The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-27
A CHRISTMAS SERMON.
Rev. Mir. Custer Tells Why Christ Came
Upon Earth to Bless Mankind.


Rev. w. r. custer of the M. e.
church preached a Christmas sermon
last night from the text found in Mat
thew liz, I'VE have seen His star IN
the East and are come 10 Worship
Him" The speaker said:
These were the words OF the wise
men who came to find the newborn
Redeemer of men. His star had led
them on until they came near where
He lay in the lowly manger. 1T IS sup
posed by Lew Wallace that these three
who came from the East seeking Chflst
were Of different nationailtles' anu nv
others have supposed they were OF dlt-
ferent stations in life. One, an astfon-
omer. another a moralist and another
a philosopher. II this be true, theh
there was much of significance ABOUT
this visit. No mind would more ae-
light to find Christ than the one de-
! voted to the study Of the heavens, for
4 that study leads one to reverence ana
/ to God. Human morality would de-
light to find that God is wiser than
man, and when He gives set OF NOR
al facts or teaches morality, lie does
| if nv example and in flesh and blood.
/ The philosopher would also rejoice to
! find that truth can be revealed about
heaven while unaided faculties of man
| cannot even find It. The gospels are
certainly not fabrieations. HAD man
imagined these immortal records, he
| would have written everything else DuL
| such as these are. 1t has been said
that good men would not have preNafl-
| Gated while bad men could not nave
manufactured the sublime morality OF
the gospels. 1t is true that no mind
would ever have imagined the things
found in these gospels.
..When the wise men came they Of
fered unto Christ gold and silver. rms
was a prophecy of what should come IN
the future for unto Christ has been OF
/ mr. since that
unto any thousand others. Talk about
being liberali You may search all the
ancient heather world through Tor any
Hberality such as Christ caused To
spring up in the human heart, and you
may 60 outside the circle where the
gospei is known in the world to-day
and ii is the same. All the institutions
of learning, of mercy and Of spiritual
good were erected by liberal giving
and there is case where in one meet
ing $50. 900 We're given for missions, ane
that by the poor, for they had to give
up their watches, gold rings ana al
they had and, not only that but many
offered themselves for those 1ofelSI
fields for life. That was liberal time
and IT showed the spirit OF liberalit5
abroad in the land. caused by an OBJ
ieet lesson taught by the Almighty il
giving his only Son to die for the world
after giving himself as an example II
all things. II takes Christian lands L
show Y.
| mas time, when all give to others, blu
i all the year through. Wisdom an
: learning will all come to the feet o
Jesus.
: ITO fully understand what Chris
has done for the world 1t VIII be nee
e essary for us to contrast the time i
Y which He came with the one IN Whle
| we now live remembering that Their
e are lands still that have had as muc
time as our own to develop, which ar
G to-day sunken as low as the Roma
e annire was when Christ came. We al
e aroused and taught to hate SLAYER
e when we read Uncle Toms Cabin.
our hearts foath that slave trader la
! ey and we weep when we thlnk {
I Eliza. But let me say that the 4,o0oal
slaves brought from Africa here WEI
u as nothing to the more than 3o,ooo ~
/ white slaves held in the most abJet
e bondage in Rome when Christ cam
n They were treated. not like human bt
II ings, but like brutes. The AFRICA
/ slave was allowed TO go to church an
ie have plenty to eat: the ancient slaN
e was never allowed any liberty VIVA
!. ever They We're mere beasts OF bu
= den.
Woman has all to thank Christ fo
II She was held as a piece Of proper
10 for the will of her husband, and
II could DO as he liked with her. TT
lie laws were all made by him, and
lg made them for himself. No man CO
;. contrast the present with the past al
IL say that Christ has not wrought No
M ders and no man in his senses can eK
y give any just reason for being again
this Man of Sorrows. whose soul w
poured out as an offering that all m
tn might be blessed. Christmas time
IN the right time to think about the
ne things. Christ came during the wi
up Ter. but he came TO bring summer
as the hearts of men. He suffered t
sc. cold. that we might enjoy the warm
r of Gods love and His infinite goo
. ness"