CHURCH NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 24 December 1901, Page 4

CHURCH NOTES.

What Christmas means to the > World. Bt Amicus. With aver recurring sweetness the season of Christmas comes to cheer, and at least for a time, dispells the barrasing and distressing phases of life. In old and jtmng joy is brought to the heart and each cord viabrates in response as if it were sacrilege to characterise such a u season with mournful demeamur. To the world Christmas means much. Here and there is to be found an odd indivi* 'dual who decries the season because of his. prejudice to the founder, but his cries are unheeded and relegated to oblivion by the joys of millions of souls to whom a sacred revelation has been made. To reveal the unknown God was the

primary object of the incarnation. He who is infinite and unknown to His

people must adopt a method to enable mankind to have a knowledge of His Srsonal character. That the advent of rist should have special recognition in the year is a duty the world owesto its maker and great joy is afforded Him to know the revelation has been so much appreciated.

The perpetuation of Christmas is an acknowledgement that the world recognises in Christ the highest ideal of character, Perhaps in no other light is there such a profitable study as in His completeness. In ordinary men we see a diversity of gifts, but they also have failings. In the ideal man this is not so but there is a perfect symmetry of character a happy balance of all that can be worthy of imitation. It is this that has won him such distinction. We can follow no other so safely. A man may be liberal, but he runs to profuseness, . another may be careful but he borders * on passmioney, another may be kind and gentle and then at the right time fail to resist. In every man there is a failing but in Christ there is a completeness of character that, can never be excelled. l The world owes this to Christ that in him alone can we find the safest and surest guide. ,

Christ possessed two characteristics that seemed to harmonise with every relation to life. He had intense love for humanity and an earnest devotion to God. “He went about doing good ”is a favourite saying of His disciples and true it is that He never neglected to act kindly towards humanity. When He saw the suffering He instantly relieved, when He " meet the mourner He restored the dead, when He conversed with the broken He sought out words of cheer and comfort, and when He talked to the sinner He held out the brightest hopes for forgiveness and amendment. Ho life has ever come before the world where purity and goodness sympathised so much with the weakness of the flesh. The bruised soul may find all in Him. Christmas teaches us to think of our ' fellowman and the numerous gifts, and ■ good wishes testify to the influence of f the successive commemorations of Christ’s birth.

f Amid all Hia services to humanity - Christ never forgot His Father. He learned early His “ Father’s business," No joy was so great to him as the smile and' approval of 'His Father, and no greater agony could come-to Hia soul than for one brief moment God had for* siken Him. All through Christ sought peace with God. It was the message of peace that was heralded at Christ’s birth. It is peace the world needs to-day, and when mankind has learned him to love and sympathise with fallen humanity and also learned its trne relation to God then the lessons this joyful season is destined to teach will hasten and prepare for the eternal hour of an everlasting bliss.

We have to thank our readers, several of whom have given words of encouragement for the humble effort of writing “ Church Notes ’’ and we wish one and all a hearty and joyful Xmas.