The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-21
* Christ mas Sermon Delivered at
the Warren Street Methodist
Church.
Christ, the Lord, Came to Redeem
Man and Reconcile Him
to God.
Tho Message Delivered to the Plain.
Minded shepherds of the
Judenn Plain.

the angel said unto them, fear not; Tor DO
hold ! bring unto you good tidings OF great
JOY, which shall be to oil people. For unto
you is born this day, in tho city of David. q
Savior, which is Chr list the Lord" Luke,
2:10.11. There are many days in the year
that we observe in commemoration of the
birth or death of some noted person,
some great invention, the achievement of
some glorious victory or the contamination
of some important work. This is all we'll.
and only shows orr appreciation Of charac-
ter noble and pure, the comforts arising
from discovery and invention and the
peaceful and prosperous influence conse-
quent upon true victories. BY a portion of
mankind some of these comm emorative
days are hailed with delight, while by 9th
era they are received with an equal degree
of anger, bitterness and remorse.
But as q Christian nation and peo-
pie no day of any age has so much peculiar
interest in it to us as that day which we
call Christmas. The text tells of the ma
tivity or birth Of Christ the Lord. He WAS
prophesied Of in many ways and for many
years before his birth. He was to bruise
the serpent's head-in him as Abraham's
seed oil families of earth we're to be blessed.
He was typiied in the Paschal lamb, the
brazen serpent, the smitten rock and the
mama; also by Melchisedec, king of Salem.
At the mention OF Christ's name our minds
take one mighty pendulous sweep to and fro
over his life, character, ministry, death,
resurrection, ascension, and everything
about him becomes q delightful contem-
plation. His name is as ointment poured
forth and has a gladstone ring in it in
hours of grief and sorrow. Take Christ
the lord out of our faith, literature and
history and what have we left? "How ted
ious and t~asteless the hours when Jesus no
longer I see." But when by faith he dwells
in our hearts we sing:
His narne Yields the richest perfume, d.,
And sweeter than music his voice.
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice
Let us then to-day mediate upon the
Lord.
The bearer of the glad tidings was the
angel of the Lord, one of the digniiied sons
of light, probably one of the most exalted
of all the angelic host. He was an embas-
sador from heaven to earth, from God to
tiding of great Joy to all people. The min
istry of angels is a thought worthy of our
consideration.
To whom was his message delivered?
Plain minded and simple hearted shep-
herds-heaven's honored. What a contrast
between the ambassador and those to whom
he appears. How different Gods way from
mans. It would have been supposed that
the message would have been given to
kings, or to philosophers, or assuredly to
the priests-given in some ostentatious
manner, with wonderful and unprecedented
~ ~ n --@ MIA -y-,ll L1~-vn- t,~~S,
mans way. Through all Christ's life God
pours out his contempt upon worldly glory
and distinctions.
The message, II bring you good tidinps
of great Joy, which shall be to all people,"
it was not an event of limited Importance,
nor was its blessings confined to a race or
tribe. but to all people. Christ the Lord
came to redeem man and reconcile him to
God. He was more than a temporal
Sayior. He came to save the souls Of men
from death eternal to a life eternal in
glory. He is a present Savior-God with US.
"For unto you is born this day-not prom
ised or phophesied of afresh-a Savior"
types had ended. The longed for, wished
and looked for and prayed for event had
come. The faithful shepherds of the Ju-
dean plain reioiced Inc the angel choir
came down from heaven, and they mingled
their hosannas of praise together. 1t is
Shlu tudt Wh0A VIZ Ao"o "a
the British reached Philadelphia that the
old bell in Liberty hall was rung all night
and immense torchlieht PROFESSIONS prom
enaded up and down the streets. and
shouts and cries of joy went up from every
heart. Grand and eloquent speeches were
made and great bonfires burned, but that vic
tory was not comparable to the birth of
Christ. A physician for a sick world ia
born. A redeemer from every i'll and of all
the depraved Of earth. Tidings of light,
life, grace and eternal glory to all people.
Wherever we find a horde of wandering
savages Christ was born for than. The
Laplnndets of the eastern continent IL
the I%celanders of the western. the Root
Diggers of South Africa Il South Amer
ica, are rejoiced and helped by Gods gift
of his Son to the world. How impartial
and universal the blessing bestowed! Have
YOU accepted this gift of Gods love to you,
and do you feed upon Christ by faith in our
heart? II so. rejoice. Sing and talk n
pray, and make holy meyriment on this
festive OCCASION. Be cautious and avoid
wicked m%erri,nent, especially such as is
common to the season, dancing, drunken
ness and gambling. Let us celebrate it as
the most Joyous and sacred of all the fes-
tive days. With hearts OVERLOOKING with
gratitude and appreciation join in an an
them of praise in memory OF the glorious
birth of a Savior for all complaints and for
all people.
Attention Company G.
TIo~n ~,;ll In n ,,oat;,,r NJ (1aluuak hul1