The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-30

r os ANGELES, Cal. December 2S.-1n this Christmas sermon the preacher A< finds a striking parallel between the cold and unresponsive attitude of the Judaean world toward the Bethlehem Babe and that of the world at large to- day. The text is Luke il, T. There was no room for them in the inn"
 Have you ever read the. story of the Nativity? "oh, yes." you reply; many times, It is the one portion of the Bible l love to read oyer and over again. When I open the book of Matthew and start with the words, Now, when Jesus was in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king the divine story has such fascination that 1 never stop until l have read the whole chapter through l am glad to hear you say that. The fascination which holds you enthralled when you read how Christ was born in the manager is the same enchant1nent that grips innumerable minds and hearts. do not believe any Christmas sermon is complete unless 1t deals with the whole story of the Nativity.
 But, though the story of the Nativity is fascinating to the young, 1t should be even more fascinating to the middle aged and old, because a man with matured mind can give 1t it's true historical set ting. This story should mean far more 70 one who can read between the lines than it means to the casual reader. As l De- gin to study the nine words, There was no room for them in the inn l realize that the words have deeper signlncancs than of a crowded public tavern. Ihe act of the innkeeper is symbolic Of the treatment of Christ by men o1 every rank and in every sphere of the world activities to this day. Christ is still eX- cluded Now as or6 the day of his blrth' there Is no room for him. That exclusion by the mercenary innkeeper, who would send a poor woman in the del1cate eoh- dtion of Christs mother to common stable, was typical. It meant the smut door of the rulers throne room IL meant the shut door of the palace. It meant the sbut door of our mercantile establish ments. Ii meant Christ crowded out | into the cold winter nights from hearts l to which he asks admission by selnsh- 1 ness and avarce which have usurped the | throne that belongs to him by flsnt. AS we think of that birth In the staple at l this Christmas season we would not Waste l our indignation on that Oriental lnnkeep- CT hut attend to the plea Christ makes | nov-to unlock all the barred and boited 1 doors of the human heart as well as or the Bethlehem inn. I cannot descrpe inc situation better than by quoting these words of an unknown poet:
 He was craded in a manger'
 His own angel sang the hymn Of rejoicing at His coming,
 Yet there was no room Tor hiIn.
 io'
 Oh. my brothers. are we wiser
 Are we better now than they? Have we any room Tor Jesus
 | In the life we live today?
 1 Not much room for our Lord Jesus Has there been or will there be-
 Room for Pilate and for Herod, Not for Him of Calvary
 Room for pleasures doors wide open
 And for business-but for Him
 oniv here and there a manager l ike to that at Bethlehem. 1 As v,e are to have many different guides for this Christmas sermon and many uii. ferent geographical situations, let us ilrsl - seelr inc most conspicuous man among all our guides and sit for little Wmle In inc throne room of Herod the Great in inc Jerusalem capital. Were e3er gor- eeousness and splendor greater than HIS ] IIerod was appointed when young man governor of Judaea by ms lalhei, pu1 no sooner did he ascend the guDefhaeoiie'i 1 throne than he began to grip the country u,itb tbe clnteh of a giant He made Je- rnsa1ern his capital. He slew every man l pho dared criticize his actions. By war and stratagem he annexed territory aiter territory to his realms. He married ten wives and divorced or murdered theHi with no more eompunetion than dld HehIy l VIII. who sent Ann Boleyn ana Cath- arine Howard to the scaffold. So great was Herod's wealth that, like Napoleon TIT he lined his streets with palaces ana l temnles and places of amusement, drea1 was he Aye he became greater Tn Wealph and mower than all who had preceded hiin. Such was King Herod who ruled Judaea in the year in which Jesus was born.
 The courier's Message.
 wbile we stand among the princes and nrincesses eounselors and high military notentates who surround this powerful King in the throne room ot the 1eru- l salem capital courier pushes his way into the hall He is dust begrimed He hands the King message from the com | mander of the royal troops. IL reaas' "Iast night there passed through our lines some strange men. They came rom the far east. They were evidently saees and astrologers They were great men frnn, inc far east as their garments nroved They were following star, l which slowly moved before them as a | puide They told me that they were gong to Jerusalem to find there royal babe, which was yet to be king of the east, 1 want to warn your majesty of their mis- sion that you may find this child and slav him" No sooner do we see the great King read this letter than his lips be- come set and firm. His eyes flash, and he crumples up the letter in his rage, He sends forth messengers to meet these wise men. I can imagine him mutterng: "Yes, l will find out where this young child is, I will kill him. I will kill him if I have to kill every child in my kingdom 1 to do it. There must be no rival to me In this kingdom
 Is there any royal palace on earth in which Jesus Christ would be welcome guest9 Is there any cabinet of statesmen that would submit to His rule or govern on His principles? If He ruled on earth, 1 could there be such horrors as those Of | the Congo, such massaeres as those of | Armenia, such ruthless injustice as that of Russia? Would not His rule eliminate | the liquor dealer, the corrupt politician, | the ministerial mountebank masquerade ing in His pulpits? What a revolution His rule would make on earth, Every | ruler would tremble as the hand that | wielded the small cords in the temple was | laid to the wheel of government. We | pray that His kingdom may come, but who is ready for it? There is still no room for Him in the palace, as there was no I t.. tl,a inn