Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-01-24
JOY FOR THE CHILD JESUS.
LESSON ", FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. &c.


documentary by the Rev. ID. NJ
Stearns.
| Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per-
mission of H. s. Hoffman, publisher, Philadel
| phia
3. And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flock by night" God, who doeth
according to His will in the army of Heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth, had
through the decree of the Roman emperor,
caused Joseph and Mary to come to Bethle-
hem. 1t was trying to the flesh to take such
a journey at such a time, but it was all of
| God Movements of empires are overruled
to fulfill His word, and all things are ordered
! for the good Of those who love Him. Marys
! home was in Nazareth, about seventy miles
north of Jerusalem. God had said by His
servant Micah that Israes ruler should be
born in Bethlehem Some six miles south of Je-
| rusaleml, and now that the time had come,
the Roman emperor is unconsciously made
! Gods instrument to fulfill His word.
| 8. "And an angel of the Lord stood by
them, and the glory OF the Lord shone round
about them, and they were sore afraid
/ R. W. Even though these shepherds were,
| like Simeon and Anna, waiting for the con-
/ ISOLATION Of Israel" and 'loObing for redeup-
ton in jerusalem" this unusual light and
| strange visitor was enough to make them
afraid.
10. Fear not; for, behold | bring you
| good tidings of great joy, which shall be to
| all people, This is, the third fear not
which we hear from angels to mortals in
this Gospel; and what good tidings there are
ir just those two words Fear and forebod-
ings are the constant companions of so many
Christians, instead of the peace G.ld joy
which should characterize those who have be-
come children of God by faith in Christ Jesus,
and who if they believed God, would be sure
that He who spared not His own Son would
with Him freely give all things, and make all
things work for good Rom. viii, %, 50; Ps.
lxxxiv, II; Jer. xxx ~. The good tidings
of great joy were first for the shepherds and
then for all the people Il bring you good
tdings" is still the Spirits message to all who
read or hear His word, and our first business
is to receive it for ourselves, and be filled
with joy in believing
II. Unto you is born this day, in the city
of David, Saviour who is Christ the Lord ."
| Truly has one said that, Though Christ
thousand times i'll Bethlehem be born, if He's
not born in thee, thy soul is still forlorn
| This day is also the time when He will enter
| thy soul if you have not yet let him in, and
are willing now There was no room for Him
in the inn Is the same still tru, Of vour
heart and life! This was He of whom Isaiah
had said: Unto us n child is born. unto us n
son is given. and the government shall be
upon His shoulder lisa. tx, O.. He also said
in the next sentence that this Government
/ had reference to the throne of David, the
same of which Gabriel spoke to Mary; there
fore, while our first business is to receive Him
into our hearts as Jesus Christ our Lord. our
attitude should be that of constant expecta-
ton to see Him come to sit on David's throne.
H. eye shall find the Babe wrapped in
swaddhnC clothes lvlnr in n mar1ererr How
great the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that
led Him t. become SO poor for us that we
through His poverty might be rich III Cor.
viii, 81. His cradle manger. His home one
If the poorest in Nazareth: in His ministry
He uses borrowed boat, rides on a borrowed
ass keeps the passover in borrowed room;
when He dies He sleeps in borrowed tomb:
He is Lord of all and yet lives here as havin,
nothing of this worlds possessions. When
shall we learn that this worlds goods are
only of value as we can use them for Him.
and that anything should satisfy us here
while we wait for the coming of the KIM.
dom2
13 "And suddenly there was with the
angel multitude of the heavenly host prais.
ing Cod" Jacob on his way home from
Laban is met by the angels of God, and re
hid, This is Gods host" When Joshua is
about to take Jericho he is met by one vino
AVS, "As captain Of the host of the Lore! nm
now come" When Elsha's servant WAS
afraid because of the Syrian army. Ell, a
prayed and the Lord opened the young mans
eyes, and he saw the mountain full of horses
and chariots of fire round about Elisha Gen.
xxi, |, .: Jos. Y, II: Ii Ki. vi IN. Thus
the heavenly hosts delight to do Gods will
prasin, him in song and in service. as they
minister unto II servants. Let us ret!em.
Der that we are to praise God in deeds as
well as words. (Ssee Heb. xiii. Is, 1917
A. GLORY to God III the highest, and on
earth peace among men in whom he is well
=. ased'' R. W. The aim of all angelic ser.
vice is to bring Glory to God-the con. nand
to us is "Glorify God in your body ~
whether therefore We eat or drink, or what
soever We do, do all to the glory of Cod Il
Cor. vi, 20; X, 3D. The great hndrance to
II clarifying God is self and se,fnleasinr. Jes,,S