1252 David beheaded Goliath w ith th e g ain t’s own sword. It was then and th ere th a t th e promised Seed of th e woman placed His pierced heel upon th e hissing ser p en t’s head and ground it into perdition. SUNDAY, December 18. I Cor. 15: S I RS. Dying grace We do not need dying grace to live by. “As thy days so shall thy streng th be.” If the Lord ta rry and we are taken home to be w ith Him, we can surely tru st Him for victory in th e go ing. P aul referring to his departure, called it striking his ten t, II Tim. 4:6. P eter called his death an exodus, II Pet. 1:15. These comparisons not only im ply the survival of th e personality but its tran sition to something b etter fa rth er on. Can anything be b etter th a n a life of happy, care-free, fru itfu l Christian service in this world? Yes, to die is gain and to depart and be w ith Christ is far b etter. Phil. 1:21, 23. A Divine w anderlust stirs th e hearts of the strang ers and pilgrims on the earth as they catch a gleam of th a t far-off land th a t is fairer th an day. They are looking not through th e windows of th e world but through th e gates ajar of th a t celestial city. As they look and listen they hear fugitive notes of music from the heavenly choir singing to wel come the pilgrim s of th e night. These wise men believed in God. They were astronomers. Some one has said, “An undevout astronom er is mad.” The same may be said of any rational being who denies the existence of a Supreme Being. They not only believ ed in God, they wanted to see Him and took pains to And Him. Every good man w ants to see God. “ Show us th e F a th e r and it sufflceth us.” “O th a t I knew where I m ight find H im .” They inquired for th e King of the Jews. This was th e Hope of Israel. There was a common proverb, “Salvation is of the Jew s.” The Magi not only believed in God and wanted to see Him bu t they came to the rig h t place to find Him. If th ere is a God and He is our F ather. He will surely manifest H imself some where and in some way. We search for God in N ature and th e resu lt is the Pantheon. We search for God in phi losophy and the resu lt is Pantheism . We MONDAY. December 19. Matt. 2:1-12. The visit of th e Magi.
T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S search for God in history and the star leads us to the manger and th e cross. TUESDAY, December 20. Isaiah 9:1- 7. ' Christ’s b irth foretold. The tender babe w rapped in swad dling clothes and lying in the manger at Bethlehem is th e very God who sat upon th e throne of the universe and said, “Let th ere be lig h t” on the morn ing of creation. The tiny hand, pink and dimpled, lying on its m other’s breast, is th e same th a t launched the sta rs into space and holds them in th eir orbits. His mother soothes Him w ith her lullaby, “ Sleep my baby, sleep.” The lips th a t m urm ur in response are destined to speak th e word which shall overthrow th e thrones of earth and hurl the wicked to destruction. He h ath upon His vesture and His thigh a name w rit ten, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The wise men open th e ir treasu res and lay th eir costly gifts a t His feet. The kings of th e earth do bring th e ir glory and honor unto Him. Every knee shall bow before Him for H is kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is for ever and ever. WEDNESDAY, December 21. Isaiah 53:1-12. Christ’s mission foretold The tru th revealed a t the Advent sea son is fundam ental to Christianity. It bears th e same relation to th e Christian faith th a t th e main-spring sustains to the watch. “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God! Every sp irit th a t con- fesseth th a t Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God; and every sp irit th a t confesseth not th a t Jesus is come in the flesh is not of God.” I John 4:2. The atonem ent derives its significance from the incarnation. If we reject th e Vir gin b irth th e cross has neith er meaning nor value. The incarnation shows the departed Deity rein stated in humanity. It is the g reatest mystery of th e Gospel. I Tim. 3:16. This union of the Divine and human forms th e perfect ideal man. The incarnation is the model of our re generation. He who was before all things and by whom all things were made, who delighted in the sons of men and followed th e human race afte r its fall w ith theophanies of light, comes at last into vital union w ith th a t race, thu s saving it in His own Person and providing a sim ilar salvation to all who will by faith receive it.
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