Smyrna times., 1886-01-27
FOf ule smyrna ltHteS
The Humility of Christ.
BY A. P. GRIFFITH.

And it came to pass in those days
that there went out a decree from
Cesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed, and Joseph also went
up from Galilee, out of the city of Naz-
areth, into Judea, unto the city of
David, which is called Bethlehem,
where he tarried for the night, being
on his way to Jerusalem to be taxed,
with Mary, his espoused wife, she be-
ing great with child. While there her
days were accomplished and she
brought forth her frst-born son and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger. Joseph had ap-
piled at the inn for place to lodge,
but there was no room" The keeper
seeing Mary's condition offered the
only place of shelter at his command
and there, amidst the beasts of the
stall, his father as nurse. came into the
world the Holy child Jesus. The only
warmth to take off the chill of the
night air on the divine babe was the
breath of the OK as he munched his
food in the next stall, the rude man.
ger his cradle, with straw for his bed, d,
which an OK or camel had left on being
led out to give place for the Babe of
Bethlehem. No cradle with patent
rockers, canopied with lace and rib
bOns, held or soOthed the child of
promise. His only canopy being the
cOb.web, with the dust accumulated
upon it and the flies caught in its
meshes, where the ever alert spider
was taking his evening meal. And
yet this lOwly birthplace brought to
the world its only Saviour. For, as
was predicted. his name should be
called Jesus, and there is no other
name whereby we may be saved, and
as Jesus the Saviour, he is known in
every language under Heaven. I am
informed that there is no other name
except this one, Jesus, but what is
changed either in spelling or prOnun.
citation in the different languages and
dialects of the world. Though oi
lOwly birth and amid lowly surround
ings yet the angels of God were in at
tendance and the "GlOry of the Lord
shOne around" and a multitude o
the heavenly host sang praises tC
Cod" saying, "GlOry to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men," Wise men from the
East were attracted by his star anC
came and worshipped Him and opened
their treasures. They presented unto
Him gifts of gold, frankincense anC
myrrh.
The humility of Jesus, beginning a.
His birth, continued all through Hi
life, for as He said of Himself, "The
foxes have holes, the birds of the all
have nests, yet the Son of Man hatl
not where to lay His head And even
when his triumphant entry was made
into Jerusalem the beast that bore Hin
was borrowed for the occasion. AnC
when his life was about to close, hi
miracles performed, His church estab
lished, He humbled Himself, because
Obedient unto death, even the deatl
of the Cross, and was laid in a Dor
rowed tomb all this that you and
might have life and have is abun
dainty" He left the glory that H.
had with the Father before the worlt
was in order to reconcile us to God,
and that we, through His poverty
might be made rich" How is it witt
our hearts; is there room for the Sa
ViOur? or are they like the inn-n
room. Remember He stands knockinj
at the door of every heart. Oh lie
Him in before it shall be too late. w
need not come to the Babe at the man
ger now, for the grave could not hOl
Him, but to our risen Lord, who as
cended into Heaven, and sits at tn
right hand of the Father pleading fo
US; and the Father well pleased witt
the sacrifice His Son made once for all
for mans redemption has promise
through Him to give us all thing.
Let us therefore present our gifts t
Him, viz: The gold of trusting faith
the frankincense of true and devou
worship, and the myrrh, representa-
the bitter and sweet of our selfish lives
By this giving up ourselves to Hi
will, we shall be made clean and pur
in his sight and after the battle of lii
receive the crown, the robe, the pair
and the mansion not made with hands