The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-12-27
OF SUBSCRIPTION.
REFLECTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS.

@IDO
congratuIation. of heart sympathy, OF
benevolence, of doing good, of purity,
and rood will to all sorts and conditions
of men. 1t should not be a day Of dissi-
patton and revelry and d~ebauchery. Nc
= Christmas can ever be spent in that
way. 1t is a proclamation and a curse
rather than true happiness and a bene-
diCtion.
1t is a day set apart to rejoice in q
Christianity spirit upon h glorious
Advent of the Son of God into this
world of sin and rebellion to bring hap
Diress and peace and salvation to the
lost and sin-smitten children of meu
VIII believe in Him as Divine as the real
Son of the Most High, God, as the King
Immortal, External and Invisible, the
Crucifed One, through whose merits
and sufferings Atonement for sin is
made, and Heaven opened forever to all
who look unto Him for salvation in this
life and in the life to come.
of Christ the i%nerrant Scriptures OF
eternal truth, record this of the
Christ: THE same was in the begin
ming with God. All things were made
by Him: and without Him was not any
thing made that was made" He Great
ed the world, and is equal with God"
Therefore the Jews sought the more to
Kill Him because " He said also
that o. was His Father, making Him
self equal with God" For as the
Father hath life in Himself, so hath
He given to the Son to have life in
Himself" Jesus answered them :
1 and my Father are one" THE Father
loveth the Son and hath given all things
into His hand" These are but few of
the scores of Scriptures that tell that
Jesus Christ was verify the Son of God.
and without that fact being fully estab-
lished in the mind there is no salvation
for any sinner. 1t is impossible to be
saved out Of Christ, without Christ and
being in Christ. 1t is all of Christ. We
must have our lives tried with Christ
In God. Paul says, Christ died for
our sins according to the Scriptures"
In Mark we are told that Christ came
Ito give His life a ransom for many"
we are told in Ephesians that believers
are made nigh by the blood of Christ"
Again in the same Epistle we read: I'm
whom we nave redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins, accord
ingto the riches of His grace" We
read in Hebrews that without she'd
ding of blood is no remission" We
req again of Christ that He obtained
eternal redemption for us. There is
therefore no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus" Onc more.
Jesus said-"I am the way, and the
truth and the life: no mar cometh unto
the Father, but by me-" Out of Christ
you are lost. 1t is impossible to escape
eternal wrath if you reject the Son and
do not live a godly. righteous, sober,
consecrated life. Lastly as to the
Words of the Gospel. we read in Acts:
Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name
under Heaven given m men where
by we must be saved" There is enough
af Gospel within the passages given to
save a world of sinners. God out of
Christ is a consuming fire; in Christ He
is q benignant, loving. merciful Father
willing that all should turn unto Him
a1u hNS-' IL IN hAON $AS ~
come sincere, earnest seekers after God,
Christmas will overflow with blessing
TO vour soul,
1t is really a much more serious time is
this season of Christmas than thought
less people dream of. There are con-
stantlY most momenrous questions thai
appeal to the understanding and press
upon the soul for consideration. While
as a mere church festival the Christ
mas has lost it's signifcancy. its observ-
auce as such. it is nevertheless true
that Jesus was born into this world on
account of mans sins and laying aside
all OF the consecrated habiliments in
which He dwelt from everlasting, He
wrapt about himself the garments OF
flesh and being born Of woman He COM
pleted His great redemptive work amid
the profound gloom and agonies of the
mighty tragedy on the Cross.
The religion of Jesus Christ the
Righteous and Only Saviour is widen
ing. is spreading over the world. Con-
trast \. D. 101 with A. D. 1901. ant
what a mighty marvellous change has
been wrought. There is a vast amount
of ~carnality, of hypocrisy, Of religious
frivoltY and %pretence. of useless forms
and ceremonies. but the Holy Spirit is
at work all the time widening the sweep
OF the Gospel net and increasing the
number OF disciples on the earth. There
is progress. there ere widening infiu-
ences at work in behalf Of true religion
and piety"-in behalf of holy living
that there may be holy dying. The de-
4otional 81 irit needs to be cultivated in
st homes as in most hearts. Are
Che Christian denominations awake to
this necessity, this appealing fact?
let this Christmas be n Of pleasant
cess and peace, and the spirit of it be
manifested in liberality of sentiment, in
cordiality f feeling, in wide and COM
mandng sympathy, n in Christian
givi"~. A Merry Christmas to all.