Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-23

christmas Day.
At the birth of Christ there was an
universal peace through the world. For
he that was born was the Prince of
Peace, and came to reconcile God with
man, and man with his brother; and to
make by the sweetness of his example,
and the influence of holy doctrine,
such happy atonement between dis
agreeing natures, such considerations
and societies between enemies, that
"the wolf and the lamb should lie down
together" and little child, boldly and
without danger, "put his finger in the
nest and cavern of an asp" It seemed
good in the eye of Heaven, by so great
and SO good symbol to declare not only
the greatness, but the goodness of the
Prince that was then born in Judea, the
Lord of all the world. But because the
Heavens, as well as the earth, are His
creatures, and do serve Him, at His
birth he received sign in heaven above,
as well as in the earth beneath, as a
homage paid to their common Lord.
For as certain shepherds were Sc keeping
watch over their focks by night" near
that part where Jacob did use to feed
his cattle, when he was in the land of
Canaan, 4" the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory Of the Lord
shone round about them" But "the
angel said unto them fear not; for I
bring unto you tidings of great JOY,
which shall be to all people, For unto
you is born this day, in the City of
David, Saviour, which is Christ the
Lord"
The shepherds needed not to beinvit
ed to go to see this glorious sight; but,
lest their fancy should rise up to an ex-
pectation of prince as externally glori-
Gus as might be hoped for upon the
the consequence of SO glorious an ap-
partition, the angel, to prevent the mis-
take, told them of sign, which, indeed,
was no other than the thing signifed; but
yet was, therefore, sign, because it
was SO remote from the common prob
ability and expectation of such birth,
that only by a miracle, so great
prince should be born so poorly, it be-
came an instrument to signify itself, and
all the other parts of mysterious conse-
quence. For the angel said, "This
shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find
the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in manger." As soon as these
blessed choristers of heaven had sung
their Christmas carol, and taught the
Church hymn to put into her offices
forever in the anniversary of this festi-
witty, "the angels returned into heaven
and "the shepherds went to Bethlehem,
to see this thing, which the Lord had
made known unto them. And they
came with haste, and found Mary and
Joseph, and the babe lying in the man
ger"
Just as the angel had prepared their
verified, and saw the glory and the mys-
terry of it by that representment, which
was made by the heavenly ministers,
seeing God through the veil of child's
flesh, the heir of Heaven wrapped in
swaddling clothes, and person, to
whom the angels did minister, laid in a
manager; and beheld, and wondered, and
worshipped. But as precious liquor,
warmed and heightened by flame, first
crowns the vessel. and then dances over
it's brim into the fire, increasing the
cause of it's own motion and extrava-
gancy, SO it happened to the shep-
herds, whose hearts being filed with the
oil of gladneas up unto the brim, the
Joy ran over, as being too big to be con-
fined within their own breasts, and did
communicate itself, growing greater by
such dissemination. For "when they
mad seen it, they made known the say
ing which was told them concerning
this child. And, as well they might,
Sc all that heard it wondered" And the
shepherds, having seen what the
angels did upon the publication of
the news, which less concerned them
than us, had learned their duty, to sing
an honor to God for the nativity of
Christ; for " the shepherds returned,
clarifying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen,
as it was told unto them"