Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-24
By Bishop
w. 4. Gambler

soul doth magnify the Lord and my
Spirit doth rejoice in God my Saviour"
But if we would enter most deeply
into the JOY of Christ at this happy
season we must know the supreme glad
ness which comes from seeking and
saving the lost. This joy can never be
known by men and women who vainly
imagine that human nature is not lost
at all and needs not to be saved by
Christ, or who have done nothing to
bring the lost to the Saviour. The most
joyous soul in the world today is that
man or woman who has done most to
bring sinners to repentance; such a
person shares the very joy of Christ
Himself, "Who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God" The pur-
est and highest fountain of JOY in
the universe is HARDLY that exalted
throne where lie sits rejoicing over
the repentance and redemption of sin
ners; and that man only may drink
of it's waters who contributes to its
flow.
The self-satisied and the self-suffi-
cient, who feel no need of salvation
through Christ and who are indif-
ferent to the salvation of others or
outright opposed to it. are the
furthest removed from the true
joy which most BELTS the christ
mas season. These are the Pharisees
and scribes who stigmatize Jesus for
seeking to save publicans and sinners.
They are of the same type with the
elder brother of the parable, who had
no heart to sympathize with the glad
ness of his father when he rejoiced
H. teal &c nroa
was lost and was found, dead and alive
again. Such an insensible wretch could
not rejoice at the mouth of a grave
out of which the dead had been raised
if such resurrection interferred with
his obtaining a bequest. Selfishness is
not capable of the noblest joy, and an
unspiritual mind knows no more of the
gladness' of heaven than the dull and
stupid swine knew of the sweetness of
the angelic strains which poured forth
upon the vibrant air Of Bethlehem's
plains at the Nativity. Stops, not
songs, interest hogs; and to the coarse
and vulgar multitude, who know moth
ing and care nothing for the spiritual
purpose of Christ in coming into our
smitten world to seek and to save the
lost, the sacred season Of christmas
will bring no higher enjoyment than
the sensual satisfactions Of eating and
drinking. Over such Jesus grieves; they
are a disappointment to divine grace.
But there are others who will give
joy to God at this season. These are
the penitent sinners who will hear the
holy season calling them with the ten
der tones of the long ago as the soft
notes of distant music melts the heart
by waking blessed memories. hard
ened man, so far from home, listen
to the christmas bells calling you! The
fond mother, who carefully provided for
the christmas joys of your childhood.
sleeps under the sod, the snow Of win
ter covering her resting place. If
she could only get up for one day.
she Would go out and seek her way
ward son; but she can not follow you
in your wanderings. Her Saviour and
yours does go forth however to seek
and to save you. Hear him calling
you today He gives you the christmas
gift of his redeeming love. Do thou
make Him glad with the christmas gift
of thy penitent heart! This is the
christmas gift Christ wants from thee.
In Bethlehem the wise men from the
East gave him gold and frank-incense
and myrrh as they bent in alteration
before Him. He prizes more the gift
my son, give me thy heart!