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


hem has its name woven In garlands ana
chanted in "Te Deums" and built In houses
Of prayer.
But it is time we see some OF the sun
shine breaking through the shadows ON
that cradle. For we must have 1ubilance
was Walter Scott's opinion when In mar.
mion" he wrote.
A Christmas gambol oft would cheer
poor mans heart through hall the year.
TWAS while the peasant and his wife we're
on visit for the purposes OF ouroilmens
that Jesus was born. The Bible trans!ators
got the wrong word when they said thar
Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehom to
be "taxed." People went no farther then to
get taxed than they do now. The effort OF
most people always has been to escape
taxation. Besides that, these two numDie
folk had nothing to tax. The mans tur'
ban that protected his head from the sun
was not worth taxtng;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 PEG.
ole bet ween Great Britain and Parthia AMI
OF those lanis included should go to some
appointed place aud give their name. 10,
be re sistered and announces their loyalty 10
the Roman emp ror.
They had walked eighty miles over
rough road to give their names aud take
the oath Of allegiance. Would We walk
eighty miles to announce our allegiance to
our king, one Jesus? Caesar Augustus
wanted to know by abe record on whica
that man and that woman wrote tneir
names or hal then written, just how many
people 10 his empire he could depend on In
case of exlgency. How many men would
uusheatlle sword for the Roman eagle ana
how many women could be depended on to
take care OF the wounded on battleneids!
The trouble Is that Ia the kingdom OF
Christ we do not know how many can be
depended on. There are so many men ana
women who never give In their names'
They serve the Lord on the sly. They DO
not announce their allegiance to the King
who, IN the battles to come, viii want
all his troops. In all our churches
there are SO many half an half disct-
They rather think the Bible is true, at any
rate parts OF it, and they hope that some-
how christianity will disenthrall the ma.
tions. They stay away from church on
| communion days and hope when they nave
lived as long as they can In this world they
| can somehow sneak into heaven. Oh, give
| in your namesi Be registered on the church
record down here aud in the Lambs Book
| OF Life up there. Let all the world know
| where you stand, II you have to go as Tar
| as Joseph aud Mary walked, II you have to
90 eighty miles before you fiEd just the
fight form OF worship and just the right
| creed.
| Another CLEAN OF sunshine striking
through the shadows above that Christie
cradle WIS the fact OF special divine
| protection. Herod was determined upon
the child's destruction. The monster put
all his wits together In stratagem for the
| stopping OF that yo1ng life just started.
He Grammatical piety; he suddenly got re-
ligious; he would leave his palace aud take
chariot and have steeds whipped up, SO
that he could kneel ut that era tle. we
have to smile Mt what the Imperial vhialn
said when he ordered, 500 and search
diligently for the young Child, AMI when
We have found Him bring me word, that
NAV 20 and worship Him Also" Dorea
picture OF tho "Massacre OF the lnnocents'
at Herod's command-a pictur5 luil o!
children hurled over walls and DASHED
against streets and writhing under assas,
sins foot-gives Us a little impression Of
the manner In which Herod would have
treated the real Child IL he could have
once got his hands on 1t. But Herot
could not hni that cradle. Al
the detectives he sent out faile'
In the search. Yet 1t had beer
pointed out by fashiight from IN.
midnight heavens. All the neiyhborhoo(
he
cloud had called musical attention to 1t
No sentinel guarded 1t with drawn sword
passing up and down by the pillow OF tina
bethlehem caravansary. Why, then. wa
1t that the cradle was not de.poilel OF IT.
, treasure? Because 1t was divineiy pro
tected. There were wings hoverin2 tha
mortal eve could not see; there were arine'
immortals whose brandished sword morta
eve could not follow; there were chariot
| OF the Omnipotent the rumble OF who's
wheels only supernaturals could hear. Got
had started through tho cradle to save GU
world, and nothing could stop Him.
You cannot reasonably account for ina
unhnrt cradle except on the theory OF
! special, divine protection. And mos
, cradles are likewise defended. Can yo
, understand why SO many children, with a.
!. the epidemics that assault them, and a.
. their climbing to dangerous heights. an
, all their perilous experiments with expic
! sives and their running against horses
boots, and daring OF trolieys and carts fas
,, driven. vet somehow get through, especl
ally boys OF high spirit and that are goin
/, | to amount to much? / account for thei
! coming through all right, with only fe'
!, wounds and bruises, by tine fact that the
, are divinely protected. All your charge
OF "Do do this" and Don't do that
? and s.Don't go there" seem to amount t
|, nothing. They are the same reckless crea
lures about whom you ara conctantiy anx
ious and wondering what Is the matte
a now. Divinely protected
Another CLEAN Of light. scattering SOM
| OF the gloom OF that Christie pillow u
i Bethlehem, was the fact that 1t was tn
q starting place Of the most wonderful OF al
. careers. Looking at Christ's life iron
|, mere worldly standpoints 1t was amazinI
n beyond all capacity OF pen or tongue 0
a canvas to express. Without taking year
+ curriculum IN any college or even day q
a any school, yet saying things that tn
= mightiest intellects OF subsequent day
a have quoted ard tried to expoundl Grea
q literary works have for the most part bee
= the result of much elaboration. Edmun
= Burke rewrote the conclusion OF his speec
4 against Warren Hastings sixteen times
! Lord Brougham rewrote his speech In b.
a half OF Queen Caroline twenty times, Blu
the sermon on the mount seemed extern
a poraneous. Christ was eloquent withou
+ ever having otudied one OF the laws OF ora
, tory. He was the greatest orator that eve
\ lived. It was not an eloquence Demos
4 thenic or Ciceronic or like that OF Jea
+ Baptlste Masslllon or like that which vii
r lam Writ, himself a great orntor, was owe
: come with in log cabin meeting house I
q Virginia, when the blind preacher erie
q out In his sermon, Socrates died like
4 philosopher, but Jesus Christ died Ike
n God"
II But we must not only look at Him from
l. worldly standpoint. How He smote Whit
ii winds into silence, aud made the waves
% the sea lie down, an opened the doors I
1t light into the midnight OF those who ha
a been born blind, and turned deaf ears ini
~nA xwft Ia 4nA ~