The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-12-16

| lNi&f NSsH2t ~ f8l were observed
N ~ \M with more rever-
ence than II is.
and with more thought of him than of
Santa Claus, the pagan god, in whose
name the world passes round its gifts.
Nevertheless, II is Of him that his
people think, and they are glad OF a
special opportunity to press his name
and his claims upon all who will give
heed to them.
Was He Born Of a Virein2
II is the feature of his virgin birth
that our text emphasizes, and that we
have chosen to dwell upon in this dis
course. Some of the destructive crit
ics OF the Bible as they are called.
deny this. They are those who would
empty 1t of the supernatural alto
gether and hence destroy, faith in 1t
as a divine revelation. Why they
deny 1t is simply because they do not
want to believe 1t. They have no
proof TO the contrary, but have just
made up their minds that 1t is not so.
Our proof is the statements Of the
Bible. The earliest promise of re-
deemer in Genesis 3:15 foreshadows
1t. The prophet Isaiah predicts 1t in
chapter of his prophecy at verse a.
and both Matthew in this place, and
Luke in the first cnapter OF his Gospel,
verses 26.35, corroborate It.
OF course, II need not have been SO.
We do not say that God might not
have brought his son into the world
some other way, and that he still
might have accomplished redemption
for us; but If we question the record
at this point, we make It liable to be
questioned at any point, and then the
door is opened to deny Christ and to
deny redemption altogether.
Reasonableness Of Il.
When you come to think of II why
should not the Son of God have been
born in just this way? II he were a
pre-existent Divine Person as we
know him TO be, then some kind OF a
birth were necessary. 1t must have
been by natural generation or OF a
virgin, and how could 1t have been in
the natural way on account of sin?
Jesus must be sinless to be a Savior
OF sinners, and how could he be sim
less unless he hed virgin birth?
Oh, what a mystery this Isl God
clothing himself with our nature
that is the meaning of Emmanuel"
And yet while the two natures in
Christ are united they are not identi-
cal. There was a time simply when
deity became man, it was not so eter-
nally. And yet notwithstanding this
union there is no human nature in
God. Men are by nature human and
only human, for there was only one
incarnation OF the divine, and that
was Christ.
Meaning OF the Two Natures.
But it was necessary that Christ
should be human, else how otherwise
could he have sympathized with us
in our infirmity. and borne our sins
in his own body on the tree? And it
was necessary that he should have
been divine, for how otherwise could
his death have had. sufficient efficacy
for such redemption?
Oh, who will receive him today by
faith as the divine.human Savior?
This is to know the peace and Joy of
salvation, and to enter upon the new
year no longer as a servant OF. sin but
as a servant OF righteousness and Of
God.
And was there ever greater urgency
than now to do this? The awful COM
motion in the world cannot be without
meaning for the future; and perhaps
the very near future.
But II is not only in the likelihood
of sudden death to thousands upon
thousands OF our fellow men that we
find urgency for this appeal, but in an
event of much greater moment that
stands back OF all these things and
that is the coming of our Lord. He
who came the first time as a babe
and Graded in manger, will come
the second time. as the glorifled Son
of God and riding upon the clouds OF
heaven. He came before to save, he
win come again to judge. Unto them
that look for him shall he appear the
second time without sin unto saliva.
tion," as we read in Hebrews 1898
But unto them not looking for him
but instead, crying Peace and Safe
ty;" !. e., peace and safety in the
worlds methods OF bringing it about
will find Sudden destruction coming
upon them, as travail upon woman
with child. and they shall not escape.
We read this in Pauls second lettei
to the Thessalonians at the fifth chap
ter. Would to God that more would
read 1t, and believe It,