The Cape County herald., 1912-01-19
INTERNATIONAL
SBNDNSCIOG
LESSON
LESSON FoR JANUARY 2I
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NflseEIHA Nf.Ih NariIfIEn ..Ia...
MEMORY NkitSF8-to u
GOLDEN TEX I---sfor unto vo1 is
born tlaa la4 ln the cts uE David y
seglor whicn 3 Chdst use L9sa r-Luls
4 A.11:s=ost twenty centuries ago. fn an
obscure village in Palestine an event
occurred which has had more in.
4 uuence upon the history OF the human
race than any other event since time
began. A chndd was born-not an
unusual event surely. He was no
child OF distinguished parents. nor
4 prospective ruler OF worlds empire
He was born in q stable and Graded
On a manger. And yet around TIM!
l0wly crib and humble birth the life.
thoughts. and love Of milhons have
from that day to this been centered
During these two thousand years
many noble births hare been regis
tered, but none so great as this. En-
perors. mouarchs. and mighty men
have lived and died, and are GoFeoc
ten; nations have risen and waned:
but the birth Of the Christ child "a
more influential in this day than on
the FIRST birthday of our age twenty
centuries ago.
The announcement OF Christ's birth
was made by angels. What more Gt-
ting accompaniment could there be to
such an august event. How inter
ested angels are In the welfare OF
mankind! How gladly they told the
Christmas story to a handful OF poor
shepherds! How free from pride they
were! They we're not content that
one OF their number should tell the
BtoTy-they all broke out in that great
Christmas anthem.
DO we believe in angels any more7
We used to. We used 10 sing "thers
afV angels lowering round" If We
believe the Bible, we stin believe In
the ministry Of angels.
Onward We 60 for stlll we hear them
singing;
/ Angels sing on, your faithful watches
keeping.
Sing us sweet fragments Of the song
above
The announcement was made to a
small band Of shepherds. No angelic
host went to the Sanhedrin, or to the
palace of Herod and broke the news
OF the birth Of the Christ child. Is
there not a lesson mere? Does not
God have special regard for the low
" and the humble? Hath not God
chosen the weak things to confound
the mighty? If angels were willing to
preach to a few farmers, should the
preacher be ashamed of ministering
to q small and humble people, or the
Sunday school teacher to a small
class2
The scholars Of the land we're also
notified Of Christ's birth The Scriu-
ture does not say-''not any wise men
are called" but net many" 1t is
mistake to say that religion is good
enough for women, and children, but
not for strong. brainy men. Tho
brainest men of the ages have been
Christian men.
That the birth Of Christ was mys.
terious and miraculous need not dis
turb u.s. How Christs body was pre-
pared. how the divine and human
could become one-who can tell? We
DO not even understand our own birth.
let alcne His. If ever anything Of q
miraculous nature should take place,
when should it be If not now
when the King Of all laws is coming
into the world? Let as be careful lest
IN denying the virgin birth, we chal-
tenge the purity OF the Virgins life
The birth Of Christ was the coming
/ Of G6d to and in man, not that God
had never come to man before, for no
had. But he had come only as a SO.
( iourner. In Christ he came 10 abide.
Ills name is Emmanuel with
as" Whatever else the incarnation
may mean, it certainly means that
God took our nature and became as
9ne Of us-he came unto his own.
The birth Of Christ brings to us
good tidings Of great joy. If the an
gels sang. should not we? He came
10 save not angels, but men. The
i Arst note Of this angelic song IS a note
/ bf gladness. and song has character
( zed Christianity.
This birth IN Bethlehem shows Gods
attitude toward men. God has good
ajll toward men. He is not the hard,
levere Judge that men so often wrong
| y picture him to be. Sinner, you
lave cursed God, but he has not
cursed you back; you have lifted your
( aands against him, but be has not
Z 5e-trcyed you He has thoughts OF
! lndness ard Of love toward YOU 70
( gou have wrong thoughts Of God. let
lhem die away in the music OF that
arst Christian anti EN-. good win To-
ward men,"
The Christian story brings to us
/ also a Savior Jesus Christ was born
/ with reference to sin. He was the
only man that ever was born with
reference to that great fact. Other
great men we're teachers and reform
srs-he alone could save men from
heir Eins. His name shall be called
Jesus and he shall save bis people
rom their sins. This Is good tidings
9f great Joy to a sin.stricken world
II Christ the Lord cannot save you