The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-26

| with so much that was touching and attractive and subduing. Therefore, did He appear in the flesh as the per
 feet image of all that is beautiful and | tender and gentle and soothing in hu-
 man nature Verify, God commendeth 1 His charity towards us (Rom V, s1
 If we but faintly realize the immensity
 of His larger love we will give Him
 our hearts without reserve. (Preface of 1 the incarnation)
 1 "Furthermore it is due to the incar- nation that Jesus has become the per- l feet pattern of all religious life, and | He has become for all Christians not | only the mystery of godliness but also
 it's supreme example. He has taught
 us the highest form of perfection As
 the apostle declares, The grace of God our Savior hath appeared to all men, fn- structing us that denying ungodliness
 and worldly desires, we should live so-
 berly and justly, and godly in this world (Titus ii, 11-12) Jesus was not
 only our teacher. He was also our
 model. With Him words and actions were of one piece. His life, so ealm' so still, so collected. so raised above worldly interests and worldly concerns exerts a unique moral power over the | hearts of men. His example of consum- mate holiness exercises a mysterious | influence over the soul and inspires It l to the greatest efforts sven though its most successful attempts are but
 broken echoes of a higher harmony.
 Benefits Received
 But let us now consider tho chief | benefit which has been conferred on us | by the Goldman. St. John, the theoi- | ogian, of the ancient church, points 1t
 out in the opening paragraph of his
 gospel. He says, As many as received ] Him, He gave them power to be made i Sons of God. (John l. 12) Here We | have the fundamental reason why the eternal word, the Only Begotten of the | Father put off His glory, and came down upon earth--He wished to raise us up to heaven. St. Athanasius very beau tifully says that God became man in | order that man might become like God. l (De Incarnat. epist. ad Adelph.) | "To appreciate the full significance of this singular elevation Cor human nature) we must bear in mind what marvellous transformation the incarna- tion has effected. Before Christ's com- ing, mankind was heavily burdened by | the ancient heritage of sin and sorrow. | Adams defection had deprived the race of supernatural life and of every means | and title to it's recovery. After the | loss of original justice actual sin came
 into the world and in the course of his- | tory Adams progeny fell hopelessly un- der the empire of evil by dint of ac- cumulated sin and heredity. From day to day, depravity increased, owing to | the waywardness of the feelings, the | rebellion of reason and the fever of the passions Truth departed from the earth. | evil triumphed, satan held sway, sin
 abounded.' (Rom V, 20.)
 Christ Is Born
 "But at this extremity the heaven
 born child made His entrance into the world. He was God and able to repair all harm The darkness of ignorance i was dispelled before His light, the fear | of death was replaced by the promise of | life. the captivity of sin yielded to the | glorious freedom of the children of God, l the slavery of satan was destroyed by | the Joyous rule of the Christ. The fal- lien race was exalted beyond measure. | The children of Adam became the chill dren of God. For the Spirit himself | giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God and if sons.
 heirs also heirs indeed of God and l joint heirs with Christ (Rom. viii, 16 | 17D Nay. more by the grace of the
 Christ-chi we became 'partakers of
 the divine nature.' QI Peter, 1-4. | My friends, wondrous thoughts
 crowd into the mind dn this day, un- | speakable emotions stir the heart. But
 uppermost is the sense of spiritual joy and profound peace God has come in lowliness to exalt His people; He has | come in poverty to maNe them rich; He has come in the semblance of nor tality to give them life eternal. Let us then rejoice in the Lord, for the good tidings which the angels brought
 are all our own. Let us give glory to God in the highest Luke ii, 1q, be- cause He has visited us in His mercy
 and has graciously wrought our re- demption."
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