Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-12-26
Caln1aQe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. ID. D.


liant setting. The text is Lyke ii, 10.
but Mary kept all these things and
pondered them in her heart"
The life of Mary, the Virgin, up to the
period of the angels visit had proba-
bly, been that of the ordinary jewish
girl. In her quiet, uneventful exist
ence there had suddenly come a long
succession Of wonderful manifest ationS.
One great event came treading upon
the heels Of another great event until
there seemed TO be a great army Of
them. Why she should be singled out
from all the rest of the human race as
the chosen one of God she could not
understand She was only pure,
Young immature maiden. After these
manifestations came to her she could
not fully appreciate their meaning
But she stored them away in her mem
DRY. She treasured them up. Other
people may have heard the story Of
that weary journey from Nazareth TO
Bethlehem. of the crowded inn and the
birth in the stable, and. after a word
or two of pity for the young mother,
would dismiss the story from their
minds But not so the chief actor ir
the scene. Mary never forgot any of
those scenes which preceded and sue
ceeded the night Jesus was born. The
Bible distinctly at1irms this. "But
Mary kept all these things and pom
1ered them in her heart"
Now. the older we grow the more
orr present Christmases link them
selves TO the Christmascs that are
past. When our children gather about
The Christmas tree to get their toys
We think OF the time when. with our
fathers and mothers and brothers and
sisters, we as children gathered about
the Christmas tree of the old home
stead. Thus | would have YOU join
me in n walk through the corridors of
the past and talk about tho events OF
many Christmases that are gone as we
Try to follow Mary. the mother Of
Jesus. when rs an old or middle aged
woman she lived over the wonderful
events which preceded and succeeded
he most important of all Christmases,
when Jesus as little child lay in the
nanger of Bethlehem of Judea.
With aching hands and bleeding feet
We dig and heap. lay stone on stone;
We bear thu burden and the heat
or the long day and wish twere done.
Not till the hours of light return
AL we have built do we discern.
When Mary as middle aged woman
wandered through the sacred halls of
memory and pondered over the Incl
dents which preceded the hottest of
"hristmases the first event crowdne
1pon her mind and heart must have
Dccn the visitation of the angel Ga
biiel. who announced TO her that she
was to be the mother Of the Son of
Sod. She must again and again have
recalled how he looked. She must
again and again have lived over that
wonderful time when her own limo
cence and purity were amazed and
overwhelmed ut the significance Of his
message She knew that she was pure
In body and in spirit, yet the strange
and marvellous statement was made
hat she, virgin, was selected from
I'll women to become the mother OF
The coming Messiah. Oh. was there
ever news more momentous? Was
here ever a fact more overwhelming
The Angels Visit.
Have you ever tried to picture this
angelic visitation? The more | have
thought upon this scene the more real
site it has become to me. In the frs
place, l have always pictured Mary az
orphan. Her father and mother arr
dead Her brothers and sisters arr
10 tc n To-
wears OF age She has n sweet. pure
face. l do not believe even the in
spired genius Of a Raphael or a Muril
10 or a Botticelli or a Correggio ha:
half portrayed the purity and goodness
Of her countenance. Then I have
thought she had n great wealth O.
black hair and great black eyes. Sh'
vas at that age when the strange
.oud not tell whether she was
schoolgirl or young woman. She wa
It what is called the doubtful age G
WomanhOOd.
Her work of the day is finished Tn
supper IS finished. The dishes are q.
washed and put away. She goes 4
her room and shuts the door and !
alone. Then | picture her thinking
over her past life. She thinks Of he
mother and father and wonders hoy
her little brother is getting along A
she thinks of the broken home OF he
childhood she is sobblng as though he
heart would break. Suddenly she look
up. There stands before her a beaut
ful faced angel. His garments are 0
Fpotless white. He seems to be maj
and yet she knows that he Is n celestig
visitor. Her great eyes widen in wor
derment Her lips part as though t
speak, but she utters not wore
There in the silence Of the room sh
ilrops upon her knees and says: MA
ter. what is it? Hast thou news froI
NY dear ones in the other world
shen | think the angel reaches fort
his hand and touches her and says
eyes, Mary My news Is from I'll
other world, ! bring to thee no me
rage from the dear ones who are gon
j bring 10 thee message about II
one, the divine one, who Is to ca
thee mother. The Messiah is soon
be born of thee. The Son of God Is
be thy child, and thou shalt call h
name Jesus. and he shall reign owe
the house of Jacob forever, and OF
kingdom there shall be no end" Ca
not yoE see her breast heave? &;
hA. 81, t. x.,tt IL