The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-26
CHRISTMAS AT ST. PAUL'S
PR ETTY SER VICES ATTHITCHURCH
YESTERDAY MORNING.

Adoption of sons" His Subj rct-
mas Tree.
The Christmas service at st Pauls
Church was very bright and spirited
The choir sang the anthems, Tears
''Sing of Heavens and the anthem
just written by Mr.. Haesche, THE
Nativity" The TIE Deum was Guonod' S
in and was very rich and joyful. The
choir of tweny-nine voices, men and
women, showed the good work of the
last few months under Mr.. Weld, the
Director.
The Christmas decorations consists
of wreaths about the chancel and choir,
with large use of holly. 1t was done
under the direction Of one of st. Paurs
young men, Mr. Charles Ostermann
and is simple, dignifed and effective.
The sermon was preached by the
Rector from the words: THAT we
might receive the adoption of love"
Gal, As
Rev. Mr.. Lines spoke as follows:
The Son of God came into the world
as at this time that we might receive
the adoption of Sons. That shall be
the subject of our thought this Christ
mas morning. 1t is the Cd faith of the
Church of Jesus Christ, of the Ancient
Creeds the faith which has given the
Christian religion power in the world.
The Son of God, one with the Father
from all enternity, was in the fulness
of time manifested in the birth of Him
whom we name the Lord Jesus Christ.
The nativity was not the beginning of
His life. He was from everlasting. We
can say little Of his pre-existence in the
glory of the Father for we have no
language in which to describe it. We
confess the great mystery which sur
rounds 1t all. Out of the glory of God,
the Son of God came, taking his place
among men, to do for them a certain
work which they were not able to do
themselves. His eternal existence is as
scented or assumed by Himself and by
the inspired writer's. We cannot accept
Him as true witness and deny that.
But what pre-existence meant we do
not presume to say. We have no con-
ception of what the life of God is, nor
is it strange with all the limitations
about us We cannot define human
life. We quickly reach the limits of
our knowledge and of our power of ex-
preston in respect to common things.
1t Is not wonderful that our powers of
thought and speech fail us as we look
towards God.
There has been long preparation for
the coming of the Son of God. The
choice and training of Israel among the
nations as the same are seconded in
ami q Yla
that preparation All human history,
the rise and fall of the Empires, The
seclusion of Israel, the extension of the
Greek language. The Roman Conquest
!. of the world entered into that prepara-
ton and brought in the fulness of
times He takes but a narrow view who
finds the PREPARATION for the Christ in
the fortunes of Israel alone. But in
a certain year the worlds history
which can be very close by determin-
ed, the Son of God came, His work
was for man and He took upon Him
the nature of Man. He was divine and
He was human, the two natures united
in Him. He remains the divine man,
neither His divinity nor His humanity
lost or observed. And the end of His
coming and Of His work is declared to
of love.
One cannot read of the incarnation
the coming of the Son of God in HUI
man flesh, without feeling the great
ness and dignity of man. God made
him like Himself. a reasonable, spiritu-
al being and He breathed in to Him
the breath of life 50 that he became
living soul made to live forever, made
to hold communion with his God and
Ito recognize Him as his Father I
cannot tell you all that their words
about mans likeness to God means.
The greatest truths is life are felt. not 4
described in words, not always under
stood. And we all feel as we send our
thoughts out through all space and all
time that there is something supernat-
ural and divine in us. We feel our /
Limitations and chafe under them, but
we feel our greatness and our power
also. There is within us that which /
testifies to the truth of the first chap
tiers in Genesis, despite what the men
of science say, the truth that We have
lost something, that we are Kings Sons +.
dsinherited. There comes voice /
which awakens response in our hearts
us that we are in some sense !
wanderers ana separated from our true
home No man cuts himself Off from
God nor loses quite this sense of a
lost inheritance. We were made to re-
spect ourselves to think great thoughts
and plan and hope and expect great
things. And we have learned
how great and holy, men with all our
can be. Great men stand
out in the worlds history with marvel
our power to learn and master and
guide and influence, and we put no
limits to mans capacity to grow and
develop. Beyond the greatest men lie
fields Of knowledge and opportunity un-
used. They have but made a begin
ming, and none know it so well nor con-
TESS it so freely as they
Along this line of thought about
mans greatness and power, and dig
1ity. I come to see why God regarded
nan as worthy of being saved 1t
was the saving of being made like
INTO Himself with immortality as His {
If you think of what man ]
nav be. and was made to be, the great
mystery of the Incarnation, the coming
If the Son of God to take our nature
mon Him, becomes reasonable. The
hought Ola divine character III ma