Evening journal., 1910-12-23
EPWORrH LEAGUE
DEVOTIONAL MEETING.
Topic for Dec. a5th -"The Fullness Of
Time and Gods Great Gift"
Gnl. l:4.5.

Gal. I;4,5.
Old Testament prophecy pointed so
clearly to the coming Of Christ that 1t
remains a mystery why his advent was
unrecognizcd by the world at large.
Herod had fears when he heard of tho
Star in the East and the visit of the
Wise Men To Bethlehem; John the
Baptist introduced the Saviour TO his
followers: Peter had an insight tol
Christs divinity when he exclaimed,
Thou art the Christ. the Son of the
living Cod" the woman at Samaria,
being told Of her past life, said to her
friend" is not this the Christi Even
the devils cried out against His divi-
nifty as He drove them from their
headquarters. yet the chief priests and
scribes failed 10 recognize His author
ity, charged Him with blasphemy, and
secured His death--a case where the
wisdom of the mighty was confound-
cd IL we question the divinity OF
Christ, we doubt our salvation. Man
| had sinned; the law sd, The soul
that sinneth. Il shall die" Man cannot
atone for the sin Of man. II Christ
came for the express purpose Of show
/ ing US how TO live. we are yet In our
sins for the example OF His perfect
life does not remove the sentence OF
death
"Without the shedding Of blood
there is no remission of sins" He
purchased our salvation on Calvarys
tree"-died the just for the unjust.
The humanity Of Christ is as real
as is His divinity. We cannot explain
] this mystery-of course not! We have
not the wisdom of God that We should
explain Godl II Christ had come 10
earth without being linked TO human
ity. without taking on human form,
man could not have looked upon Him
and lived.
God appeared to His servants In
various forms; in fire, through dreams
and later in the light which stunned
to blindness. How could the poor fish
ormen have approached such mani
fegtation Of God? How many lame,
| blind and diseased bodies would have
hen restored? Christ assumed flesh to
/ gel near TO humanity and TO fully
/ svmpathize with suffering mankind
Some of us approach this Christmas
season with hushed tread. as we view
/ the empty chairs and think with tear
/ full ewes Of the faces we have loved
aud lost awhile" We say: christmas
/ cannot be merry TO u.s." No, truly not,
| in the sense that Il was once merry,
/ but as We remember those who ARE
/ far off but ever nigh" as we long Tor
'stbe sound Of a voice that Is still, as
we close our eyes and see the form OF
the one who shared our feast, let us
remember that Heaven is more home
like since our loved one Is there and
when we move from this present
abode. we shall but step into the new
Home" whero I'VE shall sit at end
less feast, enjoying each the others
good"
Then. because our loved one Is cele-
brating Christmas all the year round,
let us be eager to help others have one
happy day, for God sends us sorrow to
broaden our sympathies. George Mac
Donald says he questions If we have
learned to live il we have not learned
to suffer- We may not have much to
give: some of us have nothing but
kind words. hearty wishes OF smiles Of
good cheer, do not be "stingy' with
these little gifts and God may place
larger means at our disposal. No mat
ter how hard we try to spread good
cheer this Christmas it will not blot
out past neglected opportunities. In
| Dickens christmas Stories,' he tells
of man. Scrooge. whose character
| corresponds with his name. He resists
an appeal to help make Christmas
bright and happy for the poor and
congratulates himself on his ability "a
get rid Of the petitioners, but when
be reaches his solitary home, he is
visited BY the Ghost of his departed
partner, Morley. ScroOge is alarmed
but cannot get rid Of this guest SO
easily He tells Scrooge that, 1T is re-
quired of every man that the spirit
within him should walk abroad among
his fellow men, and travel far and
wide; and il that spirit goes not forth
in life, It is condemned TO do so after
death. Il is doomed TO wander through
the world and witness what il cannot
share, but might have shared on eartf
and turned to happiness" " Morley lived
a narrow, selfish life, hence his Ghosi
is paying the penalty and he takes
ScroOge In his travels. showing hin
scene after scene In past years, where
each failed to render others happy al
the Christmas time Finally, Scrooge's
4 heart softens at the sights he witness
es, his conscience lasres him and ap-
palled at the shadow OF things that
| - 49,. ~ ~-fr~ f1ae