The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 18, 1898, Page 2

3 1898 — DR. CHARLES H. PARKHURST, Reformer. T is remarkable that while the Scriptures give to us a distinct recital of y of Jesus and make no attempt to disguise the fact that he an 1t with the veritable helplessness incident to such condition, it is not the littleness of the babe that arrests the Scripture's atten- 1, nor the mes ss frallty of the babe that those Scriptures under- score. Neither Mark nor John has anything to say of an infant Jesus, and the other evangelists treat his infancy only as an incident, and portray it ay Intended to draw the whole consclousness of the reader off from features of the situption and to center that consciousness the kindliness and divineness of the being who y of infancy only because that was the sole man. sre not terested in Jesus beca he was little, nor pathy because he was helpless, but already dealt e he was king and worshiped him because he with him r was Christ, t » stringed ment was ever constructed in such perfection that it would not flat by use, and, however much we may say of that still finer instrument we call the human conscience, that, too, flats by use. It is for- ever sagging below the k to which it is naturally pitched, and requiring ain. We learn during to do wrong without feeling the wrong of it, and that means that likely to determine our conscience rather more than our con- rmine our deed Men never trust their watche: hen they t many men habitually trust their consciences when , and do not even take care to celebr: Christl s in order that they may set their cc i There is a at deal of love in the world, and I by the tokens which it annually makes of itself, exac ned by the very currents which slip over them and plow the gh them. But just as it is a fact that in the middle of the da sun because the light which it sheds fills the world as to chase from our minds thoughts of the s self that the brightn springs from, so are Christmas days crowded ith the inter- change of love tokens that it is surprisingly easy, right at Christ him whose presence in the world for eighteen hundred ye so much to soften human hearts. My message on this Chris! to the end of the century, is to remember Jesus even at this sea Christ and King and not as the Bethlehem infant, to key our conscien each recurring Christmas and oftener by his precepts, and not to forget, ast of all at Christmas time, to try to foster a love for one who first of all loved us. the Christmas love and awakening to stiffen it up a the year 0o full of =) “«Behold, bring international peace and human |W. H. MORELAND,| o, Foaiie? i S don B e into the '| you tidings of great woria to reconcile man with God and other leade or othe " — St Luke | "10. festatior ction, but Jesus was = the fir the words cut upon the tomb of Grant, “Let us tendency peace.” This was the sublime tho 1 upon e in the overture of angels, the angelic - e ~» peace messengers singing above the e, P on it as 5 Palestinian hil There are three look upon it &3 & things in this text to be emphasized. .. Ume for giVIDE © pirst—mhé ex; ed recognition of and receiving presents. istmas 18 God's gift in us the Savior. The giv the home, and 'n a.c ved by Jews and lievers and tl ands of others s Christians. This s one of the and beneficent effects of Christ- 1at it leavens the crtire commu- with the spirit of love and good You see the throngs upon the streets, the crus’ in the great stores, the people planning glad surprises for one another, and bearing mystericus parcels whose unwrapping is to bring of joy into some fellow-crea- or cause the merry shouts to rise on Christmas morn- Multitudes are blessed by Christ- ho are not yet ready to acknowl- from whom all the blessings re is this danger: To be ab- the outward splendor and kKing of Christmas and netrate to the great truth an eternal meaning to all of this day. hen e think of it as a relig- tival vur thoughts are occupied externals. We picture the nger and the Virgin mother; we sing of the angels and the shepherds watch- ing their flocks by night. We join in the hymns or listen to the great Christ- and “How sweet! festival ct it is ob. the throne by the adoration ¢ akable gift. T Tongue God for his glory has never tongue, age after age, church and nation upon nation ha back the everiasti.g prayer. It I mas—this_ ad: incarnation of Ct thank God for Jesu the sermon on the mount, th af sins of the whole world. Second—The prediction peace. A few days ag startled by the p. of all the Russia: The world’s cha: a moment in it men listened with mi suspicion and rev ance from the thron certainly the the the gos diction is ality, but it tual in the provic high ideal, raised tary spirit and our enthus quest, but it is not too much to ex a reign some day of un hood. The higher peace this teaching, moreove the cessation of the a glow ture’s h ag ded conflict of mas & hem say God How beautiful!” and pay little heed through sin. to the meaning of the words we use. Third — The gospel of od will Now, leaving externals alone, going down deeper than Christmas trees and musie and present-making and home reunions and grand anthems, what is the great truth of Christmas? It is the incarnation. We stand face to face with thiz sublime fact that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Man had known something about by the incarnation he knew God. e incarnation God himself came and dwelt with man. God revealed himself to man in the person of Jesus st. Look upon the infant Jesus cradled in the Virgin's arms. He is the link between earth and heaven. In him God and man are joined in one This is the meaning of Christmas. Did not the angels rightly call it “glad of great joy”? Hear the good . Listen to the glad tidings! child of God; you are not n here in this world of sin. You are destined for . Carry the news to the nd the suffering. also means that God has His tone and final word has d in Jesus Christ. Is not s? From the beginning »aling himself to an could receive him. God, as all light is » spoke through Con- T ter, in broken Translated strictly this me pleasure,” or God's gracious reg men as manifested in the gift tion to them in their wre tion. pleasure. uttered him. f his son. v deed of Jesus Christ is the and i revelation of the eternal God. yre we cry “Good news!” The 1cle of God is with men. Good the world and God is saving men whether they acknowl- not. Good news! God has soul in perfect darkness. God is light, God is life, s7love. Good mew God's in his hea All's rl.ghl '».\llh: e : —— ““Glory to Godin |REV. WM. RADER,| he highest and on | earth peace, good | & | will toward men.”’ e - lukeittg “world. gregational HRISTMAS dawns this year as the day of peace. The boom of the cannon has eeased, the armies have laid down their arms, the sound of the war drum has dled away and the battle flag is furled. Christmas joys cover a greater por- tion of the globe than ever before. Christmas trees in the snowy heart of Alaska; Christmas trees in the far-off Philippines; Christmas trees in remote regions where never before such fes- tivities were enjoyed. Boys in blue have carried the Christmas spirit around the world in their smokeless rifles, and from the sumber trenches of Manila, from the hospitals of the East, from the decks of massive men-of-war, from a million homes, rises the Christ- mas anthem “and on earth peace, good will toward men.” This is the theology of the advent— church after for example of suffering and the propitiation of our sins, “and not for ours only, but for the , has to do with Christmas is the day of God's good Hear it, ye who are down- cast and troubled. Hear it, ye who are alone and far away from the Father's house. “Come unto me, all ye that labor ;| N il en, and I will give s the symbol of ed us that . things, then, ood wil e h e n, and ¥ v to cover the earth as the the e over “*For a ckild s borz — — fous . . . ardhis H. H. WYMAN, neome shall b: called Worderul, Counsels = ! ; R lor, God the Mights, Father of the World to the Pr. —— Corne, HESE words show to us that the “hrist of propt 3 study t titles which ; their One. And S deseribes “When ed to Jc his ary, his eph before >y came together she was found with child of the Holy Gh: Further- re, he tells us that this took place that the word might be fulfilied which was spoken by the prophet Isaias say- ing, Behold a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son and th call his name Eminanuel, which, 1g interpreted, is God with us.” The manner of his birth, there- e, as related in the gospels, proves follows ., Was espo & A i & et s iaed I fl i\ I his right to the title of Miraculous One which was given him by the prophet. ond! the title Counsellor belongs to him more than to any other because he wds the most perfect teacher and guide that the world has ever known. 1 who have ever studied his doctrine readily admit that he h: taught the world more wisdom than it has ever learned from any other source or all other sources put together. Again, the title, God the Mighty, is applied to Christ because the incarna- tion of the Son of God shows forth the divine power in a more singular man- ner even than the creation. Moreover, no attribute of the Deity is lessened by the union of the divine with the human nature as understood and taught by the Christian religion. As St. Paul says, speaking of Christ, “In him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead corporally.” Christ was perfect God as well as per- fect man. There was no mixture of the two distinct natures in Christ—indeed, such a thing would be an impossibility. The fourth title, Father of the World to Come, denotes the Messiah as the ruler of eternity, the supreme ruler and flnal judge of all mankind. St. Luke, the evangelist, also describes him as the Son of Man, who will come in a cloud with great power and majesty, And the Aposties’ Creed declares that he will come to judge the living and the dead. Finally, he is styled the Frince of Peace, and this title sets forth his crowning work, which is the complete and perfect reconciliation of man with God. This means the coming of his kingdom, for which all Christians look and pray as he has taught them. . it ““For we have ’ REV. JOHNA B, | Seen his star in WILSON, | the east and are | Howsrd-Steest M. E. | COMmIE o wor- Churel | ship him.”’—Matt. S i:2. REVIOUS to the birth of Christ ywhere in the East men were because of prophecies, for the advent of a great King who should rise from among the Jews. In these Eastern countries were men called magi—wise men who gave their lives to the study of science and re- ligion, to astrology and astronomy. These men, for some now unknown reason, accorded to the Jewish peo- ple and Palestine the patronage of the constellation Pisces, regarding every: thing occurring therein of especial im- portance to that nation. Some of these came at a certain time to the King's residence, asking: ‘“Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East.” ‘What was this star? There have been many answers to this question; let us listen to what seems a natural explanation. In December, 1604, the astronomer Kepler saw a strange sight in the heavens which was repeated several times in a few months, but which oc- curs in_its entirety but once in 800 vears. It was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, and five months later Mars joined with these two, forcing a fiery trigon in the constellation of Pisces. XKepler, and later Professor Pritch- ard, m:?'de calculations which proved that this heavenly event must have taken place in its regular order at about the time of the Saviar's birth, and ftsseems to me that this conjunc- tion must have formed the new and splendid “star in the East” which the magi 'saw and followed. The:story of their journey and of the planet’s movements can be told in cor- relative detail and seems to prove, step by step, the theory here advanced. In any event the star was the divine guide to these Fastern inquirers and led them to the true Savior of the world. s *“‘Fear not, for, sbehold, | bring you good tidings of great joy, wkich shall be to all peo- ple.”’—Luke ii: 10. E. A WOQDs, First Baptist Church. T was an aneel who brought this message. I suppose he felt honored as he bore it and the other angels were s0 interested that they followed him and joined in a chorus of praise to God. It is pleasant to carry good news to even one person. But he announced ‘“good tidings of gveat joy which shall be to all people.” As he spake the night was lighted into brilliance by the glory of God. But What was the message of the angel? “A Savior s born, who is Christ the Lord.” Christ’s advent is good tidings to the children. Christmas is the happlest day of the year for them. How dif- ferent childhood is since Jesus came. How much care and thought and love are given children now, and how dif. ferent their lives in heathen lands Where Christ is not known. Well may the children rejoice to-day and fear not. s e . ““And the nations shall come fo thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.”’ T Israel's winter solstice, her darkest night, when her sins had separated her and her God; when her hands were filled with blood and her fingers with iniquity; when her lips spoke lies and her tongue uttered wickedness; when she knew not the way of peace; when she looked FRANK S. FORD, Pastor First Christian Church. { for light and beheld darkness, for brightness but walked in obscurity, her prophet seeing no hope in man pointed them to the time when God's own arm should work salvation, and carry forward in spirit to salvation's end its summer noon. He cries: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is.arisen up- on three. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the peoples; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” How we have watched, with longing eyes this faint prophecy of “Summer sun and summer shine.” How slowly the sun creeps northward. How long continues the cold and storm and tempest. Dropped from the heart of a winter of human weakness and evil came this prophecy of a summer of de- liverance. Has not the “Prince of Peace” led on Faiber, I call on thee! e e S R R eR R eg =R oR =R =g =R =3 -3 332 -2 -F-3-3-2-3=3-F -3 -3 -F-F-F-F-2-F-3-F-F-7-3-3-3-2-3-2-F-3-F-3-3-F-3-F-F-3-3-3-F-F-F-3-3-3-1-F-3-3-3-3-F-F-F-3-3-F=3-F-3 -3 -3=3 -$-3=F-F=3 -F =33 =3 -3 -3 -3 - . trine, PrayER DUBING BATTLE. By Karl Theodor Korner. Father, I call on Thee! Clouds from the thunder-voiced cannon enveil me, Lightnings are flashing, death’s thick darts assail me: Ruler of battles, I call on Theel Father, oh, lead Thou me! Father, oh, lead Thou me! Lead me to victory, or to death lead me; With joy I accept what Thou hast decreed me. * God, as Thou wilt, so lead Thou me! God, I acknowledge Thee! God, I acknowledge Thee! When, in still autumn, the sear leaf is falling, When peals the battle, its thunder, appalling; Fount of all grace I acknowledge Thee! Father, oh, bless Thou mel Father, oh, bless Thou me! Into thy hand my soul I resign, Lord; Deal as thou wilt with the life that is Thine, Lord. Living or dying, oh, bless Thou me) Father, T praise Thy name! Father, I praise Thy name! Nor for earth’s wealth or dominion contend me; > The holiest right of the freeman defend me. Victor or vanquished, praise I Thee! God in Thy name I trust! God, in thy name I trust! When in loud thunder my death note is knelling, When from my vewns the red blood is welling, God, in thy holy name [ trust! p from vietory to vietory? Can we not say, even in the midst of the darkest war cloud “He maketh war to cease”? ‘Who, that hath read history, but can see, even now, the spears being beaten into plowshares and the swords into pruning hooks? Who but sees summer coming? Who can not see its green and blossom of promise? Who but can see that the storm of superstition and error, that have so long swept this beautiful world with their cold and tempest, are in their dying sough? Who but can look to no dim distant future but with the clear vision of near realization to the summer time of fruits and unclouded sun, when men shall love God and dwell together in peace and love; when Isalah’s vision shall have been fulfilled and man shall join with angels in “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” . $i 1 “If any man have not the spirit of Christ.”’—Rom. i | |A. J. WELLS, D.D., Second Unitanian Church, ' HERE is no dearer festival than that which falls on the 25th of December. It has come to be the most widely celebrated and gladdest of all the holidays of the year. It is rooted far back of its traditional date. It comes from pagan peoples, and is full of the aspirations and hopes of primitive faith; the joy of the primeval world is on its lips, and the light of an immortal hope in its eyes; and some perfection yet to be realized is in the spirit of the day. It dr: almost all its charms from the 1fish element which rules the day. This was founded in the race from the first, but the feeble atruistic current in human nature was greatly strength- ened by the self-devoted life of the Man of Nazareth. It is distinctly a human and natural spirit which makes him dear to the heart of the world. Not the theological Christ, but the be- nevolent Jesus, is the world’s ideal. His charity, his sympathy, his ethical teaching, his trust in you, his belief in man, are shaping our civilization. He sought to develop, not a system of doc- but a temper of life; not a dogma, but a disposition. In this he is an enlarging influence, an unwast- ing power. He does not sit apart, as a Prince of Heaven, but is here in hu- man memory and love, a spirit in the midst of the governments of men. It is through the quality of our spirits and not through the constructions of our intellects that his consccration en- ters and holds us, so that the spirit of his life is often missed in the churches and found in the humanitarian move- ments of the world. He taught a cheerful religion. He lived e cheerful life. It is a mistake to call him a “man of sorrow.” That ref- erence was to Israel and not to Jesus. He ‘‘came eating and drinking,” a man of the people, with red blood in his veins and a serene and free and joy- ous heart within his breast. His dis- position was social, his sympathies hu- man and humane. He was full of com- passion for the suffering and the sin- ful. Compassion: to suffer with—no other word so fully characterizes him. If possible, he would have healed all the sick, recovered to purity and in- ward peace all the sinful. Yet his treatment of hypocrisy was blasting as the lightning flash. Professional piety that was void of human kindness and helpfulness he lashed with flery scorn. In the spirit of his life, while we give to each other “‘Christmas gifts,” let us give also trust. Let us have no friends whom we cannot hold by the tenure of utter confidence, and let us trust God and life. Let the great forces wise of old Have their full way with thee. 8eek to have always ‘‘the larger heart, the kindlier hand,” and to see that God is ever coming into the life of the world with new promise and fresh deliverance, and firmer and higher triumph. 306 308 308 308 0 300 306 108 8 108 50X 508 108 S68 0K 308 308 08 106 08 0K 10K 308 108 68 306 306 308 308 308 10K X0k 108 308 36K 30K 53K 30K 30¢ 30% X3¢ 30K 30¢ 306 308 306 30X 30X 308 306 10K 308 30¢ 308 30% 30% 06 30% 30X 3% 306 304 30¢ 306 30 XX 30 XK 30k 306 306 308 308 30 308 308 308 0¥ X% 308 10¢ X0 30X 306 30 306 0% 106 0% 30 30K 308 308 30 308 308 106 306 308 306 306 308 K4 % 6 06 06 306 306 306 106 306 308 308 308 30% 306 30¢ 306 308 0K 0% 0K XK 30K 300 X0 0% 106 0% 308 0% 0% 106 10K 0K 3K 30K K 06 00 0% 300 00 06 XK 3O XK 3O 40K 308 0% 30 206 206 306 0 0¥