The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-01-25

seen thy salvation, which thou hast pre-
pared before the face OF all peoples."-
Luke 2.30-31.
This lesson concerns the matter of
the presentation of the Christ child in
the temple forty days after his birth
Ever since the redemption of the first.
born OF Israel on that dark night in
Egypt, when the destroying angel pass
ed through the land and smote all the
first-born of the Egyptians, the first
born son of every Hebrew family be-
longed unto the service of God. AS a
substitute for all the first-born. the
tribe of Levi was chosen to act as
priests. BY this. however, the Hebrew
parents were not exempt from the pre-
sentation of their first-born to God
by reason of the choosing of the Le-
vites, the firstborn son of the family
was released from priestly service on
the payment of a certain amount of
redemption money.
Joseph and Mary being righteous
parents. obeyed this law and presented
the Christ child in the temple. In thus
presenting the child, these parents
realized the great truth, which all par
ents should realize, that our children
belong to God, and are but loaned to
us. Christian parents should initiate
the example of Joseph and Mary.
Mary also made a personal Offering
as a token of her appreciation of the
goodness of God. II was a small gift
IL is true, but It was the best that she
in her humble circumstances life could
give, and, therefore, was as accept
able to God as any Offering of much
higher value would have been. Would
il not be a good thing to celebrate the
birth of your child by making a spe-
cial Offering, or gift to the cause of
God, to some needy work?
We have a wonderful description of
the work OF Christ in this lesson. He
is the light of the world. Not one, but
every nation is to feel the effect OF his
coming. On one occasion, when a
Japanese convert to Christianity was
summoned before the magistrates and
called upon to give a reason why he
was told that Japan had religion
enough and did not want any more;
that Confrcianism was good enough
for scholars, and Buddhism for the
masses. The Japanese convert replied,
IF Confucianism Is an all-sufIicient re-
ligion, why is 1t. since the founder liv-
ed thousands of years before Christ
and taught during a long life, that It
has not spread beyond China and ia
pan? And If Buddhism is an all-suffi-
cient religion, how is 1t, started by
Budda thousands Of years before
Christ. and taught by him through
long life, that 1t has not spread be-
yond India, China, and Japan? II
Christianity is a bad religion, how is 1t,
since its founder taught three years,
and was put to death when he was
thirty-three years old, that 1t has
spread over all the world?"
Jesus is the desire of all the nations.
There is no satisfaction to be found in
any religion outside of him. Even
Simeon, representing the Old Testa-
ment, did not find full satisfaction un-
Ill he had seen the Christ child.
The salvation of the world centers
in Christ. He is the only Saviour.
C',rst Is the only person who can save
th- world from it's sin. The world
J d hel formers, scholars, philoso-
pters, phl'anthropists before Christ,
T. 1t it rcver had Saviour. Jesus
Christ. Is the only rerson born into
the world with reference to the sins
Cf mon.
We may learn IA lesson of what 1t
j. cans 10 have la.th In Christ from the
words OF Simeon. lie had seen no
I City works wrought by Christ; no
J. irscles had been performed in his
5 sht; he had heard no words of king
J. dignity from the lips Of Jesus;
Christ had pressed upon this good
mans heart no claims to Messiahship
and yet with the eye of faith he saw
all these things in the infant Jesus.
Centuries have rolled by since Simeon
lived and died, and Jesus Christ has
been proven beyond all reasonable
doubt to be all these things-to be,
and to do all that Simeon in prophecy
claimed for him, and yet we may ask,
DO we believe In Christ, the Christ
of tho past as he believed In the Christ
of the futures"
Christ Is revealer of mems hearts.
A mans character is judged by his at
titude toward Christ. We see In the
character of Christ absolute goodness,
love, truth, honor, purity. Therefore
TO see Christ, to see truth. love, good
ness, purity, and not to love and
choose him is to reveal state of heart
which. like that of Gallo. "cares for
none of these things"
Simeon was satisfied when he had
seen the Christ. To see him is the
grandest sight in all the world. We
are often asked, "Have you seen the
sights In Rome, in Greece, in Italy?"
And II we reply In the negative, It is
limited that we have missed q great
mart of life Rut thara Ia a Iipht mora