St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-24
THE GLAD TIDINGS.
A Christmas Sermon by the Rev.
Nj. ID. Shutter.

Yesterday Rev. Marion d. Shutter
preached in the lecture room of the
Restored building to the congregation
of the Church of the Redeemer. His
text was, ''From that time Jesus began
to preach and to say, repent we, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand"
The season''wherein our Sdvior's birth
is celebrated" comes to us once more
with its hallowed associations and gra-
cIous influences. Once more the star
is lighted. We hear again the song that
made glad the skies over Bethlehem.
"Glory to God in the highest; on earth,
peace, good will to men," Our text for
this morning tells us how Jesus, him
self, began his ministry; how he went
from place to place with his message of
peace and gladneSS from men; and how.
when the people looked upon him and
heard his gracious words. they felt that
in him the old prophecy was fulfilled.
'The people which sat in darkness saw
a great light, and to them which sat in
the region of the shadows of death, to
them light did spring upp'
What did Jesus mean by the kingdom
of heaven which he proclaimed? 1.-The
kingdom of heaven is the inner life, the
perfection of mau as spiritual being,
which comes from putting the soul
above the flesh, the rational above
the animal, our eternal good above
momentary qualification" 1t is
the reign of righteousness, the rule of
God in the soul; it is the subjugation of
all evil, of every bad passion, every
selfish motive, every unholy aim, to the
scepter of justice and purity and love.
How shall this kingdom be entered?
- &c
He did not mean by this that all men
are great sinners: that they are totally
bad: that they have all sunk to the low
est depths; but that it was necessary for
every man to turn from the ways in
which he had been walking, so far as
those ways were evil; that every man,
according as he had been sinful, was to
feel the guilt and shame of his sin, and
feel it so strongly thathe would be will
ing to fOrsake it and turn his thoughts
to something better.
BY what influences must this re-
pentance be brought about? Jesus
sought to impress men, first of all,
with a sense OF the dignity and worth
of human nature. The value of man
was the key to his mission. For CEN
turtles human nature lad been down.
trodden. For centuries the common
people Ddu Deen Tie sport OI kings anu
at the mercy of priests. They were
taught that they were nothing; that
they could accomplish nothing: that
they were wretched and miserable and
of no account. Modern theology caught
the same idea and emphasized the ma
ture of mans degradation and helpless
ness. If there is anything contrary 10
the teachings of Jesus, it is that abOmi-
nation of desolation," that depreciation
of human nature which has disgraced
the creeds of Christendom from the be-
ginning until now. Christ taught man
to use his resources and rise in his
majesty. He taught him that he was a
son of God and heir of eternal life. He
began by rousing a sense of WORLDLY
showing man how enormous the crime
of smirchlng by sin his own manhood.
He also brought to bear upon men the
idea of the divine fatherhoOd- love
and care of God. And lastly his own
example. He showed what was posi-
BILE in human achievement, and kindled
the desires of men for holiness by his
own life