St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-04
THE LESSON OF ADVENT,
AS Described Last Night by Rev.
William Wilkinson.

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William Wilkinson.
Last evening Rev. William Wilkinson
preached special Advent sermon at
Gethsemane church. Among many
other things, he said: To-day we
strike anew the note of Advent. 1t
tells every one who hears it, near and
far, of brighter day and larger hope
than any man. or all men, have ever
realized, or thought possible. The bless
ings, promises and ideals of Advent
ever are upward, onward, more bless
ing and more blessed every day than
the last. Take out of the world the
ideals and things this season plainly
teaches, and you enclose the world in
q dread darkness out of which
it will not come to light either
in mental or moral things. It is not
open to speculation as to what the world
without Jesus and His teachings would
become. We have the records of long
periods of time in many varied condi-
tons. China, Egypt, Greece, Rome all
inform us. Art, such as it was, sprang
out of Egypt. What was the value Of
manhood and Womanhood in the course
of the Nile. Greece perfected the
noblest philosophy of all ancient times.
1t had no adequate ideas of manhood as
such In its universal application. True,
Homer hated slavery; but heaven to
the Greek was for him and people who
could speak his beautiful language.
All Greek gods favor the Greek people,
and the gods were many and rude and
of characteristics like those who
worshiped them. Man has ever,
when left to unassisted reason,
made a God to suit himself.
10 dc Of
cheeks and woolly hair. 'The gods of
Greece are like the Greeks, so calm and
cold and fair" Rome was no better:
the people who could lord it over the
world became so vile and so blood
thirsty that Its history is a disgrace to
mankind and it became an almost nor
nal state, to have on hand war or two.
plot to murder one emperor, and in
some way to sell the power to another,
who in turn was killed. l doubt
if all time can show a state
of deeper degradation than existed in
the beginning of the Christian era.
Whatever men think about the theology
OF any church, the creeds and the serv-
ices, the mighty fact abides as firm as
Sinai that the supreme statement of the
value of men, and the far-reaching and
uplifting power OF mercy is in the words
and deeds of Jesus Christ, enshrined
and from age to age handed down
to the children of men. Nor is
this all; the great heart of man,
whether saint or sinner, knows this is
so; thus, when least it is intended, tes-
t1mony is given to this truth. 1t is
everywhere expected that the clergy
give themselves to prayer, to words Of
helpful love and to deeds of mercy.
When they do not the heather round
about know it, take note of 1t, and say
that man may be very many things. but
he does not represent Jesus Christ,
who came to seek, to help and to
save the lost. The noble, universal
purpose of Christ is not to condemn
men, not to make God terror to men:
on the contrary, it is to make Him, in
the sight of men, inexpressibly sweet
father, friend, guide. ever present in
trouble, singing songs of pardon to the
penitent, cheer to the downcast, life
for the dead. If, by Him, sin