The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-25

sINTRODDcTTON.-- he obser yance OF q
day IN commemorate Of the birth Of
Jesus II IS \ a church 4 appointment. There
Is no ginttmntion tina t the 4 p vine Mas ter
desired, or that His apostl lies - en- olned,S{
any elebration. ISL BY X the slppe r lone,5
{ Il memorial OF His death, III soug ut to
perpetuates Ills memory anl dig those iRho:
loved Him.. "A natural and H spo ntaneous3
timpll SCI however, auses His 10 lovers 70 Z
rejoice Of Ills advent ana q
gset apart q time, SUPP posed y 9 be an an
for common II ex pre5slons Of
admiration for Ills cllara cter and de eds.s
+ To-day the Sund ny schools OF the World
Stat tho feet OF ali old prophe I, who
lived seven centuries bef fore Messiah came,
to learn what VI sio h was ran ted ny the
( Holy Spirit concerning Him who should
be born On the fullness OF the tilnes.,s
THE words e. preserved for tWent y-ttyel
centuries, fornlSa good text for Chris tmas
study i,{s3 4
LUsrER ,-(V erseS % IA Looking a own the
centuries Isaiah saw Nslls frs q 8 g III
m!nary, as y ohm saw A Inn Jphn$ Ia, anu
as Jesus speaks Of Hinlself John IN ;o.}
IIe saw j uden as 4 Il would be Sin the
coming time, 5AthaS landItof the shad oWf ct
Edeath,s5 Pisa. xxiil:4) Its y inhab.l llt
walking In darkness. Reference is here
made to the spiritual condition OF Israel,
which at tile advent was ndeed deplor!
able, outstanding al The l'lcr cios and
judgments nf God sent TO, thru men fronl5
theirsIns. suddenly Will a this ignorance
aud swlckedness bounded a ] es,s appears.
IIe was llke8t the rising IEot tho sun ate
a. long and weary night of gloom ana
unrest. (NIal Nv g 29S II he mos n luminous
character In history alpear ss at q tlille
land place and among q people " hen and
where there could be no. wa 70 account
/ FOR FL s origin. He was riot the fproductfolf
His race or. age (Johns l:ell .gs His eilYl-
| ronmel,t did not exp ain; IIinl. NJ 4,
GLAD ESs-( Verso 81 ~ That which
Isaiah next saw Is in,pel'f " repres IT
| ed In the author zed text. The revised
version makes the verse NOR intel gtble,
tsThou hast multiplied the nation, Thou
hast Increased heir JOYS. They Joy Pc
fore Thee according to the 10y N mar
vest, as mon rejoice when they divide the
spol.nB National gadnesIs caused by ma
tional prosperity IN the way Of expansion
In the theme. 1t Is probable that tho
true spiritual Irael was IN The mind OF the
prophet (Gal, yl:16), those " no through
faith In Jesus should become helrs OF l IN
q great company WI ION 10 man ca ?, num- =
ber gathered from all lands. (hlatt,
|syIii:11J Their gladness was proclaimed
| at the advent OF the shepherd Luke Y ;lQ),
ana John In Patmos heard the .Joyfu re-
trraIn. Grey, XXI, a 8
B&D1lLlVERANCc--l YeTse ~ A!tSi 1unl7.
ish people were successfully In bondage
10 the surrounding nttlons-the Assy-,
rians, Chaldcans. Perslnns, and Mace
domains The heavy yoke Of their OPS
| pressors had been gNeyous N we ex-
treme, and there was constant longing TOR
dellyerance. This. the prophet declares,
should come under tho Messiah, The
yoke, the rod, The sgnff-em !bleHls OF
seryitude be broken, and the peo,
-. III s,,onId No free These pred lotions
t lille the public mind with expectation OF
q temporal prince, cherished even BY the
APOSTLES (Luke sxxiY:2l) after the resur-
rection, lActs sl:6) y is generally pc,
~ sniritual deliyerances. which were to be
desired because more important than any
release from poll teal control, II was TO
this that Jesus directed the attention
Of His hearers John " liSS) ana shoW VS.
the way, Nj (John Will ;Sal NJ
| \ COTJTRAsyr-Cv eIse 80 4yi That Isaiah
spoke St spiritual don,as evident 1ro!a.