The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-30
-s-s-e-e-s-s-s-s-s--e-sO 10
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES r.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

sell OF the brooklyn tabernacle preach
ed here today to a large and attentive
audience from the above text. He
said:
There is an appropriateness in the
general JOY of the Christmas season
even though some of it is not wisely
expressed. The happy custom of Civ
ing tokens of love and friendship pre-
walls everywhere the story of Jesus
has gone. Even the alms-houses anG
prisons make special provision that the
day which celebrates the Savior's brit
may. so far as possible, be a happy
one. joyous one. to all mankind. The
poorer of our citizens and the unfor
tunate of slender means are Otter
kindly remembered by their more high
ly favored relatives and neighbors
Surely this is as it ought to be. Some
may have been injured by receiving
ibounties. but few, if any. have evel
been other than blessed in the giving
of them. Herein we see corroborated
tue CAV lol ONu WOtuS, IL Is ulOTt
blessed to give than to receive" 1t is
godlike to give.
Our text tells us of Gods great Gift
and although it Is evident that oul
Lord Jesus was born about October
list, instead of December 18th. this
makes no material difference. for it is
the great fact that we commemorate
and not the particular day of its occur
renee. Let us consider today, the
great gift of Gods love which the
Apostle refers to as THE unspeakablt
gift Oil Corinthians tx. 15). AS we
discern something of its length and
breadth and height and depth. oul
Amusement is the more, our JOY in
tcreases, and we have the more desire
to be likewise generous with all will
whom we have to do, especially will
all who are less fortunately situated
than ourselves. either in temporal oil
spiritual matters.
All men realize. to some extent al
least, their mperfection-that all have
sinned and come short of the glory OF
God. Mems thoughts toward God
seem to run along the lines of fear
unworthy of Divine favor. they feal
Divine wrath. So it was with the
shepherds as related in our context
When the angel of the Lord appeared
to them to announce Messiahs birth
they feared. For what purpose would
an angel or messenger come to them
tn II iot n,
to foretell some catastrophe? 1t was
therefore. that the first words of the
messenger were, Fear not" So il
approaching mankind in general with
Gods message to sinners it is appro
PIRATE that we begin by saying, Fear
not. The God we preach unto you is
not demon seeking your injury and
your torment. He is God of Wis
dom and Justice and Love with al
Power to carry to successful conclu
sion his Wise. Just and Loving Pro
gram respecting our race. which he
purposed in himself from before the
foundation of the world Ephesians i
90 A..
Satan has used this human tendency
of fear as lash wherewith to drive
man away from God. and from the
Bible. his Revelation. We are not
therefore. to accredit to our fore
fathers the viciousness of character
which seems to be implied in the
creeds of the dark ages" handed
down to us; rather we are to credit
those vicious misrepresentation of oul
Heavenly Father to the great FEATHER
of Lies" He it is who in the dark OF
the past planted the seeds of what the
Apostle terms doctrines of devils" q
Timothy ". II. We thank the Lord that
gradually we are getting our eyes OF
understanding opened to recognize the
true character of God and Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent. and who is his
express image.
uark to the Lords message through
the prophet Isaiah. Foreseeing our es
arrangement from himself and our en-
slavement by the Adversary he tell'
as in so many words, Their fear to
ward me is not of me. but is taught 10y
the precepts of men-as inspired by
our adversary, the devil isaiah xxx
49,.
Gods Christmas Gift.
Intending from the first not to aban
don his fallen human creatures to ut
ter destruction. the Father purposeC
in himself. in advance, the great Pal
OF Salvation now in progress. From
before the foundation of the world ht
purposed that Jesus should be tn,
Lamb Of God to take away the sin o
the world and eventually to bring al
the willing and obedient back to har
mony with himself. so that only tn
wilfuliy wicked would experience tn
wages Of Sin, death-"Second Death
But God has a due time for every fea
fure OF his great Plan. Four thousant
years sped by before it became "du'
time" to send the Only Begotten Sol
1nte the world to redeem 1t. "In tn,
fulness OF time God sent forth his Son
born of woman" Galatians iv. A.
"In due time Christ died for the un
gOdly"-forty-one hundred and sixt!
years after sin had entered (Roman
v, O.. AT first we are amazed at sucl
a delay. Nor can the matter be salts
factorily understood until we learl
two things
a. That mans experience with sill
and death is part of the great lessor
which God designs all to have-learn
Ing the exceeding sinfulness of sin
Later when the second great lessor
shall be given to mankind-the desira