Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-12-25
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAeE. DID,.
OPastss Of J.tfsrson Pask Prssby. y
y teriNn Church. Chieaso

Chicago. Dec. 20.-In this sermon the
story Of the magi's quest receives
new setting and the lesson OF Chris
fisn hope and encouragement Is drawn
rrpm their experience. The text Is
aAtthew IL. 1. Behold. there came
~ man from the esstr'
Aqhsn, n 500 A. D.. st. Augustine
was sent to convert the British isles to
Chslstispity. Pope Gregory commanded
harmonic the Christian ordinances
with the heather feasts. The result Is
that many OF the customs associated
with Christmas have their origin not
in the birth OF Christ. but In heather
festivities. 1t is my purpose today to
tell the simple Christian story. as found
in the Bible. and to apply some Of its
beps&eent teachings to the practicalf-
ties Of everyday life.
The account of Christ's birth IL not
ouiy siyppiy told. but very briefly told.
Some OF as are apt to think too briefly.
We would like to have known all the
details Of that wondrous event which
r. destined to transform the world. We
dopinre the loss OF any fact relating TO
our Lord. But the historians would
nor have US concern ourselves with the
accessories OF the picture, but with that
glorious life and death in which our
etsrnnl destiny Is bound up. They
briefly state the main facts and proceed
to the narrative so momentous to the
whole werid-
A few years ago q southern corre-
spondsnt buried to the telegraph Office
ana ssnt this message to the editor OF a
great New York daily: Fearful rail-
road aeeidentl Many killed! Many In
iuredI Column storyi Shall I send itf'
The New York editor telegraphsd back,
''Sepd me 600 words-all I want" The
correspondent autographed again. Can
not be told in less than ], 200" The edi-
tor tersely replied: "Story OF the crea-
ton OF the world told in 600 words.
Try st." But II the story OF the crea-
ton Is told In 600 words. the story OF
the nativity is even more simply and
briefly told. The account of jesus
birth is about az simply told as the REQ
ord OF her baby's advent which q fond
L.other writes In the family Bible.
Gertrude. or Jane, or Mary; born June
J. 1855" a dozen verses in oil more
than contain the simple story OF
Christs birth. The second chapter OF
Matthew'S gospel runs like this: Nov,
when Jesus was born. In the days OF
th., t., -,
not reckon time so much by the year as
by the time this or that king sat upon
his throne.
The Nagf Defined.
Then this simple account OF the ma
dvity goes step further. The birth
OF Christ 10 connected with a startling
incident. The name OF Peregrine White
is never mentioned but the explanatory
statement is also made that 'she was
born on the Mayfiower when the pill
grim fathers were on their journey to
I'VE In q new world" Christ's birth IL
hardly ever mentioned without an as
sociate statement. When Jesus was
born that was the year the wise men
came from the east, saying. Where Is
be that Is born King of the Jews, for
we have seen his star In the east and
are come TO worship him" The magi
have been the theme for many an art
lists brush. poets song, as well as min
ister's sermon. II in the short account
OF the nativity il was Important enough
TO note the visit OF these wise men.
surely IT will not be wasted time for
w In a Christmas discourse to consid-
er who were the wise men, from
whence they came. what they did when
they knelt and worshiped at the man.
ger, where they went after they had
seen the newborn Christ.
Who Were the magi? They were the
wise men. They We're not fools. not
ignoramuses, not silly star Eazers.
They were not tramps going from
place to place because they were too
lazy to work. They were the intellsc.
tuai giants Of the east. They were
such intellectual giants that when they
appeared In Jerusalem they startled all
ths sages OF the Herodian ora with
their grasp OF affairs and mental DOW.
eS They belonged to a class that was
the repository OF oil the scientific
knowledge OF the time. They were the
observers OF natural phenomena, the
philosophers OF their day. the leaders
In the world OF mind. When Matthew
described them as wise men, he know
that the description would be clearly
understood as applying TO men whose
ereoiuon and mental ability placed
tnsm among the aristocracy Of kpowI.
edge.
The Three Wise Men.
A. with Homer or Socrates. tho ner.
sonai lives OF these men are all wrap
PEG up In mystery. Their names. their
positions. their influence over their
countrymen. are all matters OF conisc-
lure. Professor Sandy IN his Christ
mastide' gives strange legend. He
wrtes that the number OF these wise
men who came from the east VIA
thrse He writes that the first OF these
magi was very old man, with a long.
white beard. HIS face was wrinkled
Win thought. and his limbs were tot
'ering. His name was Melchior. The
second was a very young man. His
cneek was smooth and ruddy, his stem
nrm ano athletic. his arm strong and
powerful. Yet his mind was clear~aa
bis searching eye. His name was Cas-
par. Truly he was q prince among
men! The third sage was a middle
ased Moor called Balthasar. In his
hdir and beard was the bIackness OF
the midnight. The muscles stood out
In Knots upon his swarthy neck. The
legend declares that these three men
Followed the guldings of a huge bird.
whose one eye slittered like a monster
star. But whether the sages were
three or five or ten, whether their
names were Melchior Caspar and Bal
thasar. whether the star In the east was
the monster eye Of huge eagle or no,
whether there is any truth among the
many legends that are told about these
noted travellers. this fact is certain
they were wise men. The Bible dis
tinctly states that ''there came wise
men from the east to Jerusalem, say
Ing. Where is he that is born King
OF the Jews?"