The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-24

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22.-This discourse
Of DR.. Talmage is full OF the nativity and
appropriate for the holidays; text, Luke
ii, 1G. And they came with haste and
found Mary and Joseph, and the babe ly-
ing in a manger."
The black window shutters of a De-
cember night were thrown open and some
of the best singers Of a world where they
all sing stood there. and putting back the
drapery Of cloud chanted a peace anthem
until all the echoes OF hill and valley ap-
plauded and encored the halleluiah Choir
Ms. Come, let US 20 into that Christmas
scene as though we nae never before wor-
SHIPPED at the manger. Here is a Madonna
worth looking at. wonder not that the
most frequent name in all lands and in
all Christian centuries is Mary. And
there are Marys in palaces and Marys in
cabins, and, though German and French
n Italian and Spanish and English pro-
nounce it differently, they are all name
sakes Of the one whom we find on a bed
OF straw, with her pale face against the
soft cheek of Christ in the night of the
nativity. All the great painters have
tried, on canvas, to present Mary and her
child and the incidents of that most ia
nous night of the worlds history. Raph-
ael, in three different masterpieces, cele-
brated them. Tintoretto and Ghirlan-
daje surpassed themselves in the adora-
ton of the magi. CorreggiO needed to
do no more than his Madonna to become
immortal. The Madonna of the Lily"
By Leonardo da Vinci. will kindle the
admiration of all ages. But all the gal
leries of Dresden are forgotten when /
think of the small room of that gallery
aoDt.iniD1 tho a.SiotiDa Na6ODDo Yat
all OF them were copies of St. Matthew'S
Madonna and Luke's Madonna, the in
spired Madonna of the old book, which
we had put into our hands when we were
infants and that we hope to have under
orr heads when we die.
Behold, in the first place. that on the
night OF Christ's life God hOnored the
brute creation. You cannot get into hat
Bethlehem barn without going past the
c~HrGels. the mules. the dogs. the oxen.
The brutes of that stable heard the first
cry OF the infant Lord. Some of the old
painters represent the oxen and camcls
kaceling that night before the newborn
babe. And well might they kneel! Have
yoH ever thought that Christ came,
among other things, 10 alleviate the suf-
fcrinGS of the brute creation? Was it
not appropriate that he should, during
tlr first few days and nights Of his life
on earth. be surrounded by the dumb
beasts. whose moan and plant and bel
lowing have for ages been a prayer to
Tod for the arresting of their fortunes
and the righting of their wrongs? Not a
kennel in all the centuries, not 4 birds
nest, not q wornout horse on towpath,
not a herd freezing in the poorly built
csWpen, not a freight car in summer time
halprinO the hppVpS IN market without
water through a thousand miles of agony,
not q surgeons room witnessing the
struggles of fox or rabbit or pigeon or
dog in the horrors of yivisection, but has
an interest in the fact that Christ was
born in q stable surrounded by brutes.
Care of Gods Creatures.
Standing then. as | imagine now l do.
in that Bethlehem night with an infant
Christ on one side and the speechless
creatures of God on the other, l cry:
Look out how you strike the rowel into
that horses side; take off that curbed bit
from that bleeding mouth: remove that
saddle from that raw back: shoot not for
fun that bird that is too small for food;
forget not to put water into the cage of
that canary; throw out some crumbs to
these birds caught too far north in the
wister's inclemency; arrest that man
whe is making that one horse draw q
lead heavy enough for three: rush in
Hpoa that scene where boys are torturing
a cat or transfxing butterfly and grass
hopper: drive not off that old robin. for
her Hest is & mothers cradle and under
her wing there may be three or four
Haasicians of the sky in training. In
~ families and in your schools teach
the coming generation more mercy than
the present generation has ever shown
aud in this marvellous Bible picture of the
nativity. while you point out to them the
ngei. slow them also the camel. and
while they hear the celestial chant let
Aen also hear the cows moan.
Behold also in this Bible scene how on
taat Christmas night God honored child
heod. Childhood was to be honored by
hat advent. He must nave q chiid's light
Eass and a child's dimpled hand and a
eaiid's beaming eye and a child's 1axen
hair. and babyhood was to be honored
fSr all time to come, and a cradle was to
RNan more than a grave. Mighty God.
nay the reflection of that one child's face
be seen in oil infaDtile faces!
Enough have all those fathers and
Eothers on hand il they have a child in
ahe house. A throne, n crown, a scepter,
a kingdom. under charge. Be careful
hew you strike him across the head. jar
ring the brain. What you say to him will
he centennial and millennial. and a hun
&red years and q thousand years will moi
4cp the echo and re-echo. Do not say
ct is only a child" Rather say. at is
sely an immortal" 1t is only a master
piece Of Jehovah. 1t is only a being thai
saaIl outlive sun and moon and star ant
ages quadriennial. God has infinite re
sources. and he can give presents OF
great value. but when he wants to Civ,
f. The richest possible gift to q household b,
locks around all the worlds and all tn,
universe and then gives a child. Yea. il
oil ages God has honored childhood. 81,
makes almost every picture a failure IN
less there be a child either playing on tn,
foor or looking through the window O
seated on the lap gazing into the face o
Che mother.
1t was q child in Naaman's kitchen tina
told the great Syrian warrior where b
might go and get cured Of the leprosy
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