The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-31
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.


sell of the Brooklyn Tabernacle preach
ed here today to large and attentive
audience from the above text. lie
said:
There is an appropriateness in the
general joy Of the Christmas season.
even though some of 1t 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 and
prisons make special provision that the
day which celebrates the Savior's birth
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 often
kindly remembered by their more high
" favored relatives and neighbors
Surely this is as it ought to be. Some
may have been injured by receiving
bounties. but few. if any. have ever
been other than blessed in the giving
of them. Herein we see corroborated
the Savior's own words. 1T is more
blessed to give than to receive" Ii is
godlike to give.
Our text tells US of Gods great Gift;
and although it is evident that our
Lord Jesus was born about October
1st, instead of December 25th. 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 1.-The unspeakable
gift" Oh Corinthians tx. 15). AS we
discern something of its length and
breadth and height and depth. our
amazement is the more. our Joy in
creases, and we have the more desire
to be likewise generous with all with
whom we have to do. especially with
all who are less fortunately situated
than ourselves. either in temporal or
spiritual matters
All men realize, to some extent at
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 fear
Divine wrath. So it was with the
shepherds as related in our context.
When the angel of the Lord appeared
to them to announce MesSiah's birth,
they feared. For what purpose would
an angel or messenger come to them,
except to render some denunciation or
to foretell some catastrophe? 1t was.
therefore. that the first words Of the
messenger were. Fear not" So in
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 a 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,
8, A.
Satan has used this human tendency
of fear as a 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 yiciousness 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 our
Heavenly Father to the great Father
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 iv. u. 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.
Hank to the Lords message through
the prophet Isaiah. Foreseeing our es
arrangement from himself and our en-
slavement by the Adversary, he tells
us in so many words. Their fear to
ward me is not of me. but is taught by
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 purposet
in himself. in advance. the great Plar
Of Salvation now in progress. From
before the foundation of the world tt
purposed that Jesus should be thu
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 thu
wilfully wicked would experience thu
wages of sin, death-"Second Death.
But God has a due time for every fea
ture Of his great Plan. Four Thousand
years sped by before it became "du'
time" TO send the Only Begotten Sol
into the world to redeem it. In TIT
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, g. At first we are amazed at sdcI
a delay. Nor can the matter be salts
factorily understood until we learl
tvs things:
a. That mans expcrien' VIII =.
ana Qp:ii n Is n D.rr or the great lesson