The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-02-01

for I am God, and there is none elsc."--
1sa. 45:22
So quietly had Jesus made His APP |
pearance into the world that His ar
rival was unknown in Jerusalem until
the Wise Men came from the East
Perhaps the shepherds had not told
their tale of the heavenly vision, or
perhaps they had told 1t, but It had
been unheeded or ridiculed. SO as the
morning star still rises without noise,
and as the seed shoots up and the
flower opens in silence, so was 1t
with the coming of Christ, the Rose Of
Sharon, and the Bright and Morning
Star. No thunder awoke the hills Of
PALESTINE: no trumpet peal went
through its city; no herald went be-
fore Him: no royal salute greeted
Him. His mother and the chosen
few of the inner circle who had wit
messed the wonderous birth, made no
proclamation of it,-they received all
in silent, happy faith, and pondered
these things in their hearts.
Even so does Christ to-day make
His advent into many n heart. SO
silently does He oftimes come that
one scarcely is able to tell the day
or the hour when Christ was born
in his life. The Kingdom OF God
does not always come with observa-
ton.
The inquiry of the Wise Men sug-
gests a deep interest in Christ. Herod
made no such inquiry save In jeal-
ousy: Jerusalem was not particularly
interested in the subject; but very
few in Israel cared anything about II.
How like conditions today
The Wise Men confessed their ig-
norance. The truly wise man is never
above asking questions. Pride keeps
many people from Christ. Because,
falsely. we say Eve see" our blind
ness remains with us. II we would
find the Saviour n we would know
the forgiveness OF sin let us admit
our ignorance and our need OF
guide; let us cry to God to help us.
II Is better to ask God to lead us
than to trust in our own reason. We
seldom wander when on our knees.
The Wise Men had a motive for
their search-they came to worship
Him And that is Just the reason
why they found Him. Herod could
not find Him, nor could the chief
priests and scribes-for the simple
reason that they did not want to
worship Him. No seeker will find
Christ unless the motive Of his seek
ing be that he may be saved by Him.
and from henceforth live for and
serve Him. A seeking sinner and a
seeking Saviour will not be long be-
fore they meet, and the meeting will
be blessed one Have you found
Christ? II not, why not?
The Wise Men received encourage
ment in their search for Christ. They
saw His star, which led them through
the long desert until they found their
place by Christ's side. So will It al
ways be with those who are really
seeking Christ. There is a light that
others perchance may not see, hand
that others may not perceive, a voice
that others may not hear-all Of these
ere visible and audible TO those who
by faith are seeking Christ. The
Church. the Bible. the Preaching Of
t.. Gosrel exemplary Christian lives,
ilwafu IL ulses--these may be stars
tb iigh' ne way TO Him.
The v re Men did not consider II
cno"oh ut they bad seen the star.
'rEey G pt'nued their Journey until
they saw the Chr'st. Is there not
CouPar &C or seeing the Church, the
Pih'e tte Sncraments, and yet miss
hg Kim! II would have been too
I'D Tor them to have come as far as
lcrusGlcm and then to have given up
viz ont seeing Him, Just as 1t would
ha too bad for us to have used all
tre"o sr'"'tual aids, and yet not have
Gou, - Saviour.
IS soon as these earnest seekers
found Christ. they worshipped Him
What a glorious vision they had as
they looked upon the Christ Child
They saw that which alone Is worth
seeing; that which fills and gladdens
the soul when seen and known: that
which righteous men of old desired Ia
see, but saw only In glimpses and
at intervals; that for the seeing OF
which Moses prayed so earnestly; that
to which the eye or every creature
should turn In longing anticipation
that which everything In heaven and
in earth is intended to reveal; that foI
the beholding OF which our eyes were
made, and for the appreciation OF
which our minds were formed-Jesut
Christ, the Son of God, and the Saw
iOur Oe the world To see anythips
less in the Christ child is to miss the
heart of the vision.
They worshipped Him. They coult
not help It; nor can any man wher
once he has seen the glory of Goo
in the face of Jesus Christ. 1t was
said OF Gladstone that when one wai
ushered into his presence, lie was con
strained to bow his head or raise his
hat. So those who behold Christ mus
VEl