The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-01-19

TEXT-"For unto u,
born this day In the city of David
Eli. ~
Almost twenty centuries ago, in an
obscure village in Palestine. an eyer,
occurred which has had more Il.
fluence upon the history of the human
race than any other event since az
began. A childd was born-not e
unusual event surely. He was Sc
child OF distinguished parents, nor
prospective ruler of a worlds emnirs
He was born in a stable. and crsdIoa
in a manger. And yet around tbs,
loWly crib and humble birth, the liz
thoughts, and love of millions have
from that day to this been centered
During these two thousand wears
many noble births have been regis.
tered, but none so great as this. En-.
perors, monarchs, and mighty men
nave lived and died, and are forpo.
ten; nations have risen and waned.
but the birth of the Christ child IA
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 Fl. |
ting accompaniment could there he IA
SUCH an august event! How inter |
ested angels are in the welfare Of
mankind! How gladly they told ths |
christmas story to a handful of Door
shepherds How free from pride they |
We're! They were not content that
one OF their number should tell the
story-they all broke out in that great /
Christmas anthem.
Do we believe in angels my n,oret
We used to, We used to sing othere
are angels lowering round" IL We
believe the Bible, we still believe ii
the ministry Of angels.
Onward we go for still we hear Their
singing;
Angels sing on, your faithful watches 4
keeping.
Sing us sweet fragments of the SONG
above.
me announcement was made to i
small band of shepherds. No angelic |
host went to the Sanhedrin, or to the
palace of Herod and broke the news
or the birth Of the Christ child. Is
there not a lesson here? 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 a small and humble people, or the
Sunday school teacher to a smaN.
class?
The scholars of the land were also
notified of Christ's birth. The Scrip
ture does not say-"not any wise men
are called" but mot many" 1t is a
mistake to say that religion Is good
enough for women, and children, but /
not for strong, brainy men. The +
brainest men of the ages have been 7
Christian men: Gladstone, the great /
statesman; Blackstone, the great law.
yer; H~erschel, the great scientist I
these and many others, too numerous +
to name, have been Christians. So ii 4
has come to pass that the wise men
of the east have been followed by the
wise men of the west, and they all
have bowed at this manger The rea-
son why every university must have /
its chapel is because brainy men must
have a place to worship.
That the birth of Christ was mys-
FERROUS and miraculous need not dis.
turb us. How Christ's body was pre-
pared, how the divine and human
become one-who can tell? We
not even understand our own birth,
let alone His. If ever anything Of a
miraculous nature should take place,
should it be IL not now
when the King Of all laws is coming
lnto the world? Let us be careful lest
In denying the virgin birth, we chal.
lenge the purity of the Virgins life.
The birth of Christ was the coming
OF God to and in man, not that God
mad never come to man before, for he
had. But he had come only as a So
)ourner, In Christ he came to abide.
His name is "Immanuel,-God with
u.s. Whatever else the incarnation
nay mean, 1t certainly means that
iod took our nature and became as
me OF us--he came unto his own
The birth of Christ brings to us
good tdings of great Joy. II the an
'els sang, should not we? He came
o save not angels. but men, The
lrst note of this angelic song is a note
II gladness, and SONG has character
.ed Christianity.
This birth in Bethlehem shows Gods
toward e God has good
Viii toward men. He is not the hard,
judge that men so often wrong
y picture him to be. Sinner, you
ave cursed God, but he has not
nrsed you back; you have lifted your
ands against him, but he has not
estroyed you. He has thoughts OF
indness, and of love toward you. II
have wrong thoughts of God, let
hem die away in the music OF that
rst Christian anthem, good viii to-
ard men"
The Christian story brings to US
a Savior. Jesus Christ was born
18th reference to sin. He was the
My man that ever was born with
eference to that great fact. Other
eat men were teachers and reform
's-he alone could save men from
leir sins. His name shall be called
ssus and he shall save his people