The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-26
SEASON or REvELRY.

fetal and what. is the social elements re-
tanned.
SEASON OF REVE14RY.
Thanksgiving has become largely "a
time and season o. reVelry; Christmas 10
the boys and young people is represented
by the tin horn, 10 the older people by
social giving and social functions Easter
is Interpreted now by flowers and music,
and the great idea in it is unconsidered
and oftimes unthought Of.
The gospel of John Is easily the first
gospel in significant scenes. Il enters
upon the Interpretation Of the life of
Christ from His birth until HIS crucifiX-
ION and Ills resurrection, with the one
specific purpose of shutting out from
view all else that does not help or con-
tribute 70 the high idea Of the great gOs-
pei, namely. that these things are written
that you may believe that Jesus is the
Christ the Son of God, and believing
might have life for yourself.
we have a writer who gives the inter
probation Of the Scriptures. ] wish very
much that the church people and the
Christians would follow the influence that
the Christ idea and the Christ life and
the Christ revelation is having upon an
literary thought whether IN paper or
magazine or what not. that Christmas
means this. We have seen and bear Wit
ness and declare unto You the life, the
eternal life. which was with the Father
and which was manifested unto us.
INSPIRING THOUGHT
ITO me this is an inspiring thought, that
the best thinkers. not from religious
standpoint, but from a general and gen
erous standpoint begin TO recognize the
heart idea. the central thought Of Jesus
Christ and His gospel and His ministra-
ton in the world. lie came TO bring 10
men life. Il is the dream OF the human
family. the longing OF every human heart
that pulsaIes now with the instinct Of
life and with the hope Of things higher
than the life they know now, that they
may be the possessors Of life complete,
made perfect in It's fullness.
LAS with Jacob OF old, aud from the
beginning Of life, the creation Of the first
man until now, the deepest the most
insignificant. the most tenacious idea and
desire of the human family is life. life.
IL IS the great question OF all time; / tell
you whether in this busy. bustling geuer-
alton In which We live, when men every
where more Or less seem 10 BE- controlled
by the idea Of gain, and when greed
seems 10 be the spirit Of the age, yet
when men become sober and think. when
they stop IN the busy rush OF their life.
to them each one the most serious and
the most profound question Is the self
same one Of life and its possession. John
Gays I'm Jesus Christ was life, and This
life was 10 be the light OF the whole
world.
4 flrfH farr1 -
into the world that men might know God
and know life as II was IN God. In the
coming Of Christ the longing Of the uni
yersal human heart was solved, for they
beheld God i'm the flesh. and the life
which lie lived among men during that
two and a half years Of His ministritiol
was the Interpretation Of God. ana as
lie walked and lived and spoke, this vas
life and this alone.
WHAT is LlFE2
What is life in its fulness? There are
only two answers 20 that: one has been
given by revelation and one ny science.
Herbert Spencer said that il Is pos
sble for man to have life and may have
it perpetuated. may have eternal lie
provided there should be a perfect cor
respondence between man and his on
vlronments. Jesus Christ set forth the
idea that there should be a perfect cor
respOndence between us and our en-
yironments, and this is the revealed con-
ception Of life: this Is life eternal, that
we may know the only true God. And
this life In the flesh was the life OF men.
Now, my brethren, / call your attention
to the life Of the Lord Jesus Christ In
its brief ministry Of two and half years
with which you are very familiar in
theory. and which is very foreign TO
most Of US In fact, and say that after
nineteen hundred years nearly. that the
life that was IN Jesus Christ and the
life that He lived among men. is the
light OF the world: the life which He
exemplided. the life which He taught.
the life which He lived Is the light u
the world; that life perpetuated. that
life made permanent through you and
through me II we interpret Il. While
His life was a mingling Of kindness and
unselfishness towards men, Christmas
should mean that to us. and hereafter
we who are Interpreting Christ 10 the
world our life and deeds and words
should be a ministry Of kindness and un-
selhshness TO those among whom we
mingle."