Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-24

as repentant sinners, they come knock.
| ing at our door, saying. Let me IN
| Let me in. Oh, for Jesus, sake, lei
me in" When these poor social out
casts come begging for help at your
doors in Christ's name, will you try
to helD them back to Christian purity
and truth? BY the grace of God, may
we cleanse them and purify them.
May we guard them and protect them
for the sake of Him whose birth
brought unjust scandal on his mother
But how about the synagogues
Were they any more willing to receive
the newborn Christ than was the
palace, or the public taverns, or the
homes of his Nazareth boyhood? Nay.
Nay The priests and Levites cried out
as did the innkeeper: mo room, no
room. There Is no room here for a new
born Christ" The door of the temple
was shut against him just the same as
was the door of public tavern.
My Lord Jesus, on this Christmas
Sabbath, will we not receive thee into
this sanctuary? VIII we not say all
that we have is thine? Shall we say
this pulpit is thine and these pews are
thine? Will we not open all our sane
tuaries to thee and cry, Jesus thou
loving babe, come in and rule all our
hearts with thy love?" Yes, the church
Of God today should open wide its door
to Jesus, as well as the palace and the
tavern and the home.
Just one more thought and l am done.
The poor mans hut did not seem to
have any more room for the newborn
Christ than the rich mans palace. We
love to picture Jesus as the lowly
Nazarene. We love to think of him as
the friend and the helper of the poor.
We love to describe him as being
among the sheep and the oxen and the
horses and the dogs and the shepherds
But how did the poor man treat him? I
will tell you.
Forsaken in Trouble
Just as long as the poor people
thought they could get something out
of Christ, in temporal way, they ran
after him. But as soon as Jesus was on
his way to cruciflxion they ran from
him as a thief would run from pur-
suing officer. Room, room!" they
cried, give Christ ROOM" when they
thought he could feed them and clothe
them and drive the hated Romans out.
But as soon as Christ was arrested and
arraigned for trial, then for him they
had no room in their hearts. Now,
poor men and women who are strug-
Cling in life's battles, will you treat
Christ so? Will you not gather around
Christ at this Christmas manger? Will
you follow him all through his life?
Will you follow when he is prosecuted?
Will you follow him to Gethsemane?
Will you stand by him and defy the
Sanhedrim in Pilates judgment hall?
Will you help carry his cross to CAL
vary? Will you not only at this Christ
mas time but always receive him?
Room. room! Have you today room in
your hearts for our Savior and Lord?
The rich men proved recreant to Jesus.
The poor men proved apostates to
Christ. Will you remain true to him,
you are rich or poor? If you
ask Christ for help he will give you
strength to be true to him, no matter
whether you are today clothed in over
alls or in broadcloth.
We have stood in Herod's judgment
hall. We have been to Bethlehem and
Nazareth. Now we come home for
Christmas. BY our firesides we want
this year to build a new manger. Near
Il plant your Christmas tree. Fill 1t
with presents. Ask Gods blessing upon
the festivities of holiday week. And as
you gather your children and your
children's children in your home, and
invite your friends, be sure to keep
enough room vacant for Christ's well
come. May God bless you in your COM
ing Christmas joyl