Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-12-29

our flesh and who was tempted as we
are tempted. God was the same God
before the first Christmas morn as he
is today. But since Jesus Christ came
to earth we, the common people, have
been able to understand him I'm way
we would never have been able to do
without the incarnation.
Let me illustrate how the beauty of
Gods love is smpliiicd in Christs life.
Charles Lamb and some Of his bosom
friends were met together one even
ing I'm London house to talk on liter
airy topics During the conversation
some one said: "rhink If Dante was
to come to life again and enter this
room. How we would welcome the
man whose feet had trod the fiery
pavements Of the inferno, whose eyes
had pierced the twilight, whose lungs
had Dreathed the still. clear air Of the
Mount of PurgatoriO, whose mind had
contemplated the mysteries of glory
in the highest heavens suppose
said another, Shakespeare was to
come to us tonight, or Milton or Homer
or Nirgilr' "Ah," said Lamb, his
whole face Frightening. chow | should
fling my arms up, How we would
welcome those kings of thoughtful
men," Suppose" said another, Christ
was to come, what would VIC doT
| With that Charles Lambs face chang
cd instantly as be said, "Of course we
would fall upon orr knees and wor-
ship him
God IL God of Love.
All. YES, Charles Lamb was right. No
man can look upon or study the face
of Christ without clearly and simply
grasping the great truth that God is
God of love and not God OF hate. AS
famous unbelcvcr wrote in reference
to Christ: "Whcrc Is the man. where IL
the sage, who knows how to act, to suf-
fer. to die without weakness and with
out display? My friends. men do not
invent like this. and the facts respect
ing Socrates, which no one doubts, are
not so we'll attestcd as those about
Jesus Christ. If the death of Socrates
be that of a sage, the life and death of
Jesus are those of Cod Jean Paul
Richter wrote these words about
Christ: 1.-The hottest among the mighty,
the mightiost among the holy, lifted
with his pierced hands empires of
their hinges and turned the stream of
centuries out of its channel and stu
governs the ages" Oh, my friends, can
not. will not you see the truth that the
birth of Jesus Christ has siinpliiied the
divine truth; that God is God of love
and not God of hate? Can You not
feel through the simple story Of th" HE
and death of Jesus Christ that we are
able to learn that God loves us even
with greater love than any human
parent bears his own child! Thank
God today for the message of his love.
A short time after Jesus was born. IL
order TO satisfy a Jealous fear. Hcroo
ordered all the little boys in the rcgior
of Bethlehem to be slain by his sol
dcrS Thin, of ruler having sucl
power rs that and being able to use i
as he would. But the slaughter o.
those baby boys was only Il small par
of Hnrod'S infamies. IIerod's whole
reign can be tracked with bloodshed
Iierod hrutaily slew his wife's brothe
Joseph ana her mother and his wife
lie slew every one who dared to lift ;
voice against him in his kingdom. Ihel
, In order that his death might be Il TIM
of national mourning we learn from 10
/ scnhus that ilc gave orders for tho Chi"
, men of the IlchYcN n"lion 20 be gath
, cred in the hrpo1rano and to bc Their
slain on the night Of his own death. |
the people. n he knew. would not be
, wall his death he t'r, measures to in
, sure their sorrow for another cause. IL
: would not have the night of his dealt
period of JOY and rejoicing. Such
, man was the ruler OF Judaca in tina
, day All, yes, there never was dark
or or Il more hopeless time in Jewish
, history than when Jesus was born
Thus we find the Hebrew people long
I, ingly-oh, so longingly looking for
q Messiah at this time.
| Christ Has Not Forsnkcn Is.
My brother as Christ came to Jeru
I salem at the darkest time Of Hebrew
= history, can he not come TO you thi
2 Christmas day, even though ii may b
l In the dark days of your life? Is
$ dark for some of you? Is Your life sa
q with sin. sad with sorrow, sad wit
:, bitter disappointment: DO you need
/. Saviour now? The whole thought an
= idea of all that is told about Christina
@ day" wrote Dean Stanley, suggest
the consoling. cheering thought thai
!. however gloomy our lot. however di,
!, tressed our portion, the Almighty Go
:, has not forSaken us Even in tn
o darkest hours of our lives Christ wi
come to us as he came to Bethlehel
in the darkest hours Of Hebrew his
- tory. Are we going to reject Christ a
r Plate and the Jews rejected him?
f Having accepted the glad tidngs G
y great JOY that Jesus came to save
II shall not you and | on this Glorlou
n Christmas Sabbath day start forth I
=, announce, AS did the angelic messenge
/ that Christ has come 10 save all VIII
8 will believe on him and be saved? Ca
e any man hear this good news and nC
l. want to spread it abroad? Can w
!. fully realize that through Christ W
i shall live and yet not want to go fort
II to herald the tidings that Christ In
e come to save our nelghbOrs as we'll Il
~ ourselves?
Shall we not be as anxious to sprca
u abroad the news that our Saviour
Y born as were our ancestors to scattt