Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-27
GOD REVEALED IN MAN"
Jnwordly Christ Showing God
lin Man." l. Christmas Lesson.
. I. G. Smart breaches Sermon on the
word Mace F1csh al College street
congregational Church Christi
mas Service.

rect congregational Cnurch CHRISTMAS
Prning the pastor, the Rev. DIR. l. G.
hart, preached mastery sermon on
real meaning of Christmas. giving mis-
DECEPTION of the 1ith verse of st. John s
spell: And the word was made flesh
q dwelt among us (and we beheld His
Dry, the glory as of the only begotten
the Father gull of grace and truth"
Smart's sermon was in part as fol-
us:
tThis is the day of days. Sacred to n
rson, it is sacred also to an idea. 1t is
sacred to person apart from an
la. nor to an Iuea apart from person.
this great day we celebrate an idea In
ife. and life expanding an idea-the
a of God in man.
No man can overtake the shadow
ich he casts on the infinite world, but
n persuasive faith, n faith with room
| the facts that are in the higher ranges
moral impulse. When, for example,
nan gives his life for another, a dlvina
I'd Is made flesh.
There in the drift,
Back to the wall
He held the timbers
Ready to fall.
There in the darkness
heard him call,
Run for your life Jake;
Run for your wlfe's sake.
Don't wait for me,
And that was all
Heard in the din,
Heard of Tom Flynn
Flynn of Virginia.
How cheap and tawdry all the artif-
Titles Of l!fc appear beside such a word
dc flesh.
Our Lord was an unwordly man. He
none of the ambitions usual among
n. He did not even miss easy circum-
noes. He could think of no good rea-
why He should not turn the otner
EEK and lend to every borrower and
ible in His compliance every request
help or company. He did not care to
called rabbi. He shrank from being
led good because He did not wish -
ONE an olncial saint. The intellectual
did not tempt Him. He was a sim
unaffected lover and helper OF men.
sought and priced purity and goodness
love. Those were His luxuries, His
ri Of great price, His hid treasure,
nt is the significance OF Christmas
ich we wish to emphasize; God re-
led, the word made flesh in goodness
purity and love.
ometimcs the unworldly Christ
es possession of us, and we love our
n which are in the world more than
love the world and hear the call of
Col oil
common doings and interests o4 lie
seen through the splcndor, as the
Ftures and nocks and sheep folds of
thlehem We're seen through tho
ry of God. and all the common do
s and interests Of life are taken in
bid by the will of God and led by His
Fit. as in the picture of Aurora
SEES which are the very embodiment
brute strength and headlong passion
" the slight figure Of a girl in the car
weakness and all beauty, whose mas
is an unseen might of the spirit.
re need be no running away from the
Id, no slackening OF energy, no clos
the eyes to beauty, no withholding
hands from the harp. no sealing the
to the full cup OF life; and yet it
good good for health, good for cool
fever, good against wtchcratt and
airy, good against the pride of life
Zee the unworthy Christ walk careless
hnd absenNy through all the stuff and
Re. through all the glare and blare, un-
he'd except by compassion and love.
/ is the great thought OF Christmas
unworldly Christ showing God in
D.
purity and goodness and love are not
i the high water mark of human
olopmeat. they are also the word seek
to he made flesh, the life seeking to
pine the light of men. Through them
song Of the angel is coming true
pry to God in the highest and on
fh peace, good Will toward men.
bush them the grace OF our Lord Jesus
list, and the love of God. and the
hmunion Of the holy ghost. arc abiding
re and more in the lie Of man"