The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-12-29
GOODS G1FT TO MAN.
Rev. Powiol's Cbristmas Sermon to tn
NJ. Il. Congregation.

NJ. Il. Congregation.
The sermons on Sunday in the NJ. i.
church were delivered with special reference
to Christmas. The morning subject was
Gods Gift to Man." Luke 2-l0-1l-"Fear
not, for, behold bring you good tidings Of
great joy, which shall be to all people
The thoughtful reader is impressed with the
extreme simplicity and brevity with which
the sacred writers deal with the most i'm
portant truths The account we have Of the
most important event of the ages is com
pressed into few short paragraphs which
can be read in few moments. Divine truth
wins its way by no human artifce but by its
own inherent power
The apocryphal gospels are full of details
which have been invented by men with
view of ministering to human curiosity.
But it is characteristic of the true word of
God to touch salient points with sufficient
fulness to answer our practical needs while
at the same time giving ample scope for the
exercise of faith The birth of Jesus was the
realization of the worlds expectations. No
sooner were our first parents driven from
Eden than a Saviour was promised. The
ever expanding stream of prophecy awakened
an expectation among the chosen race, which
was communicated to the surrounding nations,
that great deliverer was soon to arise
Consequently the shepherds were not sur
prised at the announcement, nor were the
wise men from the far east nor was Herod
1t was no more than they expected Why
then did they not receive Him2 Because Of
the humble manner in which he came. But
did not their prophets say that he should be
without form or comliness? Yes, but they
also spoke of him as king
No doubt much of the perplexity concern
ing His Messiahship resulted from the in
ability Of His age to crash the thought of a
kingdom founded and administered on prin
ciples of love. The deliverer they expected
was one that should deliver them from the
slavery of Rome, and they were disappointed
to find that He scarcely alluded to it, 1t was
| the slavery of sin that He came to end.
| Many people thought, as they still think,
that the only way to remove an evil is to
openly attack it and administer immediate
and positive relief. But such was not the
Saviour's plan concerning many Of the evils
which afflicted the race. He educated the
conscience, created better impulses, awakened
loftier desires, and furnished the conditions
under which men were enabled in certain
sense to themselves remove the evils from
which they suffered. Thus, while Jesus did
not meet the views of the ruling classes, He
did supply the deepest needs of all classes
He traced all their evil up to sin and then
proposed to destroy sin-"to put away sin by
the sacrifice Of Himself" This was the
import of the good tidings," Wherever the
gospel is preached in its purity there civil
and religious liberty is enjoyed. We owe all
our blessings to the event we celebrate.
While to many Christmas is season of
dissipation and debauchery let US profit by
turning our thought from the festivities of
the season long enough to reflect seriously
upon the unspeakable giftof God-the author
of every good and perfect gift.