The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-04-10
THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.
Was Jesus of Nazareth Only a Man,
Or Was He More2
Synopsis of Sermon Delivered Yester-
day by the Pastor of the Com
eregational Church.

his third discourse on the above theme,
taking his text from Luke H., IL: "And
found the babe lying in manger."
The times were ready, said Mr.. koehne,
for such being as Christ was, whether
he was divine or human. Humanity was
hungering for knowledge. Not for phil
osophy, or science; these had been ex-
hausted. To this day PlatoI stands su-
preme. Modern research, thousand
years of meditation, has added nothing
new to his thought. But religious knowl-
edge was not exhausted. The world
stood before the great word God" with
its hands clasped. That word doomed up
in the dark ness-a vast outline but not
revealed. In Athens was an altar to the
unknown God" This proves the
wretched despair of the ancient civiliza-
ton.
But this hunger had good in it. 1t pre-
pared the way for Christ. As far as the
Pagan was concerned, the "fullness of the
time" had come; the Jew also was
ready. Their entire history had been
prophetic. Each of its institutions was a
symbal. The time was ready for the full
tillment of prophecies centuries old. The
past had been dream, a mist, whisper
OF a mysterious future.
OuI lHbeIe5L, nOWeN6T,
to paganism during this dark hour which
preceded the dawn. The voices of the
wise men were almost as prophetic as
those of the Jew. Socrates urged his dis
ciples to search for one who would teach
them how to escape the fear OF death. In
distant China Confucius predicted the
coming of one who would revolutioniZe
the world. Tacitus acknowledged be-
lief that q mighty one would come from
Judea. Zoroaster declared that con-
queror of evil would soon come into the
world.
Thus we see that Judaism and pagan
ISM were expectant. The world WAS
ripe. The golden age had passed away.
Inc age OF iron was IN decay. The age OF
clay, of primitive doctrines, was almost
ready. Then came a pause. Amid that
silence there came a burst of music:
Peace on earth, good will to men," The
keynote of Christianity lies in that sem
tence.
The shepherds play vital part in this
drama. 1t is not an accident that they
are prominent here. The great epoch of
history has always been anticipated by
pure, simple hearts. The fields afford .
noble place for ceremonies with God,
Men of the fields and desert places have
never been skeptics or idolators. The
city Is the place for superstition. The
metropolis of every age has boosted idols
never the desert. Mountain places, the
lair of wild beasts, have been the homes
OF regal-souled prophets. God commu-
nicates himself to chld-like souls, not to
scholars, not the king or priest, but the
shepherd, the simple, loving heart hears
the first message.
Shepherds watching their fiocks at
night, men and women performing the
humble duties of life, are the first to re-
celve heavenly tidings. Do not ask the
theoIoglan, but the mother nursing the
sick child, us Gods love a real thinpP''
Christ repeated this thought when He
declared only child heart could enter
the kingdom. The question.
whether or not real star foreheralded
Christ is barren speculation. But we do
know that the world has received its
noblest revelations through astronomy.
we 40 know that the study, the follow
ing, the light OF the stars lead to God.
No man can ponder the splendor of a
star without finding divine fact Graded
in 1t as in a manger. Science is not the foe
OF religion. All knowledge logically leads
toward Christ, holy life! None can
dispute that. And these wise men, who
they were matters nothing to us. The
hint should be profoundly Significant A
wise brain is not satisfied with itself.
These learned men hurrying toward
BethIehem Is only fact repeated every
day. Wisdom without religion is yalue-
less. The heart has hunger as we'll "a
the brain. Let these wise men be re-
Jected as tradition without foundation.
we sun nave the tact that the Gentle and
jewish civilizations, through their great
est men, through their greatest intellects.
were searching for divine love. y holier
form of religion!
The wisest men since Christ's day have
turned toward His inanger in alteration
he universities OF Europe and America
do nothing else but pour their treasu roo
at the feet of that Jewish babe. If. then.
the story OF the wise men is true at this
very hour, why not then? Christ
was born Jew because Judaism during
thousands OF years was gradual unfold
ing OF the God idea, The relation of God
10 man and conversely were typed in all
their religious worship. Tie Jew had
the ideas. Christ was the elimination of
their C INJURIES.
All the institutions of Judaism were
cradles, where deep thoughts lay Sleep
ing: 1hey awoke in Christ Christ gave
their ideas universally. He made their
Prlhelpies Worldwide. He gathered up
the dreams Of n race and realized those
dreams for all races. The Jew was the
only race in the world that had distinct
ideas OF God, the soul, duty, RESPONSE
bility. providence, prayer and iInmor-
tality.
Other races had some of these sublime
truths; the Jew had all of them. The
Jew was not great in art, science, philoso-
ply, but in religion he stood head and
shoulders above all other people in the
world. Christ was related to that tre-
mendous past. Scarcely a great man.
hardly an epoch in Jewish history, not a
lofty burst of poetry or prophecy, but
found in Him fultillment Religion
had grown old, and. like a man, gray
hairs, prejudices, dim eyes, traditions.
had made religion weak. Religion must
return TO childhood to be pure and
innocent.
His birth came like an effect follows a
cause. he was not so much miracle as
an event which the past had prepared
for, yet, as a miracle He stands alone. II
we surrender all the miracles accredited
TO Him, we have yet Himself To account
for. Natural causes are insufficient to
account for His presence in history,
Powerful forces are operating at this
hour and yet no such life is the re-
suit.
But the times were ripe for his coming.
The greatest political upheayals in
the annals of time were then pro-
gress. He came to solve the problems OF
the state. Slavery was universal. He
came to describe the rights of man as an
individual and plant the seeds of liberty
and democracy. ldolatry crushed the
world. He formulated religion into g
system, which two thousand years have
not changed. He was born in place OF
poverty. He revealed the riches of man.
hood.
Against gold and silver he placed the
treasures of pure heart aud meek
spirit. Toll was the province OF the slave
working at the carpenters bench, He
made toll sacred ana divine. There was
no room for him at the inn neither was
there room in civilization for his ideas
He was Graded in a manger and gave g
new meaning to aristocracy. He was
born of lowly parentage. He began lite
of tho lowest Doint in order tn pather mr.