South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-12-27
WITH THE LOCAL PASTORS
TELLS Of VISIT
OF THE WISE MEN
Rev. 7. ]. Parsons Says Big
Lesson Not in What They
Did But Taught.

Services appropriate to Christmas
were held yesterday morning at the
quincy street Baptist church. The
choir sang anthems appropriate TO
the nativity, and the pastor, Rev. T.
]. Parsons. preached on the visit Of
the wise men TO the Christ child. He
said in part:
Who the wise men we're, whence
they came. and how NAVY there were
in the company. are questions which
have often been asked. Tradition
has il there were three. and that they
were kings. Dr. Henry Van Dyke sug-
gests a fourth wise man IT. his de-
lightful story of The other Wise
Man" IN all probability their num-
Der and Identity will never he known
a wise providence enshrouding them
ia oblivion that all the light Of the
event may fall upon the babe OF
Bethlehem. His coming into the
world is the great fact. and all the
. associations surrounding His birth
are mere accessories.
1--WE may take it for granted from
the visit of the magi that the birth
of the SAVIOR was Of more than local
or national interest. The angel said
10 the shepherds. Behold. ] bring
you good tidings OF great joy which
sh-H pee TO all people. Isaiah also
esff. Thr Gcntiles shall come TO thy
Urhi ana KINGS TO the brightness OF
tlr Hre job also told that the
T.cdn .er would stand upon the
car Bee tho latter days. and Balaam
rre. that a star would come
out cob and a Scepter would
ari. Israel simeon. on see
irg i .rtnc child. gave utterance
o. Dimittis. in which he
50 universal character of
c. 1. and the fUlf.llment
ri and prophesies of all
a.
-v Celebration.
hr.stmas celebra-
t. ut1e. presented
striking Illus
t Christ has
AS I stood
Fin to the car
az, r-autifully
So ing air,
.rr realism
- e. I'll the
light cattle
sh-a r-r baby
fn c0uld
fa-. enoved
teo thou
SIND from p original
ecero ar c-- different
ef,1i frs lesion OF
that of ee- Icrsrl exert stirred
the rH t- -cc,srgs Of oth- in the
crowd ~ Z Gid mine il Wei repaid
those r.r. BAD any part I'm making Tn
celebration So impressive and sue
cessful. ] looked upon it MS an hon
or shown to my dearest friend. my
adorable Lord and savior, and went
10 that service in the spirit of wor-
shin as I would go 20 church.
The most important lessons
taught by the magi were not who
they were. but what they did. They
reverentIv orshjpped. This was moi
mereIy a mark of respect. 1t was
alteration. a religious exercise which
Is accorded only 10 the Deity. HaNe
YOU followed their example They
xvorshipped Him: not Mary. nor 10
seph. but the Babe. thus distinguish-
ing between the human origin OF the
mother and the divine origin OF the
child. They presented unto hin
gifts. II. as is supposed. the wise
men were kings they acknowledge
His superiority over them as Kins
of kings
The gifts they gave were also OF
great significance as they were rep
resentative and typical The sold
represented llingship. and typitieo
Christ as the royal son OF David, IN
keeping with the message of the
angel of the annunciation. The
rrankincense represented priesthood
and typified Christ as our Greai
IHgh priest. who ever intercedes fol
us in heaven the true temple The
myrrh represented sorrow. and typ
ffied Christ as our sin offering on tht
great dav of atonement. the Lamb OF
God that taketh away sin of the
world.
As with rladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold.
AS with 10Y they hailed it's light
Leading onward. bean.1g brighti
So. most gracious LORD. may we
Evermore be led by Thee