Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-12-21
THE COMING OF CHRIST.


The church year, which brings the
world every twelve months face to face
with the great facts and events in the
history of the Sayior's earthly life,
finds in each annual recurrence some
new hearts to be touched, some new
experiences to be sanctified by the Di-
vine Spirit and illuminated by the Di-
vine truth. We are always rediscover-
ing the truth which Christ taught eight
cen centuries ago, because the power
of entering into it depends so largely
on our own personal unfolding of heart
and life. We never approach the great
events in the Christian Calendar in the
same attitude; each year some change
of mind, body or estate makes a new
approach inevitable. And so it is that
the yearly recital of that sublime his
tory which brings the Divine life within
the circle of human knowledge, instead
of weakening by familiarity the inn
press:ons of those solemn scenes, oives
new and deeper views of their signiii-
canoe by throwing over them the lights
and shadows of growing experience.
In Christ the riddle of mans life is
solved; in Him is disclosed that open
secret of the universe which CARLYLE
was all his life long striving to read
from his own standpoint Before His
coming there had been glmpses of the
mind of God, but in Him alone the heart
of God was opened to men. Christ
came into world which men had
striven with passionate but unavailing
earnestness to comprehend. Philosophy
had made n sublime effort to reach the
Eternal One back of the armies of
images into which art had put its
thought; but the search had failed, and
the Master, had He taught in the CEN
tiers of intellectual movement, would
have found the noblest minds painfully
living on the husks of stoiciSm. The
universe and mans life bound up within
itwere hopeless problems until He came
who was Truth itself In Him all life
found significance and value, and, read
in the light of His words, history fell
into order and answered His penetrative
declarations with facts that repeated
and emphasized them.
And in all the world no individual
life is comprehensive or true until His
presence shines upon its darkness. Be-
fore His coming there is no key to read
its experiences. They conflict the one
with the other, and are but the acct
dents of an existence which is the prey
of circumstances. Event follows fast
upon event, and one is caught in a sea
whose tides answer no law from above,
but sweep irresistibly on to the shores
which they have strewn with wrecks
since time began. Before His coming
sorrow is only bitter and barren
agony. 1t strikes the things that were
best, it scatters the flowers and leaves
the weeds luXuriant along the smitten
ways. No wisdom guides its coming,
no love directs its shafts, no hope shines
over its path. Clouds and darkness,
anguish and despair. are its only COM
panions. Before His coming death
drops the curtain, and the drama, which
was only poor show at the best, is
over; the spectators 90 their way to.
other plays as meaningless. The golden
promise of youth, the titful energies of
maturity, the gathering shadows of age,
the impenetrable and final darkness of
the grave-the story is briefly told.
Dust to dust and ashes TO ashes is all
the wisest can say over the grandest
life.
But now for the individual, as once
for the race, Divine life is born in that
poor shelter, the heart; star breaks
out of the darkness; chorus of angels
unheard by men breathe out upon the
upper air a song of thanksgiving over
son that has found his Father; and
strais htway the broken and shattered
life gathers purpose and is full of mean
ing, the onrushing experiences become
ministries of Heaven TO nature that
needs the molding of a stronger and
truer hand, the overwhelming sorrows
after they are overpast leave behind a
peace that passeth understanding and a
hope that fadeth not away, and over
the gate of death it is written: This is
the way to everlasting life" Christian
| Union.