Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1899-12-20
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.

Topic For the Week BEGINNING Dec.
24-Comment by Rev. :. IL. Doyle.
ToPIe.-Our royal brother.-Heb i. 10; iii, s.
"a Christmas meeting)
The intent and purpose of the book
OF Hebrews are to point out the rela-
tinn between the Old Testament dis
pensation and the New and to show the
superiority of the New over the Old.
This is done by proving the superiority
Of Christ, the minister Of the New dis
pensation, over the ministers of the
Ola-angels, Moses, Aaron and the
Aaronic priesthood. In this first chap
ter the writer argues the superiority Of
Christ over angels. His superiority is
shown to lie in the fact that. while the
angels Of God are ministering spirits or
attendant worshiperS at the Sons ad-
vent Christ is associated with Ged in
It's majesty. a shartr of His everlasting
throne. The angels are servants Christ
is "A King.
Christ was born King Though
born under the most humble human
circumstance, yet Christ was King
by birth in that He was the Son of
God, who Is King Of kings and Lord Of
lords. Ancestry. and not surroundings
at birth, makes royalty. The child of a
king is royal born, no matter what may
be the outward surroundings of his
birth, and no amount of external royal
trappings would make the child Of any
other kingly child. Christ is the Son
of God By birth. therefore, though
born in the humble manger at Bethle
HON, He Is King.
} Christ as King sits upon throne.
His throne is the throne of God. 1t is
an everlasting throne "Thy throne. o.
God. is forever and ever" 1t is a throne
of which righteousness is the scepter.
"A scepter of righteousness is the scep-
ter of Thy kingdom.
8, Christ as a King possesses a king
dom He is not a King without king
dom. but King with one of universal
extent in both time and space. His
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom 1t
is a universal kingdom. He reigns in
heaven and upon earth. God hath
highly exalted Him and given Him a
name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should
bow. of things in heaven and things in
earth and things under the earth. and
that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the
Father In this kingdom Christ exg
cises royal prerosatives, He rules He
governs, He rewards and Furnishes. and
has absolute control of the lives and
oestinies of His subjects
4 Christ is not only our King, but
may also he our brother, our royal
brother. Christ twas faithfully as
son over His own house, of whose house
are we if we hold fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto
the end. - We may thus become mem
bers of the household of Christ, His
brethren, heirs Of God and joint heirs
with Christ if SO be that we suffer with
Him. that We may be also glorihed to-
gether.
Such a relationship to Christ is wer
thy Of our best efforts and eur highest
ambitions. and in such a relation to "a
King we should keep His name and His
honor unsulhed and untarnished Let
MS be worthy in thought, word and
deed of the confidence and love Of our
royal brother
Billie Readings Gen. iii, Is. Isa
vii, Il; xi, ITO; Zech. tx, 0; Math.
xxi. Ill; Luke /. 26-33; ii, Leo;
John iii, 10; xviii. 1888; Tim. Vi.
1916: Rev. Ky. 1-3; xvii, IA.