The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-26
WORDS ABOUT CHRISTMAS
AND ABOUT ITS MASSAGE OF FROM,
 ISE TO MiNEIND.

--Itev. Mr. Means speaks ot tho Dny at
 st.John's F. E. Church, { hristmas Scr
 vices at Trinity and St, raul's.
 At st. Thomas r, E, church yesterday tha rector, Rev. Mr. Beardsley, discours- cd regarding Christmas, his text and his sermon in full being as follows:
 St, Matthew l., 21-"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins"
 Again is it Christmas day, the day on which we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, the day on which we com memorate that stupendous and far reaching event in the history of man, the birth from a human mother of the Savior of the world. The church rc- gards this day with peculiar venera- ton. She experiences a joy at the re- turn of this bright festival which not even the Eastectide can bring. And well may she do so, for as one has said This is not merely the birthday of @ sage or a philanthrOp!st. It is the entrance into our human world of one who is at once its Architect and its Judge, under conditions, too, which make Him the peer of the poorest among us. It is the introduction of a new principle of life into humanity which we thus commemorate new starting point in the worlds history, a new fountain of happiness and bless ings which were unknown before" Is fN,, srI1 1c T n S- day as we contemplate the divine truth expressed by Paul to Timothy, And without controversy great is the mys- tery of godliness; God was manifest in the fiesh?" That is the tremendous truth for which this day stands, the manifestation of God, not in nature. not in conscience, not in history, but in the flesh. And as we think upon this great fact there must be kindled in our hearts a deeper love for Him in whom God was thus manifested to the world. As We think upon all that that manifesto tion means to mankind in the develop ment of order out of disorder, in the reshaping of human life, and in the giving to man new hope and aspira- tions, how can we refrain from joining in that glorious Christmas anthem of the angels, first sung to the shepherds on the lone heights above Bethlehem, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men"' Surely on this day above all others are We called to give glory to God for on this day was God manifest in the flesh"
 But now I have chosen for my text this morning a part of the announce ment to Joseph made by the angel which appeared to him in a dream Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins Of course in selecting these words it is not my purpose to speak upon that great subject which has come to the front recently and which has held an important place in mems minds by reason of the prominence given to it in a recent pastoral of the bishops, I mean the virgin birth of our Lord. So long as the church bids us pray at this season, Almighty God, who hast given us Thy -begotten Son to take our nature upon Him, and as at this time to be born of pure virgin" only the most lawless and destructive will be willing to admit that the church is not specific in her teaching on this sub feet. It seems to me that her language is as specific as language can be. But as I said this is not the point which I wish to take up this morning. While the text suggests the great question of the virgin birth of Jesus, it suggests also the more practical question of Jesus mission to earth, and it seems to me that no time is better fitted to con slider this than on this day, which com memorates the coming of Jesus to earth, on this day when "the word was made flesh, and dWe1t among us (and We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth" The coming of Jesus to earth was not a mere accident, nor was it an event with no distinct pur- pose. It cannot be said that Christ could have come at any other time just as well. History does not teach tha |. Events as they had happened and were happening do not teach it. He came in the fullness of time. He came when men were prepared to receive Him. And His coming was the fulfllmant of prophecy, the answer of a deep-seated and widespread desire.
 But now as to the purpose of His con- ing. If His coming WAS not a mere ac- cident, no more was it without a spe- cific purpose. And that specific purpose was declared in the angels an nouncement to Joseph concerning the child that should be born to Mary. "And she shall bring forth a son. and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins" For He shall save His people from their sins" He was to bear the name Jesus because that name was descriptive of His mission. It was de- scriptive of the purpose of His coming Every time, therefore, we speak the name Jesus We are reminded of the Ob- ject for which the Son of God made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of servant, and was made in the likeness of men" Jesus came then to redeem men, to save them. To save them from what? From their sins. The coming of Jesus opened up new possibilities for man.