The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1913-01-24

EHAnI VINO ndd come 10
ESS redeem mankind.
#M But who car say
anything new
about this wonderful blessing which
follows the coming OF Christ? The
message has come through the
medium of angels from Heaven:
prophets had foretold the Sa-
viour, the apostles and martyrs. the
saints OF all ages have spoken OF
the glory which followed. Nineteen
centuries of eloquence from poets.
painters and sculptors, oratory and
literature and song have united In
telling the story of the glory OF the
first Christmas and the transforming
power Of the Christ-child. And yet
the story never grows old; 1t Ia stili
the sweetest story eyer told; no is
1t strange that this should be SO, for
the coming Of Christ was the supreme
event In human history, the turning
point In the calendar of the world,
and the greatest gift to man. For
God SO loved the world, that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whatsoever
believeth in him should not perish.
but have everlasting life"
The message was one of good It'd.
ings; of salvation, of forgiveness from
sin, Of deliverance from bondage, OF
refuge from the storms Of life. OF
peace amid the restlessness of the
world, Of power over the evil In hu-
man nature, of cleansing from the
stain of sin, Of comfort in the midst
Of the worlds sadness, and of a
crown at the end Of the race.
The message was OF good tidings
OF great joy, and this is the keynote
OF the Gospel, for he who really has
Christ in the heart can hear the
Saviour say and realize the truth OF
1t THAT your Joy might be full"
The message Is all inclusive-to all
people. In the Psalms we read that
Christ shall have dominion from sea
to sea. There is no narrowness In
Gods plan. There's a Wilderness In
sea-" This babe born In Bethlehem
is he who shall rule in Jerusalem. and
in Judea, and In Samaria, and unto
the uttermost parts of the earth.
"All kings shall bow down before
him" There is no better day than
Christmas, and nc higher theme and
no greater motive for al appeal for
our interest In foreign missions. for
this same Saviour said Go We into
all the world"
This Is the best message because
1t announced the Saviour. Redemp-
ton Is the greatest factor IN human
history; although 1t reminds us Of
the awful fact of sin: for these two
explain all mystery and ~unravel all
history. Sin is the ground. redemp.
ton the process OF all salvation. Sin
makes redemption necessary; redemp-
ton shows us God. and we shout:
What a wonderful Saviour" In a
very true sense God was a Redeemer
before he was a Creator. This Saviour
is announced as Christ and Lord, and
every word is emphatic. Christ Is
the Messiah who was to come, and as
Lord he takes his place as ruler in
the hearts and lives Of those who &C.
cept him.
The emphasis of the Message is
upon the fact that Jesus is the
Saviour. There is one line that runs
through all the Bible. 1t Is the scarlet
thread of the blood Of Christ. There
is one fact that shines out on every
page of the book, the face Of One
who became man for us men and for
our salvation. This is the message OF
prophets and angels, of types and
symbols, Of persons and sacrifices;
the multitudes have found 1t true. It
reminds one of the first words OF 3
used In the south:
.'How do I know my Lord Is divtner
He saves me from my sim
The message is personal-"Unto
you" Blessed be the night that song
was born: blessed be the Saviour who
came and who now lives In his saints:
blessed be the God who sent such q
wonderful redemption and said:
"Whosoever believeth In him shall
not perish" So the blessing reaches
me and that means Christmas for my
soul and redemption for me. and
peace, and Joy, and Christ, and
H~eaven-if I will. How 10 1t with
you? Has Christ been born unto you
as a Savior? Have you accepted the
greatest gift God could make? Have
you made the Babe OF Bethlehem your
Savior and Christ and Lord?
20 holy child of Bethlehem.
Descend to us, we pray:
Cast out our sin. and enter in.
BE born In us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell:
o come to us. abide with us.
Our Lord Emanuel"