Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-12-25

Christianity nsy be viewed from two
sspsct8 the hnmsn and the divine. IL
bas been % Waved during the twenty
centuries Of ia caresr. Christ may DO
viewed a. "A root cut OF dry ground hav-
inx 60 torn or oomeliness that ve
should admire him." OF ~ ''ths chisfest
among t-n thousand and the ons alto
rsfher lovely The helpless infant OF
an urn2rried peasant woman lying In u
m.nxsr amidst the cattle Of the fislds.
o. ths peasant carpentsr Of Nazareth.
the coupauion Of i'll smelling fshermsn.
O. ths travelling priest who had not
vhsrs 70 lay his head, ending HE short
career a. . common maiefaetor
cruci6sd between two thieves, 10
"a object not highly calculated
TO secure the worlds sdniraticn
On reference He would Be- the rejected
and desrissd Of nsn- There b another
visw q Christianity which the Script
rres forcs upon n They contain the
vies here stated. but thsrs IL IN infinite
distznes between this view and the
other. Thsre b this vast difference BE-
tween saying Jesus b born" and
sChrisf is born We little realize how
great an allegation Ne make when We
had our letters. "A. ID. 1soa- We are
rsoordins an epoch In the worlds his
tori. We psrpstuats the memory Of an
svsns which. IL IL Is true. is moro
rnomsntous event than tho creation Of
tbs world IL IL proper TO say il Is IN
psrzllsled, Tor. while the idea OF God
incsrnafs - not peculiar TO Christian
ity. 10 IL believed that the fact was
nsvsr before realized. Tbs ancisnfs
dreamed % such an event. but the
civilizsd world at least holis that Ia
Christ alone was the longing realized
Ctristianity. IL IL true. does make q tre-
msndoas demand on the Imagination.
Oh eur eredulify. and on our reason
when Il asks IA 10 believe that the
Creator of tbs universe yelled himself
Ia jesus of Nazareth But this 10 what
y meant whsn ne say. -Jssus vas the
Chri<t- II mar Be doubted whether
his disciples ever reached such con.
c~pfion. bat Paul certainly seemed Ia do
-. and II must Be confessed that sons
Of Chri<f's cwn declaration fully cup.
port Paula such expressions ~ these:
Il came down from hssveu.- Before
Abraham wa | ara Hls prayer,
-0iorify thou me with thine own sels
With the glory bad with thss before
TIE void was ~rhos iovrdst ne be
Or. the fsundation 81 tue worli
J<e-s expressions. and many others.
give apparent strenx support " the idsa
that Jesus vss truly EmmsnueI via
God with u..- This u What Christmas
means b. the welLlnfnrmed orthodox
Cnri>fisn. J~sa. 10 him d thus much
pnors thss Jewish prophet. or an in
srir~d miracle workrr. For the first
snf only tims Cod rsilrd himself In
hsn.nity. whils a y true that Gesi /.
-ali. ans IA all yet the Christian 10
nrxe- that IN Jesus sion~ did God re-
veal bs true rAarsetrrs ~ that Ia true
sad dep ssnse God vs- hnrn whsn
Js-u- ses born We DO nat begin eur
esistenrs when vs are horn. We sim
rs rem~ sut iuso . greater fuliss-s II
Ne: md 20 th> ds~p r>snirx q Christ
n<s - tsst or THE dsy God h-xsn -
r~vesl himself ia . larger and fuller
sen-e ~ fully - tae divine can b re-
vs.iel 70 The hanss vhils The human
splf,f !. sl~o veiied In the ne>h Ae
>srs,rx ~ l><as N man ns~i ionr-r
~. eShsw - ths Fssher- l. 70 sny
~ealss tssn. hat hsvinx such . can,
'tnpsios 81 ts- meaning a Chri>tass
net q = ihs crovn a eli days Ia ne
khnatian ehnrchi and that being -
pest day "a light and - warmth
sheuid psnstrsts fhs dsFkn>ss and enid.
. -.