Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-12-26
CHR,srMAs.-Of all the anniversaries

most'imporlant To the human Iainlly'-
Ii matters not TO whatever religious de-
nomination we may be attached, or in
whatever Christian creed We have been
educated, the event is one Of vital in
terest, for this is the birthday of Jesus
Christ the Son Of God, the blessed Sa-
vior and Redeemer Of a lost world.
The history ol the race of Adam is
too well known to require a recapitu-
lation from us, even on such an occasion
as this /; we know that our first parents
were disobedient to the high authority
Of God and were consequently expell-
ed from His holy presence and commun-
ion, and doomed to everlasting woe.
| All manner Of visitations Of The wrath
of a justly offended God were made
upon the inhabitants OF this earth the
majesty Of His power, in its awful
grandeur came down upon disobedi-
ent race. Attic lions, in every form, en-
compassed the human family and, as
The last exhibition of His displeasurc
with sin, and His abomination Of evil
works, after repeated and terrible warn
ings, He swept the whole race from the
earth by a deluge, preserving none but
righteous Noah and his family as the
only remnant Of a demolished world.
The history Of the world subsequent
to this, is known to all. The Messiah
ship had long been fore,old, and some
time before the incarnation of the bles-
sed Jesus, an opinion prevailed among
the pious part ofthe Jews, that the great
Jehovah would condescend to favor
them with clear revelation Of His dl-
vine will, by the mission Of some emf
ncnt person, qualified from above to in
siruct them in the same. This opinion
was founded on the predictions OF the
ancient prophets, who had described,
with the utmost beauty and clearness,
the person, character, and glory of the
Messiah, appointed by God, in his own
time, to declare his eternal counsels to
mankind.
The humblest Sunday School child
has been taught and is familiar with his
life. with his death and with his ressur-
rection. How stands the Church now
after the lapse Of more than eighteen
hundred years since the birth OF the
Savior Are all Christians aiding in
the fufillment OF the objects Of his mis-
sion Are they all heroicalIy strug-
Cling in the battle against sin. and thus
Fastening on the period of His second
advent No. far from it. We do not
charge any with perverse error; we
think them all sincere, yet darkness
shrouds their pathway. The Jews are
still looking for the coming Of the Mes
siah, which they say will be the regen
Grafton Of mankind. They ioudIy aptic-
ipatc the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the
conversion of the whole human family
/ to the faith OF Israel and the ingather-
Il ing Of the scattered tribes of the earth.
\ uuus o"tvr "iu Inherent views on this
subject, but most of them are looking for
the second advent of the Son of God
not in humility and poverty and suffer
| ing as he first came but in grandeur,
power and glory, to complete the great
work Of His Messialship, to assume the
head Of the Church which he establish
ed. and to bear the faithful to the para
disc of His Father.
We unquestionabIy live in the last
days OF the existence Of the earthly
Church everything plainly indicates
that we are rapidly approaching the
grand fulilment of the predictions OF
inspired writer's. II, therefore, now only
remains to be seen who will be faith
tul. Ii cannot reasonably be expected
that aH will continue firm, because all
did not in the trying m01cnts of the
Saviour's death. Peter denied him and
Judas betrayed Plate acquitted him
and Herod condemned him, st the
pressing instigation Of the Jews.
But this is not the period for the
children of earth to dwell upon the
CrucIfxion. We have a more pleas
ing theme for rcAexion. This is the an.
niversary of the birth of Jesus Christ,
who came to redeem the world from the |
most fearful corruption, and who pur.
chased for us glorious Immortality i
beyond the grave. II is not compulsory /
upon US. however As God gave to Adj
am and Eve the choice between life
and death in the earthly paradise, so
Christ gives us choice between life
and death, between ceaseless happiness
and unending misery, in the realms
which lie beyond the dark and mys;eri
Gus tomb. BY the Messiahship the hu-
man family are to be made everIastingly /
rich, by the accumulation Of the
golden treasures Of earth, or by the en-
joyment of It's vanishing pleasures I; but
rich, inestimahle rich, in the ever-cndur.
ing possession Of Gods Grace on earth, II
and the ultimate enjoyment through all