Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-01-04
Caln,age
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaee. ID. ID.

Los Angeles. Cal, Dec. 22.-In this
sermon tender memories of long past
Chrlstmascs are recalled and the uni
yersa theme receives n new and bril-
liant setting. The text is Luke 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 n long
succession of wonderful manifestations.
one great event came treading upon
the heels of another great event until
there seemed to he a great army OF
them. Why she should he 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 Il word
or two of pity for the young mother,
would dismiss the story from their
minds But not SO the chief actor In
the scene Mary never forgot any OF
those scenes which preceded and sue
acedcd the night Jesus was born. The
Bible distinctly aflirms this. But
Mary kept all these things and pom
dered them in her heart"
Now. the older we grow the more
selves to the Christmases 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 walk through the corridors Of
the past and talk about the events of
many ChriStmaSes that are gone as we
try TO follow Mary, the mother of
Jesus. when as an old or middle aged
woman she lived over the wonderful
events which preceded and succeeded
the most important of all CliTistmases,
when Jesus as a little child lay in the
Manager of Bethlehem of Judea.
With aching hands and bleeding feet
We dig and heap lay stone on stone:
We bear the burden ard the heat
or the long day and wish 'twere done.
Not TIL the hours OF light return
All 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
Christmases the first event crowding
upon her mind and heart must have
been the visitation of the angel Ga
hriel, who announced To her that she
was to be the mother of the Son OF
God She must again and again have
recalled how lie looked. She must
again and again have lived over that
wonderful time when her own limo
cence and purity We're amazed and
overwhelmed mt the significance of his
message. She knew that she was pure
In body and In spirit, yet the strange
and marvellous statement was made
that she, virgin. was selected from
all women To become the mother OF
the coming Messiah oh. was there
ever news more momentous? Was
there ever fact more overwhelming
The Angels Visit.
Have you ever tried 10 picture this
angelic visitation: The more ! have
thought upon this scene the more real
istic il has become TO me. In the first
place. | have always pictured Mary an
orphan. Her father and mother are
dead. Her brothers and sisters are
scattered. She Is about seventeen
years of age. She has sweet. pure
face. do not believe even the in
spired genius of Raphael or a Muril-
10 or Botticelli or Correggio has
half portrayed the purity aud goodness
of her countenance. Then I have
thought she had great wealth Of
black hair and great black eyes. She
was at that age when the stranger
could not tell whether she was a
schoolgirl or young woman. She was
at whit Is called the doubtful age of
womanhood
Her work OF the day is finished. The
supper is finished The dishes are all
washed and put away. She goes to
her room and shuts the door and IL
alone. Then picture her thinking
over her past life, She thinks OF her
mother and father and wonders how
her little brother Is getting along As
she thinks of the broken home of her
childhood she Is sobbing as though her
heart would break Suddenly she looks
up. There stands before her beauti-
ful faced angel. His garments are OF
spotless white. He seems to be man.