, 1899-12-26
AT THE CATHEDRAL.

Inc following extracts are taken from
the Christmas sermon of Dean Cope
at the Cathedral:
He took not on Him the nature of
but He took on Him the seed
of Abraham"
He took" In those two words are
gathered up a world of meaning. 1t
contains a teaching which lifts man.
kind from earth to heaven. He took,
He did not inherit or receive a body.
Such language does not describe the
ordinary birth Of a common man. 1t is
impossible not to see in this language
that it makes an essential and promi-
nent difference between Christ's en-
trance into this life and an ordinary
man. 1t shows voluntary action. It
was an act contemplated before hand.
1t implies not only pre-existence but
power, dignity and condensation. He
took not on Him the form of angels,
but He took on Him the Seed of Abra-
ham. This language shows a choice
made by n superior to any created
being. as to whether He should reveal
Himself to the world as an angel be-
ing or as Gods incarnate in human
form. The epistle to the Hebrews
was written for the Jews. The general
meaning of the expression would be He
took on Him the form of the human
race. st. John throws light upon this.
In the beginning was the word. The
divine personality and the word was
with God, and the word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by Him, and
without Him was not anything made
that was made. The incarnation then
was more than the mere union Of d.
vine and human natures. Such a
thought is Nestorianism, very thinly
yelled. Incarnation was the Divine
Being entering into the human condi-
ton, and dwelling among us men, the
individual, indivisible Christ. And all
His doings were those of an individual
the Christ of God. By the very act
of the heavenly wisdom, we have an
inconceivable pledge of the love of
Christ to man, for in that he hath TAX
en- into union with himself our very
nature. 1t Is a ~stupendous thought this
union of the divine and human. Irrev-
erent unbelief and scornful wonder
may credulously stumble at the doc
trine, but every philosophical mind,
every student who has touched the
pulse of history about the time of the
birth of the Christ child knows how
uncertain was its beat. Paganism,
p%hilosophic thought the social relation
was %stagnant. longing and hoping for
some reviving power.
Fifty-flve generations have passed
away and there is no name which ex-
ercises such an influence on the world
today as the name of Him who was
born in Bethlehem. The life and say
ings of Jesus place the prophet Of Naz-
areth in the very first rank of the men
of sublime genius of whom u species
ian boast. In Him we have a manifes-
tation Of power which o%utreaches all
others. 1t is a divine power, a glor-
ious power. 1t Is an infinite power. It
is a righteous power. It is a power
regulated by wisdom and elaborated
by mercy. 1t Is moral in its nature. It
has to do with human hearts. The
power Of the Incarnation in con-
nection with the death and resurrec-
ton Of Christ is destined to put into
the world a new spiritual life, and will
attact the human race to the cross, In
order that ultimately 1t may be uplift-
ed to the throne.
The world has grown better since the
coming Of Christ into the world, since
the union Of the divine and the human.
But it will be better still when each
and everyone is in true spiritual I'M
ION with Christ. Oh that the blessed
Savior might unite Himself with each
and every heart this Christmas time;
that He might impress upon each soul
its great destiny; that He might
quicken within US those talent forces
for good which slumber within us.
without Christ In union with each Of
% Ne are incapable Of the highest
onces Of our being. without Chris
We cannot truly live; without Christ
W cannot truly die.
IN soms eAuRchss Of old On Christ-