The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-12-19

We would be glad to take the regu-
lar lesson in Josh. xiv as our medita-
ton for today and be refreshed by the
story of Caleb, who felt as strong at
eighty-five as he did at forty and asked
Joshua for the mountain where the gi-
ants were and received Hebron as part
of his inheritance because he had
wholly followed the Lord God of Is
rael, but we choose the Christmas les
son for a greater than Caleb is here,
even the Lord, whom Caleb followed
and who kept him alive all those years
while over 100000 died in the wilder
ness.
The studies for 1914 will be on the
life of Chrise in the gospels, concluded
from 1912, when the last lessons were
in Matt. xviii, and this will form a
connecting link as well as be a more
appropriate Christmas study.
"The Word was made flesh" points
us to Gal. iv, 4. "When the fullness of
the time was come God sent forth His
Son, made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were un-
der the law" also to Heb. ii, IA, "For
as much then as the children are par
takers of flesh and blood He also Him.
self likewise took part of the same"
We must remember l Tim. iii, 16,
"Great is the mystery of godliness;
God was manifest in the flesh"
We are not asked to understand 1t,
for we cannot, but we can believe it.
Bishop Thorold has said that to recog
nize what we cannot explain and to
consent that it should not be explain
ed is the humility of true wisdom, and
to accept what we could not otherwise
have known, on the authority of Gods
revealed word, is the obedience of
faith. To this we are called-absolute
and unconditional faith in every word
of God.
This is the eagle gospel, as Matthew
is the lion, Mark the OK and Luke the
man. Here we soar beyond all the
Others Matthew takes us back to
Abraham, Luke to Adam, but here we
are taken to the beginning, before the
world was. and to the Creator of all
things. without whom was not any
! thing made that was made verse 3.
! He is called "the Word of Cod in
Rev. xix, 13, and "the Word' in 1 John
V, Z. To me "the Word of the Lord"
in Gen. XIV, 1, is also Himself talking
to Abram. The Bible is the written
word, and He is the living Word.
Some one has said:
The Scriptures and the Lord bear one
most holy name.
The written and the Living Word are in
all things the same.
He is distinct from and yet one with
the Father. "The Word was with God
and the Word was God" AS one has
said, this is too high for us, but in
J verse IA He comes near to us in hu-
i man form and tabernacles among us.
| He is the Babe who was born in Beth
lehem, and yet His goings forth have
been from of old, from the days of
eternity mic. V, p. The same verse
says that He was born to be ruler in
Israel, and in John /, 40, Nathaniel
recognized Him as such, saying, "Rab-
bi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art
the King of Israeli"
He has never yet ruled in Israel, but
He Himself answered PLATE, "Thou
sayest that l am King. To this end
was l born and for this cause came l
into the world' John xviii, 80.
Though we rarely, if ever, see this
title, ''the Ruler of Israel" in Christ
mas Sunday school decorations, yet for
the fulfillment of this the world waits.
He is the only Life and Light of men
individually, but when He shall come
again as the Light and Glory Of Israel
then nations shall come to her light
and kings to the brightness of her ris-
ing. 1t shall be to the world as Life
from the dead Qsa. TX, 1-3; Rom. XII
15). There is no life or light or knowl-
edge of the true God apart from Him
for He only can reveal the Father
Verse 1S). and those who do not re-
ceive Him as God do not know the
true God, but worship a god of their
own imagination, suggested to them
by the God of this world, the Ruler OF
the darkness Of this world QI Cor. iv
4; Eph. vi, 12).
The prophets have spoken the truth
by the Holy Spirit, but He is the
Truth John xiv, @ and reveals to us
the holiness of God and our sinfulness
but also the grace that saves sinners
freely by His merits Verse II; Rom
iii, "a; V. 1 II Cor viii 81.
think that verses 10, II are among
the saddest in the whole Bible, telling
us that the world that was made by
Him knew Him not, and the people
whom He came to redeem received
Him not. They make us think of His
own words, "Oh, Jerusalem,
how often would l, and "
would not" Matt. xiii, 80, and of th'
day when He wept over the city say
ing, ''If thou hadst known, bu
J now" duke xix, Al, 42). There
are no words more precious than thos,