The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-23
Fourth Quarter. Lesson XIII. Isaiah,
 -.
 December 24, 1905.
THE CHARACTER OF THE MESSIAH

THE CHARACTER OF THE MESSIAH.
 (Christmas Lesson.)
 In the spirited style of Hebrew poetry the prophet throws himself beyond, In point of time, the event which he is de- scribing, and speaks of 1t as having al- ready occurred. He takes the mantle of night to represent the moral state of the people. They were groping in deathly shadow. Leaders were as blind as the led. All was rayless, cheerless hopeless Suddenly, to the anointed vision of Israers noble seer. there bursts through the leaden pail such light as is never seen on land or sea. He is ready to cry. Tt Is the Star. the Star of Bethlehem The great dark ness is matched by a great light. It floods not the plains alone. but pene- trates the deepest moral chasms of earth. How must Isaiah's heart have glowed at such a goodly sight. He was in a rapture. Hallelujah was on his lips.
 He sees a goodly company, an ever increasing throng. who walk in this new light. Kingdoms of earth. islands of sea are steadily merged into 1t. It spreads from the river to the ends Of the earth And the joy of the throng keeps pace with its ever-augmenting proportions It is joy like that when. after all the heat and toll, the harvest is shouted home; or like that after bat tie, when victors divide spoil.
 And this deliverance from darkness this lifting of the yoke of sin-is re- cognized by the prophet as supernat- ural and Divine. The earthly means of It's accomplishment are as unequal as Gideon's lamps and pitchers against the grasshopper multitudes Of Midian- ites and Amalekites.
 The earthly, historic means of vic- tory is always through the awful din and carnage of battle. But here Is a weaponless victory in which the very instruments of human warfare, so far from being used, shall be burned up or beaten into the implements of hus- bandry.
 And all this because the Babe is born In Bethlehem. Born to us-to human ity The badge of universal spiritual sovereignty shall lie upon His shoulder. Kingdoms of earth, without of neces- sity losing their identity. shall become His kingdoms.
 The Prophet herald announces His regal titles. How dim the appellations of royalty grow in comparison to His lustrous names. Wonderful-the mys- tery of whose nature Is the amazement of angels and men. Counselor-the un- erring. unfailing Guide in truth and duty; not of the few, but of the race. The mighty God-the very Person of the Omnipotent Deity. The Father of eternity, and the peaceful and peace producing Prince.
 The spiritual dominion of this lovely and Divine sovereign. and its gracious concomitants of assurance to the indi- vidual and quietness to the multitude. shall unceasingly cover larger areas and include more people.
 The pledge of this is the moral earn estness of the glorious Being, who stopped to the incarnation. the cross, the tomb. Jesus Is In dead earnest to make His mediatorial work triumph ant success And all the armies of the sky are obedient to His slightest beck. Analysis nnd Key.
 Isaiah's Proleptic Wisdom.
 Anticipates the advent
 Moral darkness of current life
 Sudden irradiation of light
 The Star of Bethlehem in proph-
 cts eye.
 The Kingdom of God: Composed of
 those who walk in the light.
 Ever augmenting.
 Social renovation supernatural.
 Earthly means inadequate.