Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-29
Calnnase
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmade, d. d.

,
sermon the Christmas theme Is pre-
scented with a new and picturesque set
ting, and the preacher finds in It nm
application to the universal needs of
our modern life. The text is Luke IL,
10. 81 bring you good tidings of great
joy"
Blessed, thrice blessed. is the advent
of the messenger bringing tidngs of
great 10y. Benjamin Dsraeli was wei.
coined back to England's capital by
surging sea Of happy faces. which
blocked the streets about the lord
mayors official residence as far as
the eye could see, when he returned
from the most famous Of European
conclaves of the representatives of
many nations Why? He came back
with the memorable sentence upon his
lips. 81 bring back to you peace with
honor" No wonder the English multi
tudes applaudcd their premier wher-
ever he went Had Disraeli not
brought back peace with honor Eu
rope would have been cOnvulsed with
an awful international war. When the
treaty of Ghent' was signed by the
English and American commissioners
on Dec. "a, 1914, the people of two ma
tons were expecting that the war of
1872 would soon be terminated The
shin which bore the news, Peace,
peace, with honor" sailed into New
York harbor covered with bunting. 1t
was welcomed with the shouts of
cheering people and the booming Of
war guns, which were now to become
the guns of peace. or course many a
tear was shed because Andrew Jack
son had fought his battle of New Or
leans fifteen days after the signing
Of that treaty, but those tears did not
prevent the glorious ncws which the
ship brought from toytully flying over
the country with the wings OF the
morning. Everywherr the message
met with glad acclaim. Peace, peace,
peace, with honor" Eut, though there
have been many messengers of glad
tidings welcomed with Joyful hosan-
mas. no messenger of good tidings
was ever so much needed as he who
appeared on the first Christmas dawn
of the worlds history That was the
Christmas morn whet Jesus lay sleep
ing. n little babe IL the manger of
Bethlehem of Judaea
Let me describe t1e events which
preceded the advent Of tins angelic
messenger. First, TIL geographic po-
sitlon of this angelic messcnger We
are standing upon the Judaean hills
overlooking the little illagc of Beth
lehem. This is sacred ground. Here
Jacob mourned and would not be COM
forted. Here Benjaniu was born and
Rachel died Here Boz watched Ruth
MS she CLEANED after iAo reapers. Here
Samuel came TO the loine of Jesse to
anolnt David king OF israel. On the
night of the Nativity he Bethlehemites
could almost see tie lights of Jerusa-
lem. only six miles way, and almost
hear the c:lantiis IL the temple and
the music in tn palace of 1lerod the
Great were it not for the height of yon-
der mountain. wh.rh obliterated those
lights and stopp, The echoins sounds.
Tnkints thc Census.
ON that first Christmas eve the cities
and towns were rruwded with men and
women. The fat had gone forth that
Il census must lie AIKEN. Caesar want
ed to know how mlny soldiers he could
depend upon III The provinces and how
much taxes ough' to be paid. Rome
was then the mistress and the queen
of tie world. The Jewish census was
to be taken by families. Thus Joseph,
the descendant go the great psalmst,
David. headed toward the little village
of Bethlehem, where once the future
warrior as shepherd boy tended his
sheep. played upon his harp and prac-
ticed with his Sing at mark until he
could take that dcadly aim which was
to Stay the might Philistinc.
/ Joseph Is now climbing the lime
rocks upon whicl IS built the town Of
bethlehem. Fool-ore and weary and
sad. his face Is drawn and anxious. lie
is fastening along dragging by the bri-
die beast Of bugicn, which, with the
/ characteristic stu lbOrnness of its kind
1 is holding back merely because its
owner Jerks the head and wants to hur
~ along. The village is long and mar
row Most of the houses line the one
principal street roWdS of men stand
upon the street corners or gather III
large numbers and with vehement gcs
lures whisper curses among themselves
against Herod, who was building q
heather temple in honor Of the Roman
emperor. The door of the inn is block
ed with rustics who are trying to find
lodgings The owner of the hotel is in
sultlng the people because they will not
stop bothering him. 1t does not take q
hotel clerk long to get ugly If he has
more customers than rooms. JOSEPH
stops and asks some bystanders where
he can find lodgings They all shake
their heads and shrug their shoulders
Some ridicule him for asking such 4
question. when he can see for himself
the crowds clamoring to get into thu
village hotel.
Joseph turns and looks at his younl
wife seated upon the beast of burden
which he is leading She has beautl
full face, sweet face, loving face, {
pure face. She Is Mary, the Virgin
Finally some man, 'more sympathetic
than the rest. seeing Joseph's troubles
points him to khan, or public stable
and says, "Perhaps you may find room
there" Mar.y's strength has almost CIV