Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-12-26

was In reality void and empty until Coo
created the human soul and breathed INTO
man the breath of life. Gods love for
mankind was the motive of creation and
the inspiration of His bountiful mani
festation of omnipotence and goodness.
Love of God for Mankind.
But UNNECESSARILY greater was the love
of God for mankind which constrained
Him to bestow on human creatures, NOT
the resources of His created bounty, not
the treasures of material perfection not
the gifts of intelligence and free VIII
which rendered man the image and IKE
ness OF God but to bestow Himseh upon
man by uniting His own divine person
nifty and nature to the created nature Oh
man in the person of His divine son,
Jesus Christ Our Lord. Well might the
APOSTLE exclaim, 20 the depth OF tne
wisdom and knowledge OF God. In the
presence of this august and maJestic
truth the human mind Is overwhelmed
with the sublimity of the conception ana
bowed down in awe and alteration before
the infinite love and condescension OF
God. IL might we'll be said of such an
excess of goodness and mercy, as 1t Is
said Of the beatifc vision which God has
prepared for those that love Him, that
eve hath not seen and ear hath not
heard nor hath it entered Into the heart
of man. to conceive such bounteous love
for mankind. t
Commentaries the Birth.
II is this that gives to the festival OF
Christmas its Understandable significance
and importance 1t commentaries the
birth. not merely OF the hignest anu
Iii nd moi
Of one commissioned to be the supreme
teacher and saviour of the human race.
but of one who. in the guise of helpless
child. is in truth the almighty creator OF
the world, the one true and eternal God
It is the personal and visible entrance OF
God into the world that we recall In cele-
brating the feast of Christmas. The
highest flights Of fancy, the pfofoundest
researches of reason, the utmost yearn-
ines of the heart are powerless to grasp
the full meaning of the mystery whicn
found its outward expression In the birth
of Jesus Christ We can only believe
and adore. We know the significance OF
the word "God." We know that God is
the creator of heaven and earth and all
things. We know that he holds all things
in the hollow of His hand, sustaining
them In being, ruling them by HIS proyi-
dGnce.
aim and end. He is unlimited In power,
wisdom. mniesty, holiness and every con-
ceiyable perfection. But we also know
with the certainly OF divine faith that,
without changing or diminishing one jot
or title of His infinite attributes, He was
horn as man, subject in His human
nature to the weakness and frallty and
sufferings of mankind, and we know He
underwent this human birth because lie
loved us. and that the anniversary of His
birth IL in consequence a commemoration
of that infinite love. Profound then, and
almost overpowering are the sentiments
of awe, reverence, gratitude and love WIN
which we assemble in spirit at the crlp
Of bethlehem to adore the infant Saviour
and to acknowledge our allegianceto Him
as our Lord and orr God. With mary
hearts before the mystery OF the glad
tidings that this day Is born to US a
saviour who is Christ the Lord, and in
our ears resound once more the angels
song. "Glory to God" Not one among us
hut will today vow fidelity and obedience
TO the teachings and precepts OF Him
whose birth we celebrate with loving and
rrnfeful hearts. Not one of us but VIII.
pray for the coming of the day when All
mankind will gather at the crib of Bethle-
hem with the same deep and sincere faith
In Christ as the Eternal Son of God as
that which arimates and uplifts our souls
on this joyous Christmas Day.
50 Men Free Agents.
In Aiods providence men are permitted
TO use their freedom of will to acknowl-
edge Christ as their God and Saviour or
TO reject Him. This child has been set
for the fall as well as for the resurrection
of many in Israel" The world into
which the God man entered visibly on
Christmas Day Is divided into two rival
camps on the battlefield of life. For
Christ or against Him is the line Of
demarkation that separates the thoughts.
the aims and ideals, the ambitions aud
actions Of millions of human beings for
all of whom Christ was born and to all
of whom He makes His appeal for their
love and obedience.
Belief In God.
When we recall that God so loved the
world. etc, we also remember the pur-
nose of that love--that all who would be
lieve in Him might not perish, but might
find life everlasting. Belief In Him is the
first requisite for participating in His
bounty. Faith is the beginning and
foundation of that salvation, temporal
and eternal, for the comforting Of which
on men lie was born into this world.
The obstacles in the way of faith are
chiefly Intellectual pride, the covetopsness
Of ayarice and unbridied appetite for
worldly pleasures, combined with the
darkness OF Understanding and the weak
ness Of will which are the unfortunate