The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-26


| but undivine social upheavals revolu-
lions knocking at the gates Of doomed
cities, empires passing in blood and smoke
these things have ever signs, we may
say. not that God was making ready to
come into LIE world. bur rather that He
was already here; already born. siles.tly,
in human souls. and stirring them by
His presence to new and strange activity.
Agent of Progress.
If we would name the divinest agents
of human progress on earth. the most
potent deliverers and saviors of mankind
in the historic ages, whom shall we
point to? To the men who made the
most noise In their time who had the
invincibe armies at their backs or climb
ed upon imperial thrones over the cur
casses of their rivals? We know better
than TO answer yes, rejecting that no
battle was ever worthy fought and won,
save 10 widen the triumph of some divine
truth already porn in mems souls. that
no throne was ever rightly occupied,
which was not upheld and ove-ahadened
by principles of right and truth and
justice, quite Independent % all thrones.
! and nnharmei when thrones crumble.
and kings 20 beggars! Set Moses witt
his deealogae, or Socrates with his last
DISCOURSE or Epietetus with HIS maxlms,
! or Seneca with his epist.es. side by side
With any gorgeous iyrant of antiquity.
whatever his worldly suthority. extent OF
empire. aud display of power, and how
LARGE today the former. how shrunk the
latteri How mighty today the former,
how feeble the latter. How deathless
today the one, how dead the other. Look
whittier we viii over the field of humap
history, this truth is ever more and more
certified to, that as God was born in
Bethlehem of Judaea nineteen hundred
years ago so has lie came always into
the world of our human lIfe--humblyi
silently. Ills births unrecoenized by the
+ contemporary mass Of men. Everywhere.
+ from the beginning, lie has come most
authenticity into hnmanitys life through
the grace, wisdom and hospitality Of ex-
ceptonal souls; and the significance to
men generally Of any unique, epochal adj
vent of God has been determined. at last.
! by the strength and heroism of some ex-
ceptional soul to make room for Him In
I other souls, by so thinking and speaking
/ and living that other souls could not fall
! to realize their own profound need and
high privilege of entertaining the Divine
Guest
There has been room in this world for
the divine prophet, the divine burden
bearer OF new and wider revelation Of
God. only when he he's made 1t for him
self. All spokesman of Gods yet un-
spoken gospels have been misunderstood.
and met with seant welcome. OF outright
rejection. because, as often as they have
uttered their message or sought to do
their work they have been confronted
by a host of their seIf-satisf1ed fellow
men, the doorways of whose souls were
framed too low and narrow to give COM
tcrtable entrance TO great thoughts and
truths newly come from God and always
the first impulse of the man who has
no room OF entrance to his soul for a
great truth, Is to decsare II a great lie,
and vent his wrath upon the spokesman
of 1t as upon one who would drive out
the agreeable Incorporating guests of his
! inner life. and substitute In their place
a disagreeable Intruder. Thus It Is, that
] the DlrtnS OF ROu INTO the general nv
of humanity have meant labor. perseeu-
ton suffering, and often death for His
chosen men, that SO 1-iey might be big
enough for God to be born in them.
The life-hstory Of Jesus Christ so far
as men could determine It, was not ex-
i ceptional There was no room for Him
to be born, but IN a manger; and, when
He undertook to reveal to His fellows
the God who was born with Him. the
majority among them thought that there
was no room on earth for Him TO live
room only enough for Him to die. meas
ured by the upright and horizontal beams
OF a Roman crossl
Nevertheless living and dying. He did
make room for God that no murderous
blind majority were able to forbid. Be-
cause lie was born. and lived. and labor
I'd. and died. there has been ever since
room in this world. somewhere. for
/ thoughts sentiments. hopes. aims, deeds.
! Ideals. Divine; which. but for His manger
| and His cross, would have lacked ac-l
acknowledgement and entertainment among
| the sons of men. And. as the world
grows older. we may not doubt. there will
be In It room ever more and more. for
divine high thoughts and great truths.
ond vast purposes, pledged to humanity.
when the infant Jesus lay wrapped in
swaddling clothes In rne manger-crad
| at Bethlehem.