Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1902-12-20
Thoughts Suggested to a Rev
erend Clergyman at This
Joyous Season.
Infinite Offense Made Neces-
sary An Infinite Atone
ment.
USE MEANS GOD PROVIDES US

On next Thursday we will again be
called upon to celebrate in an especial
manner these joyful tidings announced
by the angels, for on this day Savior
was born unto us, who is Christ, the
Lord, in the city of David. This happy
event, for which the world waited during
that long period of 1900 years. has at
last become reality, and that which the
Prophet Isaias foretold of the coming OF
a Redeemer has been accomplished.
For a child is born to us and a son is
given unto us. and the government is
upon his shoulders, and his name shall
be called Wonderful Counselor, God the
Mighty, the Father of the World to
Come, the Prince of Peace. His empire
shall be multiplied and there shall be no
end of peace. Ills TX, 81. Nineteen
hundred years have passed and gone
since the fulfillment of this prophecy of
Isaias's in the birth of a God Man, Jesus
Christ, whose advent into the world
threw open the gates of heaven so long
closed against the human race on account
of the disobedience of our first parents in
eating of the forbidden fruit For in the
beginning, when God made man, he
made him to his own image and likeness
and placed him in paradise of pleasure,
under certain restrictions, that be could
partake offeverything therein except the
tree of knowledge of good and evil, and
he commanded him not to eat of this
tree under penalty of death, not only for
himself, but also for his posterity. What
followed is known to the whole Christian
world. Our first parents, Adam and Eve,
did eat of the forbidden tree, they were
cast out of paradise, heavens gates were
closed against them and they were
condemned to death. Nor was this pun
ishment to affect them alone. No, 1t
must necessarily extend itself to the
whole human race. For as Adam was
made the procurator of the whole human
race, and as in obeying God the whole
human race would receive the reward
promised, so also in the disobedience of
Adam the whole human race were sub
iected to the same punishment as Adam
himself. But perhaps some one will say
this offense of Adam was light when
compared with the punishment; yet il
we only consider that Adam was consti-
tuted in the state of sanctifying grace,
that he was free from concupiscence,
sorrow and death, gifts undue to his
nature, we can easily see how he could
have conformed himself to Gods conf
mand and thereby merited eternal glory.
Adam did not do this, but on the con-
trary he withdrew his allegiance to God
for some created object and criminal
pleasure and gave blind preference to
the creature, thereby committing grave
offense against Coda crime which
could not be atoned for unless by the
incarnation of some divine person, if we
suppose that God wished the satisfaction
to be in proportion to the infinite offense
given to him by Adam. A finite crea-
ture, such as man, could never satisfy for
an infinite offense, and hence it was
that God, the Father, thus ordained that
this his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
whose nativity we are about TO celebrate,
should come down from Heaven, from
the bosom of his Eternal Father, with
whom he was co-eternal and co-existing,
in order that he might redeem us and
reconcile us with his Heavenly Father,
from whom we were estranged by the sin
Of Adam. OH how incomprehensible is
the love manifested in this mystery. A
God, the creator of all things, descending
from Heaven and taking upon himself
human nature with its inhrnities in
order to become our friend and brother.
Nay, he even permitted himself to be
born of an humble Virgin in stable al
Bethlehem, where there was neither heat
nor comfort, but rather the damp and
chilly air of cold December's night.
Was this all this sweet baby had &c
endured No, the clothes in which hi:
tender body was wrapped were pool
swaddling clothes. What would the
people of our own time say were such {
thing to occur in civilized community
Would they not consider it cruel ant
barbarous under the circumstances, If NJ
effort was made to make both mothe
and child comfortable Yet this wa
what happened to the babe Jesus and hi
Virgin mother, born in Bethlehem in
state of poverty and AFFECTION. HI
whose birth was celebrated by multi
tude Of the Heavenly army, praising Coz
and singing "Glory to God on high
peace ON earth to men OF good will, wa
born without any external pomp. He, b,
whom the angels praise the majesty o
the Almighty Rather, whom the DONNA
tons adore, the powers hold in awe, thu
heavens and the virtues of the heaven
and the blessed seraphim celebrate will
united Joy. He was not decorated will
any title that could distinguish him from