Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-01-06

ward the earth. Suddenly IL stops and
seems TO be watching something that
is happening In the little village OF
Bethlehem. The angel who once stood
at the garden OF Eden's entrance now
unsheatheS his sword aud cuts the cur
tain OF the night IN twain. The waves
of light rush down and push the dark
ness to the right and TO the left. Great
multitudes OF angels begin to sing. AS
the glory OF God shines around the
PROSTATE shepherds there sounds forth
the voice of an angelic messenger, say
ing. Fear not. for, behold. bring you
good tidings OF great joyr' Such was
the advent OF the angelic messenger
Such was tie message which lie brought
to the shepherds on the first Christmas
morn. announcing the birth of the little
Child who lay in the Manager.
Why did this message of my text
bring good tidings of great joy?'
First, Christ came as a Saviour to a
sin cursed race and n condemned world.
He came as an earthly ruler might
come to condemned murderer about
to expiate his crimes with bis life, bear
ing news of pardon and liberty. He
might come to n son vino had been bit
ten by poisonous serpent. with an an
tidote for the deadly virus. Thus Christ
came. BY his yicarious sufferings he
took upon himself the condemnation
which was due us for our sins. He
came as Il Saviour, that the human
race in him might live with him for
ever.
Shall we ever cease to look upon the
message OF the Nativity as "glad It'd
ingsT The world honors the memo
rieS Of many Of its heroes and heroincs
who have been Sayiors to their fell
low men In a physical sense. Too much
praise cannot be given to the memory
OF the late Lieutenant Mclaughlin,
who was the savior of thousands up
on thousands OF lives during the late
Spanish war in Porto Rico. Major Gen
er0l Brooks had made the final ar
engagements of his troops before the
Spanish intrenchments. The battle was
about to- open. Suddenly at the signal
station some miles to the rear of the
American lines the telegraphic machine
began to tick. Lieutenant, McLaugh-
Inns face took on an anxious look. The
news was being telegraphed that the
protocol had been signed between the
Spanish and the American authorities
for the cessation of international strife.
Hardly had the import of the message
come when Lieutenant Mclaughlin ran
from the signal station and flung him.
self upon horse. lie rode on and on
at mad gallop. Though he rode fast
as his horses limbs could go. he only
reached General Brooks side as the
first cannon was about to be touched
or and the bloody battle was to begin.
But, though we may honor Lieutenant
Mclaughlin, who by heroic effort saw
cd thousands of lives by preventing
bloody carnage. how much more should
we today honor Christ for what he has
done for the world in spiritual sense
by the atonement of the cross! Christ.
being born in Bethlehem of Judaea.
meant more than mere physical saliva
ton. IL meant the atonement of the
cross, whereby Christ took upon him.
self the condemnation for our sins.
Ought not the redemption of the world,
foreshadowed in the birth of a Saviour.
have been good tidings of great Joy to
a sin struck and a condemned world?
A Joyful word.
Some people seem to think that the
birth OF Saviour is not the time for
outward manifestations of Joy. but OF
sorrow. Saviour is pathetic name"
wrote Joseph Parker. lit is not an
official title; it is not an image you can
robe in scarlet and bow down before,
on account of it's majesty and haughtl.
ness. Saviour is an angel with tears
in his eyes, with arms mighty as the
lightnings OF God, but n heart all ten.
derness. Saviour is n complex word
Ii has IL il all human nature. all iii.
vine nature, all the past OF history, all
the possibilities OF prophecy, all the
mystery OF apocalypse. tenderness
outranging the love OF woman, a mai
esty humbling the haughtiness OF
king" But. though the word "Sav
Jour" may be n pathetic word when
We think OF all the sufrerings Christ
had 10 endure on account Of our sins
yet ii Is n Joyful word when we think
how we are TO be redeemed on account
or those divine sufferings. And, further.
more, when we know that Christ to-
day in heaven is glad that he was able
10 suffer for us i'm order TO save us.
what happy day Christmas ought to
be for all! Salvation for all, life for
all, eternal emancipation for all who
Will today kneel by the side of the
mangeri Am / right when 1 declare
that the angelic messenger OF the first
Christmas morn should be the most
honored OF all messengers when he
announced the redemption OF the
world through the birth OF Gods Son
in the manager?
The Nativity, in the next place, meant
joyful tidings, because by the incarna-
ton OF the Son of God in the body of
n little babe the human race was able
to grasp the great doctrine that God
was a God OF love and not n God OF
hate or God of indifference. 1t is
one fact TO preach truth: 1t is another
to preach truth so that 1t is under
stood by the common people 1t Is one
fact 10 talk about God as a spirit; II
Is another to talk about God as Christ,
who was bone of our bone and flesh OF
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 in n way
we would never have been able to do
without the incarnation.
Let me illustrate how the beauty of
Gods love is simplified in Christ's life ]
Charles Lamb and some OF his bosom
friends were met together one even.
ing in London house TO talk ON liter.
airy topics. During the conversation
some one said: Think 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 breathed the still, clear air of the
Mount of Purgatorio, whose mind had |!
contemplated the mysteries OF glory
in the highest heavensr' Suppose"
said another, shakespeare was to