The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-24
SERMON ON JESUS BIRTH
RET, MIR. ADAMS ON THE SIGNTTI-
CANOE OFF 1T.
THE Advent of the Savior an Answer TO
Certain Conditions and Needs.

Yhe Advent OF the savior IN answer 10
Certain Conditions and Needs.
Rev. F. Winslow Adams preached "a
Christmas sermon to an appreciative
congregation at Epworth church Sun
day morning from the words in Mat
thew 81, and II: "Now when Jesus
was born in Bethlehem Of Judea, there
came wise men from the east to Jerusa-
lem, saying, Where is He that is born
King of the Jews, for we have seen His
star in the east and are come to wor-
ship Him" The following is a brief syn
opsis of His message:
Mr. Adams theme was "The Signifi-
canoe of the Birth of Jesus to two
Worlds"
l. The significance of the birth of Je-
Eus to the world in which He was born,
the world of nineteen centuries ago.
The advent of Jesus was an answer to
certain conditions and needs, which in
the evolution of the race had reached
the fitness Of time. The first Of these
needs is represented in Hebrew prophe-
sy. In the fulfillment of prophecy Je-
sus came, not as some were expecting,
TO restore the kingdom of Israel by sit
ting on the throne of David but to es
tablish a spiritual kingdom through re-
vealing the Father to all mankind by
His reign in the human heart.
Not only did Jesus come in response
TO Jewish prophecy, He came In re-
Spouse to the larger need and longing of
the entire Gentle world. This is rep
resented in the sacred story by the
search of the wise men of the east, and
the magi or priests of Persia, represen-
tatives of what was best in Zoroastri-
anism. Amid the elaborate idolatries
and sensuous worship of Egypt, Baby
Ion, Greece and Rome there burned in
many devout hearts a longing for One
who would bring light and life. Zorro
aster had looked for such an One and
hence his cry, when will the Helper
Gomez" The Egyptians had looked for
such an One and worshipped the
sphynx as al symbol of the hidden life,
the Son, who would yet come to reviv-
ify their mummies with eternal life,
''for," they said, when the Hidden One
comes He will bring life" All idolatry
was eloquent with cry for the Incar-
nation. The Greeks and Romans rep
resented their gods in the image of men.
Their highest eulogy on life was to robe
1T with divinity. This great cry of the
race to see God and live, to see with
physical sight the verification of spirit
ual truth in living Personalty--this
longing seemingly impossible of graft
fication was answered by the Incarna-
tion nineteen centuries ago in Bethle-
llem-Judah. The coming of Jesus was
not only response to Hebrew prophe-
cy, but Jesus was the Helper for whom
Zorcaster looked, the Hidden One of
whom the Egyptians prophesied, the
unknown God the Athenians wor-
shipped. He came not as man in the
form of God, but as God in the form of
man-came to replace superstition 1g-
norance, idoIatry, law, ceremonial;
came to give love as the only rule of |
light and life both now and forever.
g. The significance of the advent of |
Jesus to the world of to-day. This is |
its significance: To us in all our pro-
blems, miseres and Joys Jesus comes |
into rich contact. He not only came to !
tell the world of kingdom, but He is
here now to give us the kingdom, to
bring us into filial relation with the
ny tdhlIS up LIS ltit,b III pui
hearts Let us remember that He is
with us not only in our suffering and
weakness, but in our health and
Do we lose the divine SYM
pathy when we are happy? Do we lose
God when we are successful? Do we
lose God when we triumph? We are
not always bound in shadows and in
miseries. There are coronation days in
all lives, days when love blossoms, and
when love blossoms where is there the
equal to it in a flower? There are re-
gal days in the history of the nation,
and the divine sympathy is with us
just as really when we celebrate our
centennials as when we per-
form those heroic deeds which make
such celebra tons possible. Christmas
Is the worlds great coronation day
greatest, hottest, happiest of days, it
should ever be a day Of joy, of victory,
If sublime uplift and TRANSPORTATION.
But after touching the pinnacle of
good cheer and kindness for once in
he year, shall we relapse the 26th of
December into our old life of selfshness
and strife? I heard little child say
asst week, IT just wish Christmas came
very day in the year," We smile, do
We not, at the childish innocence, sim
1licity, and shall I add, ignorance? No, |
he child is right. We are wrong.
Christ came that the Christmas spirit
night live each day Of the year If he
s enthroned in our hearts each day
Will be a Christmas day-His day.
rhe childish wish that Christmas might
ome every day is the voice of wisdom,
he voice of prophecy, the voice Of the
Master Himself "Lo! I am with you ,
.lway!'' All hail to Him Who comes to
eign!