Newport daily independent., 1911-03-04
5 IfChriSt Had Not Come - =------ By OR. JOHN A. EARL Pastor Belden Avenue Church,
 Chicago

TTxT-If I had not come and spoken unto them . If I had not done among them the works which none other did.-John 1522-24.
 An innovation in sermons as deliv- cred by the more modern ministers was listened to by large congrega- ton the other evening when Doctor Earl delivered his sermon in verse. If Jesus had not come to earth, If angels had not sung his birth, If wise men had not seen his worth, How poor the world would be. If Jesus had not said the word. The like of which had ne'er been heard, How sad for you and me! If Jesus had not come from heaven, Our sins could not have been forgiven, And broken hearts with sorrows riven Would hopeless beat and bleed. If Jesus never had been born There would not be Christmas morn, And earth of good things would be
 shorn-
 Things that we sorely need. No Christmas cheer would tighten hearts, Nor closing of our busy marts,
 
 With jingling bells and sleigh. No Merry Christmas" greeting glad, All would be anxious, troubled. sad, No gifts for little lass and lad
 To signalze the day. No Christmas tree, no mistletoe. No stockings hanging in row, No good will reaching friend and foe, No Christmas cards and sweets. No family gathering round the board. No presents brought from places stored. No glad surprise for those adored. No Christmas season treats. No hampers for the poor who need, No kindly word no generous deed, Nothing to save the world from greed A Christless world alas The poor would eat their scanty fare, Their faces pinched, their cupboards bare, And men with plenty would not care To mfDgle with the mass. With open door, where Christians meet. Whose noble spire the heavens greet,
 If Jesus had not come. Cathedrals never would have sprung With valued roof and frescoes hung, Where praises of the Christ are sung, Where nothing can be dumb.
 
 stand
 A grogshop would pre-empt the land. And leave men it's ugly brand
 A drunkards b1oated face. And where the hospital should be prison we should likely see Guarding the men who might be free If Christ had not sought the race. If Christ in Paradise had stayed, If sins on him had not been laid. If ransom price he had not paid.
 Distress would be our lot. No hope no pardon, no release. No joy, no cleansing and no peace, Our growing troubles never cease
 We lose the battles fought. If Christ had kept himself away, How empty would our bookshelves stay, And poor indeed would be our day
 Of letters golden store. The gospels four would not appear, New Testaments would not be here, For Lives of Christ we'd drop tear.
 And many. many more. All literature we must revise If Christ remained above the skies. From Chaucer to the Brownings wise,
 For Christ inspired their pen. And songs shall lose their noble tone From Gregory to Mendelssohn. And in their place a hopeless moan
 Will fill the world of men. The pictures from the walls now take; Madonnas are huge mistake. No Ecce Homos longer make
 If Jesus never came. The letters B. c. now destroy, And A. D. never more employ, For they are but false decoy,
 If Christ Is but name. But Christ has come; His day we hail! Before his star all others pale; His song transforms every wail-
 His manager is throne. And since He came the burdens light; Death has no sting, the futures bright; We walk by faith and not by sight.
 And trust in Him alone.