The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-09
The Story of His Life is
the Marvel Of the
Ages.
influence of Station, Wealth and
Glass Distinctions Upon
Our Lives.
An Injustice to Picture the Mighty Ruler
ns q Shylock Demanding His
Pound of Flesh. -

Y08tGIuHy bpOAc VI -
Christ's mission is clearly set forth IN the
text. "For God sent not His Son into the
world to ondemn the world, but that the
world through Him might be saved"
His coming to this earth on any errand
whatever il astonishing when one thinks
how strenuously men hold the distinctions
and dlenities of rank aud social position.
There are strong barriers between people of
the various ranks and conditions OF society.
Especially ia this a marked feature of soci-
ETY. in the old world, where aristocracy and
social distinctions have had many centuries
back of them. When one of England's
princesses marries outside of her own rank,
all England is disturbed and excited. A
great gulf ia fixed between the various
classes, and there is no. passing from one to
the other and higher rank. In times of
slavery there was a great distance
between the slave in his howell, and his mas
ter in the plantation manson. 1t is easy
and popular as a matter of poesy to sing
and praise the sentiment of Burns:
What though on homely fare we dine,
Wear hold en-grey and . that;
Gle fools their silks. and knayes their wines
A mans a man for a that.
For a. that, and q that
Their tinsel show and a that,
The honest man, though Ger sac poor,
Is king o men for a. that" Il
Nevertheless rank, and station and wealth
and class distinctions do have a tremend-
Gus power and influence upon our lives.
In this country there is growing up an
aristocraoy OF money, proud, defiant and
mighty, who look down upon the poor me-
chanics, or the common tradesman.
To men accustomed to the strong class
prejudices comes the news that the King OF
heaven has sent to US his only begotten
Son, to become one of us and to lift us UP
into the ranks of Heaven! Oh wonderous
story! No story of Arabian Nights il half
so wonderful as this story OF the condescen-
sion or Jesus who became one OF our de-
spised race and lived az, one of us, and died
in our behalf. The story of his incarnation
is the marvel of the ages that lie who
thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, nevertheless became bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh and was called the
Son of man.
Not to condemn. "God sent his Son into
the world not to condemn the world,"-and
yet. that was the most natural mission on
which he could have been sent. The world,
ever since Adam first fell into sin, has been
u, one long dark history of crime and blood
shed, tyranny, OPPRESSION. injustice. AS
to-day we read the political crimes of
Russia against her own people, and the
recent crimes against the Jews, whose blood
that Heavens justice ana judgment ale not
reused to vengeance and reprisals? Go read
the crimes Of Nero. and Caligula; go read
the crimes of religious prosecutions and
bloodshed; 70 soc the wars and hear the
cries of agony on thousands of fields of
blood;-and then one wonders that some
avenging angel is not sent OF God to wipe
out. by the waters of another flood, the
wicked oppressors Of the earth, or by fires
of vengeance the modern sodoms of i'm
purity.
When Ahab and Jezebel defraaded poor
Naboth of his life and of his vineyard, it
became a type of the many wrongs the poor
have suffered at the strong hands of the
rich. Slavery of the brother in black has
been abolished, but the world over another
and more CALLING slavery of labor to capital
has been substituted; men to-day work for
soulless corporations, and are counted as SO
many machines. Men are rebelling against
the situation and ultimately will succeed
of the oppressed has long been tor a Moses
to lead them out of the land of oppression
= and tyranny and wrong.
How a just God can see Africa of to-day
overlooked with Boston and German rum,
and not send an avenging angel on an er-
rand of and vengeance ls
beyond human comprehension; how a pure
God of righteousness can see the streams OF
intemperance and vice and llcen-
tiousness. and crime and injustice,
and not send forth ~lightnings OF
divine judgments is far beyond
human comprehension. His mercy
is truly like the Wilderness of the sea-"
Though God might we'll have sent his Lon
to condemn the world yet he did not do SO;
that son was sent that the world through
him might be saved! He CONS to save even
unto the uttermost. o, wondrous divine
love that could and would bridge the chasm
between God and man! q, wondrous mercy
that instead of judgment speaks to re-
demption, instead of punishment ushers in
grace! O, marvel of marvelH, this mercy OF
Cod fhat pnnfnmna mt Init Enyna pniIty
wicked, lost men.
We often hear it said that Christ is the
sinners friend, and 80 he is. Let no whit
of praise and alteration ever be taken from
the Savior's deserved praise but let every
tongue join in the song.
"All hail the power of Jesus name,
Let angels PROSTATE fail:
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all"
Let every tongue sing most heartily:
What a fl lend We have in Jesus.
ALI our sins and griefs to bear
But we do a sad injustice to God if We s.
picture it out that in Heaven God sits on
stern inexorable throne of justice. Will
Jesus merely cries for mercy in our behalf
we do a great wrong if we make God tax
the place of Shylock, in the Merchant o
Venice, demanding his pound of flesh, be
pleas for mercy or other payment. God i
no Shylock! And yet many use langnag
as though his Justice were Shylock Justice
1t is not 80; God must be a God of justice
else he were not Goa; yet is he a God Q
love? God SO loved the world that II
gave His only begotten SON" "God sen
not His son into the world to condemn tn
world" 1t was He himself who c~ontrive'
the plan so wondrous kind # the salvatio
of rebellious man. As we think of Hi
marvellous wisdom and love in unitin
divine justice with infinite compassion an
redemption. we'll may we shout:
oh. for n shout of joy. high MS the theme we sin.
To this divine employ, your hearts and voice
bring.
Sound, sound through all the earth abroad,
The love, tn eternal love of Cod
Alas. that after such an expenditure @
divine love, 30 many hearts yet remain mn
saved. untouched and unresponslve. OF
the forbearance and patience and long
suffering love of God that still stays til
hand of avenging and c%ondemning justic,
God sent not his son into the world. br
that the world through him might be saved
-"miEht be saved'-for even omnipotenc
cannot save an unwilling soul! oh I'll
marvel that human souls can do despite I
such love divine and neglect 30 great saliva
ton.
Photograph albums at less than one-hAlf pri
Mt The Les Hive.
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