The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-04-19
IRON the New York Herald. December 18TH
THE INCARNATION MYSTERY,

from the New York Herald, December I7th.l
THE INCARNATION MYSTERY,
During the coming week the civili-
zed world will commemorate one of
the grandest and greatest events re-
corded In history-namelv, the in
%carnation and birth of Jesus Christ,
the Savior of Mankind. The Chris
tan Church has fixed the fullness of
time for this event toward the end of
December, and the world has almost
unanimously consented thereto
There is very little dispute among
men in regard to the life and suffer-
ings and death of Jesus of Nazareth.
There has been a great deal of con-
troversy, however, over his miracu-
lous birth and Messianic mission
And besides the vast body of Israel
ties In all parts of the earth who stout
~ deny these things, there are many
nominal Christians who disbelieyc,
or affect to disbelieve, the entire his
tory of the man Christ Jesus. And
n OF their strong arguments against
this fact, which the Church so firmly
believes and proclaims, is its contra
riety to natural laws. That a virgin
who had never known man should
become a mother Is undoubtedly op-
posed to the course OF nature; but
the Christian church accepts now, as
it has always done, the conception
and birth of Christ as miraculous
events, and does not undertake to
argue the matter upon scientific or
philosophical principles. That such
a person as the historic Christ lived
and died and was buried, and on the
third day.rose again from the dead,
are facts as amply verified as any fact
in science or morals need be; and
that "this Jesus whom we preach"
and whose birth We are soon to COM
memorate, lived and died to redeem
a sinful race of men can be testified
to any day by more witnesses ofevery
land than almost any other PROPOSE
ton that can be named. Still, with
a cloud of witnesses ever ready to at
test the truth of this doctrine, men
will bubble over it and reject it be-
-caus they cannot understand it, and
because they find no analogy in ma
5ture for it. But the philosophy of
it is very simple and comprehensive.
L FORMS OF LIFE IN NATURE,
From the highest to the lowest,
whether vegetable or animal, require
for their production Or reproduction
the union of two bodies-the body
of the seed, for instance, and the
body of the earth into which it is
thrown. But these bodies presup-
pose preexisting life and power; and
mature herself tells us of a time when
her womb contained no seed nor
germ of life, and when she was
<swithout form and void" Then it
was hat "the Spirit of God moved
upon the face of the waters" and,
through various creative processes,
brought forth the different forms of
vegetable and animal life which we
behold in beauty and endless varie-
ty on every hand. Why is not this
fact of creation denied? It stands
alone; there is nothing like it. 1t is
a miracle, and as such isas unworthy
of credence as any other manifested
miracle according to the standard of
evidence raised by those who reject
Jesus Christ because of his miracu-
lous conception and birth. But
there appears by the record to be a
close analogy betweent the two record
ed facts, the creation and the birth
of Christ, and though Noses and
Luke will hardly be accused of col
fusion in this case, the language is
almost identical to announce both
events. Moses says that 'ethe spirit
of God moved upon the face of the
waters" and the result was good and
beautiful, and holy forms of life
st. Luke, using the angels words to
the Virgin Mary, says, "The Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the Highest shall overshad.
ow thee therefore also that Holy
Being which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God" L
this language, used to describe two
apparently differing and very distant
events, is not as substantially alike as
1t could well be, then we confess we
do not know what would constitute
similarity of expression. Indeed,
the two facts and events have a much
closer relation to each other than we
are at first inclined to admit. And
to understand the latter physiology.
cally We must recur to the former.
and note another peculiar phrase OF
the Bible narrative, which, in its sim.
plicity, contains
THE KEY TO THI MYSTERY.
Immediately after the Fall, wher
the Creator pronounced sentence Of
condemnation upon our first parents
He held out to the woman a promise
that sther seed" should bruise the
serpent's head. This is the only
promise given in the Sacred Word te
the seed of the woman peculiarly
Invariably the promises of God 20