Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-07-12

Golden Text; They saw the young child
with Mary his mother. and fell down ana
worshiped him Matt 2: H.
GOD so loved that he gave"-snd
that he so gave. Chri looming as q
helpless, dependent babe, needing to
be sought and cared for-there is the
marvel @As unknown ("Where is
he." they were asking on earth ct
we'll known ("Where Is he notY" they
were saying in heaven. AS poor. yet
making many rich; as having nothing,
came with gifts, deicued to receive
gifts" of men. Poor, lor our sakes,
that presently he might make us rich.
Bring in your gifts to-day. Empty all
at his feet. You will take more away
than you bring.
Jesus is the worlds Savior. When
he was born at Judea he was also born.
in sense, in the far asst. Little
Bethlehem was not the only cradle OF
his nativity. Wise men from the East
wise with heaven wisdom. There
were still ira es of the old belief in the
one God abroad among the heather.
But the chief guide Of these Magi was
that Spirit who takes the things Of
Christ and shows them Il .to.us. The
Star was but one of them. The ques-
ton OF the wise men stands literally in
the Greek: Where is the born-king Of
the Jews? Newly DO n, or destined fer
birth, they accepted, in simple faith,
his advent as certain and accomplished.
"His star in the East" Probably ttey
had been given some sign before they
started. Certainly they were given a
sure token here on the spot. The star
came and stood over where the young
child was. We cannot but regard this
as miraculous In our la { lesson Sim
, con prophesied that the Christ child
was given that the thoughts Of many
hearts should be revealed" See how
this is already fulfilled in the group
ABOUT the babe OF Bethlehem.
Hint, and lust at.on,.
Born king! Every t NE king is born
king. The words of the wise men,
Where is he that is born KING of
the Jews" would naturally augur
the proud and jealous Herod What
was he but king, and king of the Jews2
Monarch he was, at least dc facto. No
one had, as yet, dared to dispute his
claim; his foot was upon the Jewish
neck. Yes, Herod was king of the
Jews. Yet was there half-co ncealed
frown on the face of the Jewish minion.
There was a glance OF resentment in
his dark eye and a half-uttered word
of hate upon the lip. King? Herod
was not king. Monarch he was and
master; servants they were and slaves.
He was not king: they were not sub
jects The one ID I'm King was yet .
to come. And in the eye of Simeon.
an Anna, such a bright look of ex-
pectancy The King, the true King,
the born King was coming. -
King of the Jews" Every king has
a people. The king who has no people
is culprit, or a clown. King of what
people did these wise hen come seek
ing? Who is this king Of the Jews?"
The King of the Jews Is the King Of
the world! Nowhere but at Jerusalem
could the wise men have found the,
fount of humanity's life. In that peo-
pie whose religion was their accepted
avocation. The Jew wa, the true.
brother of universal man. King Of
the Jews" was this one? Then is he
your King, our King?
Who are these wise men? They are
net ghosts! They have flesh and blood
Yet are they more than men. They
are prophets, for every soul touched
by the fire of divine inspiration
for every divine messenger j.
they know they are angels; prophet
angels, that they do not know. God
sent these men. They were sent to rep
resent the real crying need OF heather
ism. Baal and Dagon and MOloch had
still their willing worshipers, but the
heart of the nations cried out against
their cruel despotism. 1t is not the ma
tions themselves, not their priests who
sent these men. 1t was God. Deep down
below the ce and vanity of idolatry
that piercing eye looked and beheld
the unrest AMI longing; and now this
half-conscious want, this vague yearn-
ing, is given voice, kind of miracu-
lous voice. 1t is the plaintive, appeal
ing cry: Where is he that is born
King Of the Jews?"
And now do we hear that mild cry
Where is he that is born King of the
Jews? The nations, prophes!ed by the
wise men. catching the glow OF the
star, and lifting up lame hands and
crying to us. What is our answer?
There is something very sad about
that solitary, unhelped journey of the
Nagi. There is but smile or jeer
for them until they are apprehended
by the morbidly jealous Herod. There
Is no one to tell them of the "bOrn
King" The people are too busy plot
ting against merely earthly thraldom
on laying up the gold that perishes, to
think of their simple spiritual quest.
And where did they find this King of
the Jews. Not am ngst the high, the
noble. the well-conditioned but down
in the humblest walks of life Where,
ever after, his feet were discovered,
AMONGST the poor, in the heart of the
multitude, where darkness was desper-
ate and misery most conspicuous.
Where will you find the King of the
Jews today Step down, down from
pride, down from self-love, down into
paths OF humidity and establishment.
What next? Do you not feel hand in
yours? Who think you has led you all
this lowly way? Look up it is Jesus
Of Nazareth. the King of the Jews.
And now henceforth show yourself, a.
king by walking in kingly paths.
Next Lesson = 1.-THE Flight into
Egypt" Matt. 2: 1923.