
said when he ordered, go and seareh
diligently for the young Child, and Wuen
We iaye found Him bring me word, that
NAV 20 and worship Him also." Dores
picture of tho Massacre OF the lnnocents
at Herod's command-a picture full OF
children hurled over walls and dashed
axninst streets aud writhing under assas:
IldH foot szplyes US llttlo impression OF
the aanneT in which Herod would have
traafs dStflS real Child II he could have
once 66f ills hands'son It. But Herob
could mot find that, cradle. All
the detBstzyes he sent out failed
IN the s$earch. Yet 1t had been
pointed S1t by flashlight from the
mtaRieht heavens. Ali the eIeighborhood
kn6Ss snbout H. The e,angelic chorus In the
clo5 had called musical attention to It.
Nos86tinel 9udrded It with drawn sword,
passing up and down by the pillow OF tbae
Bethlehem carayansary. Why, then, was
1t that the cradle was not despotled OF its
treasurer. Because 1t was dfvinely pro-
tected. There were wings lowering thas
mortal eye could not see; there were armed
immortals whose bran dfshetswoFa mortal
eye could not follow; there were chariots-
OF the omnipotent the rumble OF WHOSE
wheels only supernaturals conld hear. GOO
had started through the cradle to save our
world, and nothing could stop Him. J
You cannot reasonably account for thar
uphurt cradle except ON the theory OK q
special, divine protection. And most
cradles are likewise defended. Can you,
understand why SO many children, with az
the epidemies that assault them, and al
their climbing to dangerous heights, and,
|1aIl their perilous experiments with expo.
sives and their running against horses
hoofs, and daring OF strolleys and carts fass
sriven, vet somehow get through, especi-
E.fy boys OF high spirit and that are going
to amount to much? account for their
coming through all right, with only few
wounds and bruises, by the fact that they
ure divinely protected. All your charges
oiaD ont do this" and "Dont do that"
and ID on,s;go there seem to amount 10
lures about whom you are conctantly aDx-
ious and wo9deri6R what is the matter
now. DiyinelY pfoteoted! ~
ES6nether gleama6f light, scattering some Z
| at Che gloom 06 that Christie pillow IN
I B&klilehe hemsswap the fact that It was the
s4Sftiag ps ess8f the most wonderful OF all
| careers. Eooking sat Christ's life from
mere worldly standpoints twas amazing
beyond all capacity OF pen or tongue or
canvas to express. Without taking n years.
curriculum IN any college or even y day az
any school, yet saying things lint the
migs$test fnteifects OF subsequent days
have qnossS ard tried to expoundl Great
Yiterasg worksss&;Gs & !. a ess.ss-1 part oeea1
the result Of muen selaboratton.s Edmund
against Warren Hastings sixteen times.
Lord Brougham rewrote his speech 10 be-
hall Of Queen Caroline twenty times. bnt ],
the sermon on the mount seemed extem-.l
pora1eous. "a Christ was eloquent without
ever hayipg studied one OF the 'fnMs OF ora. I
tory 3s was the greatest orator thateyef;
lived 1t was not an eloquence DeWQs-z
thenlc ors CIceronic or like that OF Jean
B4ptista 3fassillon or like that which Wfff-f
In Vfrks N n
come With in log cabin meeting house Of
Virginia, when the blind preacher ei5eo.
out In Ills sermon, Socrates died ]fkeya
philosopher, but Jesus Christ died lIq y
God" Ss{sft 81
But we must not only look at Him4tbm az
worldly standpoint. How BE smote whfrl.y
winds into silence, and made tbe 8ayes OF
the sea lie down, and openedst doors OK
light into the midnight OF thoFAs who had
been born blind, and turned dedt ears into
galleries OF music, and With one touch
made the scabs OF incufable leprosy fasI
off, and renewed henlthy circulation;
through seyerest paralysis, and made thsf
dead girlwaken and ask for her mother
and at His crucif1xion pulled down the
clouds, until ut IL o'clock at noon it was as
dark as ut ~ O'clock ut night, and starting
IN influence tlIat will so on until the Inst
desert will grow roses and the last weak
lung make full Inhalation, and the last
case Of paresiS take healthful BRAIN antE
/ the last illness become rublcund OF cheek
and robust OF chest and bounding OF foot,s
and the last pauper will get his palace
and the last sinner taken into the warm
bosom OF Il pardoning God! Were did ait
this start? In that cradle with sounds OF
beating sheep and believing cattle and
amid rough banterinS of herdsnen an,s5.
came! drivers. What u low place to start
for such great heights! o artists, turn
your camera obscura on that village OF
Bethlehem! Take it all in-the wlntry skies Z