Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-12-29
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

3faaS
Richmond. Va, Dec. 26-Pastor Rus
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 aims houses and
prisons make special provision that the
day which celebrates the Savior's birth
may, so far as possible, be 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
ly 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" 1t 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
LIST. instead of December 25th, this
makes no material difference, for it is
the great fact that we commemorate
and not the particular day of it's 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 it's 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 ht
purposed in himself from before the
foundation Of the world (Ephesians i
8, ~.
Satan has used this human tendenc,
of fear as a lash wherewith to drive
man away from God, and from thu
Bible, his Revelation. We are not
therefore, to accredit to our fore
fathers the viciousness of characte
which seems to be implied in tn
creeds Of the dark ages" handel
down to US; rather we are to credi
those vicious Misrepresentation Of ou
Heavenly Father to the great "Fathe
of Lies" He it is who in the dark o
the past planted the seeds Of what tn
Apostle terms doctrines Of devils" {
Timothy ", u. We thank the Lord tina
gradually we are getting our eyes o
understanding opened to recognize tn
, true character Of God and Jesus Chris
, whom he hath sent, and who Is hi
express image.
Hank to the Lords message throug
the prophet Isaiah. Foreseeing our e!
: trangement from himself and our Ell
slavement by the Adversary, he tell
us in so many words, Their fear t.
ward me is not of me, but is taught
the precepts of men-as inspired b
our adversary, the devil isaiah xxi
49,.
Gods Christmas Gift.
Intending from the first not to aba1
don his fallen human creatures to u
ter destruction, the Father purpose
in himself, in advance, the great Pla
Of Salvation now in progress. Fro1
before the foundation Of the world
purposed that Jesus should be tt
Lamb of God to take away the sin
the world and eventually to bring a
the willing and obedient back to ha
mony with himself, so that only tt
, wilfully wicked would experience tt
wages Of sin, death-"Second Death
But God has due time for every fe
ture of his great Plan. Four thousar
years sped by before it became "dt
}, time" to send the Only Begotten Sc
y into the world to redeem it. "In tt
u u Il O.