The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-12-20

CHOSEN people o. GOI DiFIulS! SIio'S
in diverse and incessant fashion to
impart to the consciousness OF man
kind a true understanding OF HIM
self. And as man, from time to time,
has understood the truth that COO
has delivered to him by His Spirit
and through the prophets, we have
had varied interpretations OF the
character and OF the personality OF
God. The .changeless God has con-
stantly revealed the truth concern
ing Himself, His plans, His purposes,
to men. Men have oftentimes been
needless of the divine instruction.
they have oftentimes been ignorant
of the full import of the self-revela-
tions of Jehovah, they have often
times misinterpreted the messages
that God has delivered to their lives.
But whether or no men have been
needless, ignorant or dull, God has
always revealed the truth concerning
Himself. His has been a constant
and cumulative effort to lead men to
! a satisfying and correct vision or
! Himself.
Jesus is the fnality of the divine
self-revelation. The work of the
Spirit before the days of Christ was
preparative, in order to human COM
prehension Of the Christ. And the
I struggle of the Spirit since the as
cension of our Lord has been to lead
men to hear, to heed, to understand
and to accept the truth which, so
richly, Christ communicates from
God. Jesus is the consummation OF
the effort of the Spirit of the old dis
pensation; He is the inspiration OF
! the labors of, the Holy Spirit OF the
later covenant between God and men.
The photograph of God that Jesus
! livingly imparts to men is the ripest
product of divine self-impartatlon.
| He is the elimination Of divine self
! revelation.
But it is in it's effect on humanity
| that the birth of Christ is most sig
lnifcant and of widest and most ro-
bust influence. The birthday of Jesus
| is the birthday of the larger liberty
of man. The coming Of Jesus is the
beginning of mans nobler age. The
nativity of Jesus is the nativity OF
the transcendant inspiration OF the
human soul. Mary's child is the hope
| Of all the children of men.
The birth of Christ is efectual for
| humanity individually, socially, eth
| ically, religiously.
| The birth of Christ marks the dawn
| of the most glorious epoch in the his
! tory of the human unit. In the face
Of a faith and of civilization that
too strongly emphasized the social
| aspect of human society Jesus de-
! clared the dignity, the Integrity, the
! incalculable Importance OF the indl-
| vidual. He placed the common man
on the plane upon which God in His
providence intended him to move.
/ But while the Lord dignified the
/ individual and proclaimed the eternal
/ worth of the human unit apart from
the mass, He in no wise lowered the
! high position of the social system in
the scheme of God for the ordering
of this worlds affairs Rather dld He
ennoble society as whole. Emphaslz-
ling the Importance of the individual.
He insisted on the value of that indi-
vidual onlyas, representing an integer
in the sum of the social life, he re-
| mained true to the finest principles
of the Kingdom OF God and labored
unremittingly for the advancement
and purifying Of society as q whole.
Jesus taught the eternal preciousness
1 OF the separate personality, with the
one desire to indicate to. the lndi-
! vidual man his personal responsibility
TO God and society in the face of the
i1imitless and unnumbered opportuni-
/ ties that q loving Father placed with
in his reach. Profound philosopher
las He was, Jesus perceived with un-
errirg vision, that the secret of re-
deemed society lay in redeemed indi-
viduals. And. although He had a
lively interest in the single man, He
J was concerned with him in greatest
measure because of his fundamental
necessity to and central importance
! in a redeemed and sanctified society.
Jesus crowned individuality as none
| other before Him had dared to do;
hut He invested individuality with a
peculiar and novel dignity in order
that with the realization OF its sur
| passing consequence individuality
should strive hardest to-be counted
| worthy of place in social order
regenerated and redeemed Of Cod.
The birth OF Jesus was effective to
the bstterment OF the ecn1cs-thaI IS
to sav-the laws of conduct-of nu-
! manity. Preaching 70 Gospel of pre-
else and detailed rules and regula-
tons, our Lord yet, with such insist
ency, taught the larger principles
upon which all sound morals and So
cial conduct are based that with two
sentences He laid the emphasis wnere
eternally it had belonged in the mind
of God and from which it. had, by
casuistry and the insincerity of moral
jugglers, been displaced. Jesus re-
iuvenated and invigorated the ethical
judgments OF His day and age. And
He not only bettered the moral
standards Of His own time but He
augmented the appeal and the scope
Of moral law for all time.
The birth OF Jesus marks the dawn
Of a new and SURPRISING era in the
religious caree" of humanity. Jesus
released religion from the bondage Of
sheer iegalism and infused it with
new purpose. He found religion,
very largely, a matter Of ecclesias-
tieism and of legal regulation and OF
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