The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-27

STOCKING TEXT
loF CHRIS llAS

ng,inluns q - Ms1snes y -
Ne1a1os y C1R1es DlF0
Dr.. A. r. Ooock1ns. pastor "
apenesr 1lGnosid r. =. church.
took % ~ tA6m9 of his ssrmou
yesterday nofnjns.. The 1sssags
a ~ Aaesls.s q feund - Lufc
u:S-l1, II, IA: .Anl 10. the angel
q ths Lard calns uDsn them. ane
The glory of IL Lord sh0ne round
about thsm; and thsy wsfe sors
afraid. And the angel said unto
them: Fear not: for. behold. !
bring you good tidings Of great
Joy, which shall b to al people;
for unto you y born this day In the
city Of David I Savior, which -
Christ the Lord
"And suddenly there was with
the angel q multitude Of the heav-
enly host, praising God and saying:
Glory to God In the highest. and
On earth peace, good will toward
men," =
DR.. Stocking said in part:
Christmas is the happiest OF all
holidays. 1t commentaries the
greatest event in the worlds his
tory. the coming of the Son OF God
10 earth. to make fuller revelation
OF the Father, to provide redemp-
tion for the human race, to estab-
lish righteousness and peace and
to blaze the pathway to heaven.
1.-THE annual coming OF Christ
mas thrills all hearts. Feelings Of
love and fellowship. Of good cheer
and helpfulness, animate US all
Grateful to God for the gift Of His
Son, who also gave Himself freely
for US, we partake of the same
spirit and gladly give of our goods
and Of ourselves for the happiness
! and we'll being Of our fellows.
f, I'VE need neither cavil about the
angels nor attempt to describe
their appearance. The great Cox
surely can provide messengers a
he sees fit, and whatever the an
gels may have been in themselves
they were but incidental to thu
glorious message which the!
brought s..Z H.
! sFear Not
THE first words Of the chief her
aid, to the wondering shepherd
we're Fear not o, how man!
times do we find these words il
the bible. How many times wer'
they uttered by Jesus himself! l
il not strange that they should b.
needed. Our sins have separated n
from God. Our wilful disobedienc'
has erected a dark barrier betweel
US. and it ID hard for US to think o
his breaking through except Il
come in the terrors Of judgment
In the very nature Of things tn
holy and righteous God cannot lool
upon sin with appreciation, AM
} only with that allowance whicl
recognizes our free moral agency
But he must also recognize our re
sponsibility and, as we know on
guilt, the thought of the coming Q
God means condemnation to US.
Isaiah saw the Lord and h
shrank away, crying, Woe is me
for l am undone; because l am
man Of unclean lips, and l dwell
in the midst Of = people of uncleal
lips Peter saw the manifestation
Of Omnipotence in Jesus Chris
! and cried out, Depart from me TO
l am a sinful man. Even the sim
pie hearted shepherds could nc
stand in the glory Of the Lor
which shone round about then
and they were sore afraid
, But though God must needs con
, denim those who remain obduratel
wicked. he has no delight in cor
domination. Is l live,' saith tn
? Lord God, I have no pleasure i
the death Of the wicked, but this
the wicked turn from his way an
| live. He is not harsh and fierc
, and viAdictive. He is a God {
mercy and love and tender CON
> passion. He is not willing ths
any should perish, but that a
) should come to repentance H
j. breaks through the dark barrie
, that our sins have erected betwee
Z ~ with a message Of salvation.
Sin Net All-Conquering.
"Sin 10 not all-conquering. Go
has devised . plan for our redemI
ton. He has laid help upon On
Who is mighty He has given Hi
only Begotten Son that whosoeve
believeth in Him should not pei
ish, but have everlasting life Til
is the good news. This is the Col
pei message. And it il to all pei
pie. Christ is the seed Of ABR
ham. through whom all the nation
, of the world are to be blessed. HI
,, connection is racewide. He is
: Brother to men everywhere an
by His obedience and intercessio
opens up to them the way to Go,
THE infant lying in the mango
at Bethlehem is the Savior Of me-
, and He is able to save them to Ii
, uttermost that come unto God
, Him. He is Christ the Lord
such He is the promised Messial
? the Amounted One, of Whom tt
Prophet Isaiah said Behold q VII
} gin shall conceive. and bear : Dol
} and call his name 1mmanuel,' IN
again, The government shall /
} upon His shoulder: and He sha
. BE- called Wonderful, Counsf Ito
The Mighty God. The Everlastin
Father. The Prince Of Peace
| IN haW Rrnn6 and haaufifnl ~