The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-26

Mr.. Conant, organist and chorister was
a. particular feature. Rev. f.. j. Haugh-
ton, assistant rector, conducted the 3
o'clock service and assisted DR.. Israel
at the 1890 service.
The sermon at the 1890 service by DR..
Israel was on the text: "God, who
spake unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath spoken unto us by His Son" Heb.
1:1-2.
He pointed out that two great con-
traStS exist in the text and the con-
text. In the first the writer refers to
the progressive development of the re-
ligiouS mind under the guidance of
those termed prophets, men illumined
by God to tell his virtues, men above
all human and sent to prepare for the
greater visitation.
In the context the writer has refer
ence to Jesus, the perfect man--l sec
Ond Adam--come to establish Il new
Eden. Continuing, he said:
Downfall of Man.
Supremcly sad was the contemplation,
even by the heavenly bases Of the down
fall of man. The occasional prophet who
closely approached the perfection that
God intended for man, was an object of
the angels rejoiced when there came to
earth the perfect man, to fulfill tho
broken law OF obedience and re-cstab-
lish the Eden.
With the Holy Ghost, as his divine ;l,,-
thor. and a daughter of nlan for his
mother Jesus came unto the world a per-
feet man in his humanity, Il second Adam
---as Adam was before the fall--possessimg
in himself the image of Cod unbrolien
and the perfect development of n man.
Christ came crowned with the halo OF
spiritual power, holding i'll his tiny hand
eternal hope while round about, attend
ant spirits, health, strength. happiness
and long life gather close ana our ali
broods the heavenly dove of peace.
Jesus Christ the Son of God and Son
of man-tho more human as the more
divine-came TO redeem mankind from
the yoke of sin and burden of the law.
He was not to bc--but from the very first
was the Saviour. He offered himself a
willing sacrifice: but u sacrifice not as
the heather offers his innccnt captive
to appease the anger OF his god, but Il
sacrifice of his william Offering of perfect
conformity to the will of him that sent
him.
1t was disobedcnce for which man was
punished and by which he lost the blessed
image of his maker and it must be obedi-
ence, perfect, complete unQuestioning by
which he was to regain that defaced like
ness. The conception of God that makes
him demand blood for blood--life for life
is barbarous and unchrstian. An atone
ment for the sin of dsobedience, the
worst of sins perhaps, must be made and
no mere man could make it, and the Son
offered himself. not as q sop to his faith
ers anger, but to fulfil the law which
had been broken. who was the only
means by which atonement could bo
made, for that law was obedience. We
are told again and again by the Old Tes-
lament writer's that 1t was rot the blood
of bulls or goats that was a. .eptable to
God but the spirit In which they We're Of
tercd, the meek and contrite and obetli-
cnt spirit. This was the sacrifice de-
nGinded ana this was the atonement madA
by Jesus, whose birth as a lowly babe
(human and yet divino) we celebrate to-
day. ''Then said !, 10 I came to do Thy
will, o God QIeb. y, y.
To Do His Will.
And Jesus himself said: MY meat is
to do the will OF him that sent me- lJohn
iv, 80, and again, II can of my own self
do nothing; as / hear, | judge. and my
Judgment is just; because | seek not my
own viii, but the will of the father which
hath sent me- (John V. 3S. An in that
terrible hour In Gethsemane we hear the
words wrung out In agony. "Our Father
If this cup may not pass away from me
except | drink ii, Thy will be done Matt.
NNvi, i2),
In this blessed Christmas season l am
anxious that you should look upon the
the birth of the wonderful babe without
any OF that awful idea of the God, of
whom he was the incarnation which
has come to rs not from prophet or
priest but from the darkest recesses of
heathenism, He came to do the will OF
His Father and as He alone could per-
fectly accomplish this, lie alone could
make the atonement necessary for mans
liberation from the bands of sin and
death, And though, as to many since, the
accomplishment OF this purpose led by
way of the cross. 1t was to be borne in
order that all might benefit thereby and
have perfect example.
Thus the babe, from His very birth, be-
came the restOrer of the image of his