The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28
CHRISTMAS BIRTH OF
SAVIOR FOR MANKIND
DR.. Hurlstone Believes the Coming
of Christ Was to Take Active
Part in Nature.
CAME TO DISPENSE CHEER

What think we of Christi" was the text
on which DIR. Albert Hurlstone spoke at
Roberts Park NJ. +. Church yesterday
morning. He said in part
The first recorded saying of Jesus was
question. To His anxious parents who had
sought Him sorrowfully and found Him in
the temple. He said. twist We not that
must be about my Fathers business?'
Other questions of Importance followed
during His ministry. Once He asked;
when He saw the multitudes melting away
before His teaching He said to His disci-
ples will We also go away?' To the repre-.
sentative Pharisees He put the question or
the text, What think We of Christi"
Let US take this general question of the
text and particularize. What think we of
not that of an ordinary child 1t
was the coming down of the
Creator to take part in the nature and
submit the conditions of the creature. No
man can explain the mystery of the in
carnation, but when the fact is made
known to us with all it's bearings on us
may not apprehend 1t so to use it, and
to draw from ii advantage to himself,
abundant and abiding for time and etern-
ity.
BEST COMMENTARY.
What think We of His purity? THE life
was the light of men," Unlike all other
earthly teachers His daily life was the
best commentary on His exalted teaching
He could say fearlessly to his accusers,
(which of you convinceth me Of SIM"
Even his judge confessed, II find no fault
in Him" And the man who betrayed
Him cried out: Il have sinned in that
have betrayed the innocent blood" Purity
is the great need of our social life to-day.
Here is one example: His purity was not
that which had TO be treated like a hot
What think you of His teaching? Does He
not teach with the authority of knowledge
of love and of power? Consider His teach
ing about God, about human nature? Is it
not evident that He loves us enough TO tell
us the truth about ourselves, our sins, our
sorrows, our salvation? How true His
sayings. How suggestive His parallels, how
clear His doctrines. how lofty His style. L
went TO the door of a poor woman one
Christmas morning to leave a basket OF
provisions, and in talking with her l spoke
of the blessed Christ. whose birth had
brought so much joy and good will into the
world She listened intently and then said :
Yes Jesus was a good man and He had
no style about Him / think l know what
she meant, but l could not keep from COM
pairing her words with those of one who,
speaking of the intellectual supremacy of
Charles Dickens was the great master of
the pathetic style. Yet when the novelist
was asked. What is the most touching
story of literature? he answered, The
story of the prodigal SON. Ii is a striking
fact that in all literature the sentence most
loved by children is Christ's Suffer the
best loved by the aged. Let not your
hearts be troubled" the sentence best loved
by men, the one beginning, For God so
loved the world that He gave His only be-
gotten Son" In hours of health and sue
cess men may love the majestic pages of
Webster or the rhythmic beauty of Ruskin.
but in the last hour scholars and states
men alike exclaim in answer To the SUI
preme question of our text: Read me the
words of Jesus Christ; they alone breathe
the language of eternity.