heathen lands;
and seeking the lowest tribes of men from whom have been defaced almost
the last vestige of humanity and restoring them to the image of God.
Christ is saving the world as a whole. He is not slicing the loaf of
society horizontally, cutting off the upper crust, but he is slicing it
vertically from top to bottom.

How wonderful is the simplicity and beauty of this gospel that shepherds
are drawn by it. It takes some brain to read Plato. Shepherds would not
get much out of Sir Isaac Newton, or a child out of Shakespeare, or a
sorrowing heart out of Emerson. But every one can get milk and honey for
his soul out of the gospel of Jesus. His wonderful words of life have
the same sweetness and saving power for shepherd and scholar, peasant
and prince. However lowly and unlettered one may be there is wide room
for him around the manger of this Child.

XIV. The Star and the Wise Men

The birth of Jesus created a new center for the world and set heaven and
earth revolving around his cradle. All things began to gravitate towards
him as by a new and more powerful attraction. Angels sang, shepherds
wondered, a new star glittered upon the blazing curtain of the night,
and wise men came from afar to worship him. These wise men were Persian
priests, scholars, scientists, astrologers, students of the stars.
Rumors of a coming King or Saviour were widespread in the ancient world
and doubtless had reached these worshipers of the sun to whom the stars
were embodiments of deity. A new star in their sky, whatever it may have
been, would instantly attract their attention and receive from them a
religious interpretation. The celestial messenger was a fulfillment of
their hope and a guide to their feet. They were obedient to the heavenly
vision, and across long burning stretches of desert sand they came and
appeared in Jerusalem with their inquiry concerning the new-born King of
the Jews.

They were therefore broad-minded men whose horizon was wider than their
own deserts, or they never would have overleaped their national piety
and patriotism and prejudice into search and reverence for a Jewish
king. But something told them that the new King, though born a Jew, was
of universal interest and was more than human; they forefelt his
divinity. Therefore they were come to the King, not to gratify their
curiosity, not to speculate and debate and frame a new creed, but to
worship him. There was no war between the science and