The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-10

Now when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days of
Herod the king, behold there came
wise men of the east to Jerusalem,
saying, Where is He that is born
King Of the Jews? for we have seen
His star in the east, and are come to
worship him.
Many traditions have been preserved
respecting these wise mHn. most of
them agreeing that there were just
three of them, and some affirming that
they were of royal blood; but who
they were and how many they were
and from what country they acme no
body knows. We only know that they
were students, maybe chiefly of the
stars such students of the stars as
were called astrologers. They had
never looked through a telescope, and
could not have made an almanac; but
they had high thoughts and as
astrologers they grasped a great truth
when they believed that things below
are dominated by the powers above
They looked up to the heavens for
light rather than to the glow-worm' s
lamp amid the grass. or the will-o'-
the wisps's above the marsh. They
were not sophists, as some claimed to
be, who by their very name con-
ceitedly declare themselves wise, but
rather philosophers, most modestly
claiming to be only lovers of wis
dom.
And yet these lovers Of wisdom and
seekers after light were utterly at sea,
as all men were in the age in which
they lived. Socrates fairly represent
ed both its philosophy and its religion.
and his sign manual was a question
mark. And he summed up the con-
clusion of the whole matter when he
sorrowfully declared that I'VE never
CHI lrr1 oh %ha hi
unless some one should come from
another world to tell u.s." And history
tells that just at this time there was a
vague and almost worldwide expecta-
ton that some illustrious person would
appear on earth to inaugurate a revo-
luton in it's desperate affairs.
Hitch Your Wagon to a Star.
These eastern sages were scanning
the heavens in the hope of discovering
some sign of His coming. when loi a
new star blazed upon the brow of
night. They hailed it as the omen for
which they had waited. Hitch your
wagon to a star" cries our modern
genius. These wise men did that long
ago. They had been looking for light
and God graciously gave it. ITO the
upright there ariseth light in dark
ness" and in the case of a soul that
is honest and earnest, if there be not
light enough already to guide it, God
will give more light even If He has to
plant a new star in the heavens. He
did this time, and the Magi did not
simply gaze at it with scientific curl
osity, but they followed its guidance.
They followed the star and found the
Lord.
And yet they had their trials on the
way as even honest seekers some
times will, and one of the sorest was
at Jerusalem. They should never have
gone to Jerusalem. The star did not
hang over Jerusalem. But naturally
they said to themselves, where should
We find the Jewish king but in the
Jewish capital? And so they turned
their steps to the capital and in the
glare of the city's lights they lost
sight. for a time, of the light OF
heaven. They doubtless expected to
find all Jerusalem radiant. jubilant
over the newborn King. But nobody
had heard of Him and nobody was
even expecting him and nobody cared
There was a ruler on the throne. the
base and bloody Herod, and the start
ling inquiry that these mysterious
strangers raised was enough to infiame
his jealous fears, and so he was
troubled
Herod had heard that there was a
Christ to come, but he had doubt
less hoped that it would not be in his
time, for not without a struggle would
he surrender his throne to either God
or man. And so he hastily summon
ed the chief priests and scribes and in
CURED of them where Christ should be
born. They were ready with an
answer, for they were diligent stu
dents of the letter of the scriptures
but knew nothing of their vital power
In Bethlehem of Judea," replied these
learned dignitaries. but they took nc
steps toward the place they named.
The wise men did. They had been
disappointed in Jerusalem as Luther
was when he visited Rome, and as