The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-12-24
THE BIRTH OF JESUS
Quest Of the Magi the Theme
Of Or. Talmage's Sermon.
Tee Eloquent Divine Draws = Lesson
81 Christian Hope and Encour-
agement From the Expert.
enos of the Wise Men.


the story Of the magi's quest receives a
new setting and the lesson Of Chris
tian hope and encoura cement IL drawn
from their experience. The text Is
Matthew IL /, Behold, there came
wise men from the eastv'
When, In 500 A. D., st Augustine
was sent to convert the British isles to
Christianity, Pope Gregory commanded
bis missionary as far as possible to
hsrnonise the Christian ordinances
with the heather feasts. The result ID
that many of the customs associated
with Christmas have their origin not
In the birth of Christ, but in heutben
festivities. 1t is my purpose today to
tell the simple Christian story, as found
In the Bible, and TO apply some Of its
beneficent teachings 10 the practicali-
ties Of everyday "te,
The account OF Christs birth 10 not
only simply told. but very briefly told.
Some of us are apt to think too briefly.
We would like 10 have known oil the
details of t.at woadrous event which
fs destined to transform the world. We
deplore the loss OF any fact relating to
our Lord. But the historians would
not have US concern ourselves with the
accessories Of the picture, but with that
glorious life and death in which our
eternal destiny is bound up. They
briefly state the main facts and proceed
to the narrative % nomeutous 10 the
whole world
A few years ago q southern cosce-
spondent hurried to the telegraph once
and sent this message to tie editor Of q
great New York daily: Fearful rail-
road accident! Many killed! Many In
Jured! Column story! eAsii send itT''
The New York editor tslegraphed back,
''Scnd me 900 words-Ail I want" The
correspondent telecrapheA again. Can.
not be told in less than l.2Oo." The edi-
tor tersely replied; STORY Of the crea-
ton Of the world toA in 600 worsis
Try IT," But II TIE story Of the crea-
tiea u told IN go words, the stsry Of
the nativity Is even more simply and
briefly toA- The account OF Jesus
birth is shout % simply told a. the rec
erd Of her babys advent which q fond
mother writes In the family Bibie.
"oertrudA or Ians, OF Mary: born June
3, 1854" A dossn verses In all moro
than csaAin the simple stery q
christ's birth. The second chapter OF
Natthsw's gospel runs lihe this: Nov.
when Jesus was barn, In tie dayaSf
Herc4 ths king In the east thsy .htd
not rseken time % much ~ the yearMs
By tie tine this Or that king sat upsp
his thrsaa & .'s<
Then this simple account q the na-
tivity soss a step further. The birch
q Christ Is connected with startiiae
incident The name Of Peresrine White
h never mentioned but the explanatory
statemsnt is also made that ''she Was
born On the Maynower when the Pill
grim fathers were on their journey! %
live In q new world" Christ's birth.is
hardly ever mentioned without IN AZ
sociate statement. When Jesus was
born that was the year the wise men
came from the east, saying, "Whers is
he that is born King Of the Jews. for
we have seen his star in the east and
are come to worship him" The naG
have been the theme for many an art
lists brush. poets song, as well as min
isters sermon. If in the short account
Of the nativity II was important enough
to note the visit of these wise men.
surely II will not be wasted time for
us in a Christmas discourse to consid-
or who were the wise men, from
whence they came, what they did when
they knelt and worshiped al the map-
ger, where they went after they had
Been the newborn Christ.
Who were the magi? They were the
wise men. They were not fools. not
ignoramuses, not silly star gazers
They were not tramps going from
place TO place because they were TOO
lazy to work. They were the intellec-
tual giants OF the east They were
such intellectual giants that when they
appeared in Jerusalem they startled all
the sagss Of the Herodian era with
eheir grasp Of affairs and mental pow
Or. They belonged to class that was
the repository of all the scientific
knowledge Of the time. They were the
Observers Of natural phenomena, the
Of their day, the leaders
In the world Of mind When Matthew
them as wise men" he knew
that the description would be clearly
understood as applying to men whose
eruditi0n and mental ability placed
them smoag the aristocracy Of knowl-
edge.
AS with Homer or Socrates, the Der
sonal lives Of these men are all wrap-
ped up in mystery. Their names, their
positions, their influence over their
are all matters Of conjec-
ture. Professor Sandy In his Christ
mssude" gives q strange legend. He
writes that the number Of these wise
men who came from the east was
three. He writes that the first Of these
magi Was q very old man, with long,
white beard. His face was wrinkled
Il