The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-12-19

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
roOic For the week Besinnlpe De

Topic Fer the Week Beginning Dee.
21-Comment by Rev. s. II. Doyle.
REPRESENTATIONS; It's message and mo-
tive.-Luke Ii, 1920; John ILL., 14-17.
Every memorable ecclesiastical and
national day has it's message. The
Passover feast spoke to the ancient
Jews of their deliverance from Egypt.
The Lords supper speaks to the Chris
tan world of Christ's death and the
WORLDS ss!vat:on. Resurrection day
speaks of the resurrection Of Christ
and Of the confirmation Of mans hope
OF future life. Christmas day, the
S:7':g:.;;tecS:;, sioss; joyous day in the cal
endar Of the church, has its message
Of joy, Of salvation and OF good will TO
men,
/. The Christmas message Is a mes
sage of joy Behold, l bring you
good tidings of great joy!" This JOY
Is caused by the fact that salvation
was to come through the Babe of Beth
lehem. For unto you is born this day
In the city of David a Saviour, which
Is Christ the Lord" a cause for joy,
Indeed, for here was a message of light
to world In darkness, a message OF
hope to world in despair, a message
Of redemption to world in the valley
Of the shadow of death. Well might
the angels sing, ascribing "Glory to
God" and peace, good will, to men,"
Such a message Of JOY the world has
never received before or since, and at
every Christmas season this message
should come to us with increased APP
probation as we realize more and more
what it means to us and to the world.
z. The Christmas message is one OF
universal joy-"4 bring you good
sA4S@AEH ~ ~a-~~A %-- which shall be
K s - So histb Of Christ
sss-ass-. ~ ss i.eaysn and to earth.
1Ae ..-,,gc.s g Gee sang for joy.
The JudRan shepherds returned glori-
flying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen,
as it was told unto them. The wise
men from the east must have rejoiced.
Simeon and Anna were filled with Joy
and prophesied of the blessings to
come through the child Jesus. Christ's
birth is cause for universal JOY. We
may well sing, "toy to the world, the
Lord has come" If the message is
not a joyous Que to us, it should be and
may be If we will accept Jesus the
Lord as our Saviour and Redeemer
And if it is joyous day for us, we
should strive to bring JOY and happi-
ness into the lives of Others
3. Christmas has motive as well as
n message. Chrst's birth was not by
chance. There are motive and purpose
in everything that God does. We
would therefore expect this to be par
ticularly true Of such an important
event as the birth of His Son into the
world. And it is so. John gives us
Gods motive in sending Christ into
the world, and that motive was love.
God 80 loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son" for it. Love is
the most powerful of motives. and 1t
was this that caused Christ to be born
and to live and die. Ii Is the motive
above all others also that should In
spire response. Since God SO loved us
we should 80 love Him that we will
give our lives to Him In return for
''the unspeakable gift" which He has
given to us.
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. Iii, 10; lisa. vii, IA: TX, 6, 7; XII,
ITO; MAJ. Iii. /; ", 1-6; Matt. II, lis;
Luke l, 1888; Rom. V, 6-9: Rev. xxi.
II.