Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-12-18
CalmaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnaee, d. ID.

Los Angeles. Cal, Dec. 1I.-IhiS is
a unique study of the life and character
OF Joseph the carpenter, in whose ex-
ample the preacher finds a lesson of In
SEPARATION for all husbands and parents.
The text is Matthew /, 16 Joseph, the
husband of Mary, of whom was born
Jesus
Amazing it is to read the reviews of
the latest books of our prominent nov
elists. 1t seems as though we are pc
rusing the columns of a homiletic re-
view or are reading the resume OF the
sermons of ministers written In re-
ligious weekly instead of summary
of the imaginative works of our secular
writers. The novelistss fad of finding
his heroes and heroines among the cas-
tied walls of chivaIric times has to
great extent passed away. Our mod
ern Bulwers are not searching among
the smoke and tie tottering walls of a
Hcentious Pompeli to seek out their
blinded Lydias. Our Charles Kingsleys
are not roaming about the edge of
Sahara to find the footprints of beau
tiful heathen celibate, Hypatia by
name. Our brilliant Sir Walter SCOTS
are rot turning the ruins of a Kenil-
worth castleinto a gorgeous banquet
hall where the rival earls of a mighty
kingdom are rising side by side to
drink the health of virgin queen. But
a large pereentage of our modern nov
elists are finding the scenic settings for
their most powerful chapters among
the Judaear hills or by the placid wa
tiers of lake Galilee or down among the
vine clad valleys of a Samaritan CAPT
tai.
Yes, the Biblical historical novel is to
be reolkoned with as among the most
interesting. and popular of all modern
novels. While thinking along this line
a Catalogue of one of our public libra
ries was placed sin my hand. AS
turned the pages read the following
names of some of the great books of
fiction: There were Joseph Ingraham's
THE Prince of the House Of David"
flndz bis "Pillar OF Fire, or Israel In
BondGge;" there were Georg Ebers'
Ibshaa" and Florence Kingsley's ''Ti-
els, a.: Comrade of the Cross" there
was Marie Corelli's "Barabbas," be-
sides a score of other names suggestive
y of Biblical lore, while Edward Everett
Hale's "In His Name" and Charles
Sheldon's SIN His Steps," and Hall
Gaines Christian" and Lew Wallace's
'Ben-Hur,' and Nellie L. Helms
"When Jesus Was Here Among Men, !"
all deal directly or indirectly with orr
entail teachings and directly with the
life of Jesus translated into modern
thought.
But, though many of the great char
acters of the Old and New TeStamentS
have been made to come forth out of
their graves and live and breathe as in
times of yore, there is one Bible char
acter who has never, so far as 1 know,
been made the hero of HISTORICAL nov
elist's tale. Indeed, there is one Bible
character that has never, so far as
know, been made the subject of a SER
mon. The ministers seem to ignore
making a sketch of this man, just as
do the historical novelists l allude
here to the character of Joseph. l do
not mean Joseph who was the son Of
old Jacob or Joseph of Aramathea, but
of Joseph of Nazareth, Joseph of Beth.
lehem, Joseph the carpenter Joseph
who was the husband of Mary, of
whom Jesus was born.
Now, as the annual Christmas holi
days are but a few days off 1 thought
would preach a sermon about JOSEPH
the carpenter. l want to tell you why
he was at the manger. In other ser
mons you have heard why Mary was
there, and why the shepherds Were
there, and why the wise men were
there, andwhy the sheep and the cattle
and the horses were there. Today ]
want to tell you why Joseph was there
And of all the characters of the Bible
there is not one which appeals to me
in a more vivid way than does thi:
brawny, rugged, stout limbed mechan
ic, who passed so much of his time
among the Zebulon hills.
Joseph came to the manger, in the
first place, to make it possible for Jesus
to be born in Bethlehem of Judaea. He
came to the manger in order that the
words of the prophet might be fulfilled
He came to the manger because toward
Judaea ali the sages of the Jerusalem
capital were looking for the expected
Son Of God to be born. He came to the
manger, for if he had not come Mary
the Virgin would never have gone there
to give birth to her child, and the wise
men of the east would never have been
able to find there the infant. Christ.
This being born in Bethlehem was alb
Eolutely essential for the fulfllment of
prophecy.
The Stamp OF Divinity.
There were two. ways by which the
Z stamp of divinity was to be placed up
N. on Ghrist's life. The first was by his
miracles. What do l mean by that?
Simply this: When the people began
to crowd around Jesus, and he said, Il
am the Son. of God; follow me-" the
people. answered. How do we know
thou art the Christi He said, Il will
show you; come and see" Then be
stopped down and made the crooked