West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-02-15
THE GOSPEL.

''Fear moi; pehold, you good udings
Of great y, which shall be to all people
For unto you is born this day in the city
of David Saviour, which is Ctrist, the
Lord."-Luke 2 "a.
For more than four thousand years the
promise of God, olulhed in more or less
obscuriy, had been given to mankind, in
,ima,ing hat ultimately the great curse Of
sin aud death which had Gene upon the
world through Father Adams disobcdience
in Eden would be rolled ava, aud instead
of a cu,sr, w"Olj come blessing Of the
Lord with life giving refreshmeut.
In various types and shsdowY promises
this message had cume down through the
ages to The time Of Uui L'rd's birth, espec-
rally among the Jews, who we've Gods GOV.
enanled people, and since they we're of
COMMERCIAL spirit many of rIem were found
in all arts OF the civilized world; aud thus
among every people the faith in the one God
aud the hope Of Israel through a Messiah
was more or less made known. All men
were in expectation Of a soon coming
Messiah. This expectation was doubtless
based upon Daniels prophecy, which we
now see clearly marked the year of our
Lords majority. When lie was thirty Yeas
of age and made Ills conservation to HIS
wok and received the begettng of the Holy
Spirit at Jordan.
Bethlehem was distinctly an honorable
city, the City of David while Nazareth was
generally recognized as a mean city. Our
Lords mother aud Joseph were both of the
royal city and lineage of David though resi-.
dents OF Nazaraih. The Roman Empire at
that time bore rule over the whole world,
the Jews being subject to il, but waiting
resilessly for the coming Messiah, who would
deliver them from being subject people
and make them the ruling caste in Ills
Kingdom, the dominion of the world.
Cein Augustus was IN power at this time
and had sent forth his decree that the whole
world should be taxed. In response too this
royal decree Joseph and Mary went up to
their native city TO be enrolled aud arriving
late were forced to lodge in the stable of the
inn, and IN these humble quarters the King
of Glory, whose Kingdom is near at hand to
rule the world, was in the time of His flesh
born in stable and eradled in a manger.
The message which has run down to us
through the ages aud which thrills us the
more in proportion as we are able to grasp
its meaning came first to simple shepherds,
noble men who read the Glory of God in the
heavens together with the promises in Ills
word.
The human mind nstinclively fears in
conjunction with any revelations from the
Lord. Even the best of the race realize
that they arc imperfect and that certain
condemnation rests upon the world and they
tear further curse and further condemna.
ton because of continual and increasing sin.
fulness. Because Of this dominant impulse
of the human mind, except the comparatively
few who are well informed respecting the
divine character and plan, the world in
general profess TO avoid the subject of relig-
Ton feeling quilting before God aud dreading
further knowledge of condemnation.
The GloD Of the Lord shone round about
them and they were sore afraid. FRS,
single angel appeared to the shepherds and
ALA, ed their fears. Fear not, ;Dring you
COED udiugs
Good udings Is another translation of our
word Gospel. The Gospel is really and
truly good udings Yet how many of God IS
true people misreprescnt His word. His
character and Ills plan and apply the term
| Gospel to their yarious messages Of the Datk
Ages, reaching purgatory and eternal tor
m mt as the poriioa Of the race. The angel
enlarged upon the message, tina, it was good
udiucs Of great joy which shall be unto all
people. Not merely to the comparatively
few WHO now have ears 10 hear aud eyes To
see its beau,y, hut, in Gods due time, unto
all people,
The message was to reasonable people.
Why should the Interchangeable God who had
once pronouneed' curse, at any time sup
plant the curse with blessing ? The angel
answers: For unto you is born this day in
W. Nif Va AfNfAA s1Afibuif WHICH - NlflSts
(Messiah), the Lord. But how shall they
know him ? We shall find the babe wrapped
in swadding clothes, lying IN a nanger.
The word Savior here means life giver,
the key to the entire Gospel statement of
how God could be just and yet now he the
justiher of sinners who accept Christ. Death
| IS the wages Of sin, the curse upon the race;
this Messiah is to be the Savior by giving
them life again. And suddenly there was
with the angel multitude OF the heavenly
host Praising God, and saying: Glory to God
in the highest, on earth peace, good will
toward men.
Although nearly nineteen centuries have
passed since the angelic message was de-
livered, II has not yet been fulfilled, excep,
in limited measure 10y faith to those Who
have the eyes and ears Of fauh-in all a
/ l. 81 Ir..as a. 49,