Evening journal., 1910-12-22
Christian EndeaVor
Society
Topic for Sunday, December %: "Be
born in us tOday."-Eph. 3: IL 2l.

born in us tOday."-Eph. 3: l4.2l.
Jesus Christ is the central figure of
human history. The past looked for
ward to Him; the future points back
to Him. "In this child the streams Of
prophecy converge, and from this child
radiate the glowing lines of history"
He is the elimination of the ages. II
is Christianity that turned the heather
from their goods, that purified the
home; that didnified womanhood; that
persuaded the slave holder to set free
his chattel Christs life and the
pc -iod during which His teachings
were spread are the years of transi-
ton of life I'm the world, from the un-
enlightened to the enlightened. Plato
taught, Love your friends, let your
enemies alone" COnfucius. do not
do unto others as you would not have
others do unto you" But only this
Man Of God. yea, this very God, could,
with clear insight, fathom the depths
of virtue, and put to shame the partial
morality of Plato, the negative re-
ciprocity of COnfucius, His teaching,
higher than which the world can never
deach though the great Tolstoi con
sidered its true intcrp -etatiOn imp0s-
sible, is virtue cOnsummated. Jesus
said. Love your enemies" When
Gotama's disciples asked him who
would teach them when he was gone,
he Replied, The Buddha. who VIII
come after me will be known as
Maitreya. whose name is Love Even
God points to Christ as a definition Of
lsye.
So this Jesus, whose birth We COM
memorate, bought good news" TO the
world. He raised the ideals of civili-
zation and likewise the attainmenis.
But He came for. a deeper purpose.
The Jews hoped in a national God.
lThey were, as a people, His son. But
only So God does not look upon
worlds and civilizations and nations.
! As God became "a man in Jesus, 50
/ He deals with "a man. i'm the world
which Jesus came to redeem. We en-
ter life one by one. We pass leyond
lalone. And We must live as Individuals.
We may enjoy the blessings Of a
! Christian land, the protection OF a
government based upon Christian
principles, the fellowship OF civilized
and cultured people such as were few
and scattered before the fist century,
We may reap a harvest OF blessings as
result of the birth of Jesus into the
world. yet, if His birth has not been
reproduced in us personally, Christ
mas is as sounding brass and a clang-
/ ing cymbal We all belong TO the
family of Nicodemus, I'VE must be
bo n again" AS guilt is personal so
is love Every man must give an
account of himself to God" Unto
YOU is aborn this day in the city OF
David a Saviour who is Christ the
Lord" The multitude of the heavenly
host praised God, saying, GLORY 10
God i'm the highest, and on earth peace
among men of His good pleasure" p"
We are not of His good pleasure un-
less VIC let down the bars that He
may take possession oi our lives and
cultivate them. We can make Oh lists
birth vital, worth while. But cur cry
must always be, God be merciful 10
me- a sinner Lord, what wilt
Thou have me- to do?'
o, that Christ may dwell I'm our
hearts by faith to the end that We
may comprehend the meaning of His
firth in the world that We may ap-
p Oximate the love that He manifested
/. 10 us on the first Christmas Day, the
love that passes knowledge, the power
that cOnquers sin.
Though Christ a thousand times
} In Bethlehem be born,
II He's not born in thee,
Thy soul is still forlorn.
All, would thy heart but be
: A manger for the birth,
God would once mo become
A child upon the earth"
Angelus Silesius.
]. Earle Edwards.