Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-01-06
Calnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talrnaee, d. ID.


application TO the universal needs of
our modern life. The text is Luke Ii,
10. II bring you good tidings of great
JOY"
Blessed, thrice blessed, Is the advent
OF the messenger bringing tidings of
great joyl Benjamin Disraeli was well
coined back to England's capital by n
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. * bring back to you peace with
honor" No wonder the English multi
tudes applauded their premier wber-
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 Client" was signed by the
English and American commissioners
on Dec. "a, 1914, the people of two ma
tons were expecting that the war Of
1912 would soon be terminated. The
ship which bore the news, Peace.
peace, with honor" sailed into New
York harbor covered with bunting. 1t
was welcomed with the shouts of n
cheering people and the booming of
war guns, which were now to become
the guns of peace. OF 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 news which the
ship brought from joyfully flying over
the country with the wings Of the
morning. Everywhere the message
met with glad acclaim, Peace, peace,
peace, with honori' But though there
have been many messengers of glad
tidings welcomed with joyful hosan-
mas, no messenger of good tidings
was ever so much needad as he who
appeared on the first Christmas dawn
of the worlds history. That was the
Christmas morn when Jesus lay sleep
ing, little babe in the manger of
Bethlehem Of Judaea.
Let me describe the events which
preceded the advent OF this angelic
messenger. First, the topographic po-
sition OF this angelic messenger. We
are standing upon the Judaean hills
overlooking the little village of Beth
lehem. This is sacred ground. Here
Jacob mourned and would not be COM
forted Here Benjamin was born and
Rachel died. Here Bonz watched Ruth
rs she CLEANED after the reapers. Here
Samuel came 10 the home of Jesse TO
anoint David king OF Israel. On the
night OF the Nativity the Bethlehemites
could almost see the lights OF Jerusa-
lem. only six miles away, and almost
hear the chanting IN the temple and
the music I'm the palace OF Herod the
Great were IL not for the height of yon-
der mountain. which obliterated those
lights and stopped the echoing sounds.
Taking the Census.
On that first Christmas eve the cities
and towns were crowded with men and
women. The fat had gone forth that
a census must he taken. Caesar want
cd to know how many soldiers he could
depend upon I'm the provinces and how
much taxes ought 10 be paid. Rome
was then the mistress and the queen
OF the world. The Jewish census was
to be taken by families. Thus Joseph,
the descendant OF the great psalmist,
David, headed toward the little village
of Bethlehem, where once the future
warrior as n shepherd boy tended his
sheep. played upon his harp and prac-
ticod with his sling at mark until he
could take that deadly aim which was
TO Stay the mighty Philistlne.
Joseph is now climbing the lime
rocks upon which Is built the town OF
bethlehem. Footsore and weary and
sad. his face is drawn and anxious He
is Fastening along, dragging by the bri-
die beast OF burden, which, with the
characteristic stubbornness of its kind,
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. Crowds of men stand
upon the street corners or gather in
large numbers and with vehement ges-
lures whisper curses among themselves
against Herod, who was building a
heathen 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
sulting the people because they will not
stop bothering him. 1t does not take a
hotel clerk long TO get ugly IL 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 a
question, when he can see for himself
the crowds clamoring TO get into the
village hotel.
Joseph turns and looks at his young
wife seated upon the beast of burden
which lie Is leading. She has beauti-
ful face, sweet face, u loving face. a
pure face. She is Mary, the Virgin.
Finally some man, more sympathetic
than the rest, seeing Joseph's troubles,
points him to a khan, or public stable.
and says, Perhaps you may find room
there" Mary's strength has almost Civ
en- out when they enter the low arch
way. Joseph tenderiy lifts her down
from the beast OF burden. Some one
Kicks the oxen to make them arise be-
cause they are taking too much room.
EVEN here space Is at n premium. Aft
er the kind hearted hostlers have
thrown some straw into the stone crypt
or manger Mary is placed in the hum
bic couch among the beating of the
sheep and the lowing of the cattle and
the neighing Of the horses whinnying
for their oats.
This is the most important of ell
nights 1t is awfully solemn. All his
tory will hereafter date itself from or
toward this scene-A. ID. and b. G.
Upon the Judaean hillsides the alright
cd sheep are running hither and thith-
sr, looking for their shepherds. Ami
mails intuitively know when something
unnatural is about to happen. The cat
tie can smell the blood long before they
are driven into the slaughter houses to
he killed. When the South Carolina
earthquake shook Charleston a few
years ago the dogs crouched at their
masters feet, and the birds lowered