The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-12-31


Don shrasasndesn esis.raa4 stth sue
Profgp.d Fel,gnyas ranswisen and csps
leon she hlrsh ~ shtt Tssrherf gas va
ssar spala Inevitably ask
berawse. We wpald answer. lsyar Ia
reflected 10 vi SO Ans teaching u
saind And iife "A God 80 privrijy, =
socarsisiy ilAi Shfn VIZ ls1k Al ill'
se acre God ID all ~ Iiis snaiehloss g'sel
ness, perfection sad beaaiy "
wosia snsweg that i - aiieriy iBrotl
c~itni,ie " imagine ip9w prrfcci ~
selalion ~ DIRTY titan ,hxi wssrh "
have 10 Jesss o. Nazareth. Il Is hnAl
i u ultimate. Just a. there il noibin
more perfect Of iis Kind Than the run
ligm when every cloud has been chase
bsyogd HE horizon. 70 there Is moth
ing. there esTS boz nothing more per
feet. more divine than Jesus Chris,
In him ''dweilrih all the fullness ~ III
God bead bodily.
And bow could this bcf Is the Dcx
question 10 which our previous con
illusions lead IA.
Because Jesus Christ Was. aud Is
and ever more shall be the Son Of Cos
10 sense in which no other being esei
has been, OF ever can hope 10 be th,
Son Of God. fieis the "Logos" Of th,
Fourth Gospel; the Christ" 81 Paul.
lets.rs; the ''Son" Of the Rpistle 10 ths
Hebrews.
Aud nov we come 10 the point 10
wards which everything that has been
said so far has been leading, Oar at
ti,ade towards Christmas depends upon
our conception Of the nature, rank, and
work Of Christ. The Swiss shepherd.
the mariner, the stoker. the man Of
affairs. the child may not have indulg-
ed in elaborate speculation leading ~
the conclusion that Jesus was divine;
but all these persons enter into the
spirit Of Christmas with boundless en-
thusissm because they have inherited
the traditions aud conclusions OF the
religious world. Substitute for the con-
yiction OF mankind the theory that
Jesus was merely good man. il you
please even the best man the world has
ever known, and for how long do You
suppose Christmas will remain the hap.
picsi day OF the yearf Many lives have
been ushered into this world in as great
squnlor AS surrounded the birth Of
Jesus. Whit makes that scene the
most pathetic as well as the most sub
lime OF the ages is the fact that that
child is the "Logos, the Christ, the
"Son.n
u u not my purpose 10 construct at
this time complete Christological ar
gument. We might approach the sub
jeet Of the Incarnation from the stand
point OF the constitutional resemblance
which exists between God and man.
God is intelligent and is moral; man is
intelligent and is moral; therefore
there is nothing 10 prevent the AL.
mighty from entering the sphere of
human thought and action, provided
He is willing to take upon himself the
OF time, space, number,
form in which man lives and moves
aud has his being.
Or we could construct an argument
Tor the divinity of Jesus from the fact
Df His sinlessness Ms set forth in the
testimony of those who lived with Him
night and day for three
Years. The repentant mood. so pro.
ninent in the experience of all great
iouls, is entirely wanting in the life of
he Master. (which of You convin-
eth me of sin'" is the bold challenge
lung Mt His ecclesiastical enemies.
My aim this morning is TO ascertain
rom a careful examination Of the evil
Ience at hand whether Jesus is convin-
ed in His o,1n mind beyond the shadow
4 doubt, that he is superhuman. |
IN ANXIOUS 10 ascertain whether He |
dvances in plain language claim TO
quality with God.
As we look into the Gospel narrative
ur attention is arrested by an inter-
lew which took place between Jesus
nd His disciples about the middle Of
he year Of opposition, after the Cali
cans had rejected Him, aud the Scribes
nd Pharisees were planning His de-
The Master is roaming
rnong the cities and villages of the
AXE region AS II loath 10 part from the
Genes Of His early ministry, from the
eople who have heard His FIRST dis.
curses and Witnessed His first mighty
forks. He is on the outskirts Of Caes-
rea Philippi, the capitol of Herod
'hilip. The crowds are following at n
istance; only The disciples are near
csus. He is praying. AID now that
ne prayer is over, the Master turns to
is companions and asks two moment
us questions:
Whom do men say that the Son
man amin
The disciples have bad the opportuu-
y TO mingle with the crowds and learn
first hand their opinions concerning
ie wonderful Teacher. In answer to
leir Masters question they state that
,me Of the people have reached the
inclusion that John the Baptist has
sen from the dead. Others have rec
,nized ia the denuneiaiions Of the (
tribes and Pharisees the voice OF !
lijnhi others, touched by The plain
We tones OF the many appeals made
the hearts Of His followers. and by I
q lament over the cities which have |
jected Him see in Jesus the incarna- |
IN Of Jeremiah. Many are OF the
me opinion entertained by the liberal !
mixers OF this day, that He il good I
I'd great man, prophet called OF Z
cd.
4.