Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-12-23
BIRTH OF CHRIST.
LESSON XIII, FOURTH QUARTER, lE.
TGRkATiONAL SERIES, DEC. as.

Stearns.
8. And there were in the same country
shepherds, abiding in the field keeping
watch over their flock by night" The
fulness of time had come and God sent
forth His Son, made of a woman, made
under the law (Gal. iv, ~. In the quiet
town Of Bethlehem the greatest event in
the history of the world had just tran.
spired, not on some cold winters night, as
many child has been taught, but at such
a season AZ that in which shepherds abide
all night in the field.
8. "And lol the angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory Of the Lord shone
round about them, and they were sore
afraid" Possibly these men, whose occu.
patton is suggestive of Abel, and the patri
archs, Moses, David. Amos and Others 5,
were Of the number of those who, like
Simeon and Anna, were looking for a he
deemer for Israel.
10. "And the angel said unto them, Fear
not, for behold bring you good tidings of
great joy which shall be to all people,"
How comforting that the word of God and
Of angels should so often be, Fear notr'
Note them from Gen. XIV, /, to Rev. /, IL,
but remember that there is none for you
unless you have received Him of whom the
angel brought good tidings. Though
Christ in Bethlehem a thousand times be
born, If He's not born in thee thy soul is
still forlorn.
II. For unto you is born this day in the
city of David Saviour, which is Christ,
the Lord" Unto each of those shepherds,
unto the nation of Israel, unto you who
read this, unto all people-and there is
none other (Acts iv, IL; lisa. xiii, ~
Angels. prophets, God the Father and the
Holy Spirit, His own words and works all
testify that Jesus, the Son of Mary, is both
Lord and Christ
l2. "And this shall be a sign unto you,
ye shall find the babe wrapped in swad
ding clothes lying in a Manager" There
was no room in the inn, manager is His
cradle (verse y, the cattle are about Him.;
how low He humbled Himself, how poor He
became (Phil. ii, Z, s; II Cor. viii, 9)l And
all to save me. Others tell how to save
ourselves, but He saves. You will know
Him by His poverty and humility and low
illness.
49, "And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying" First one angel
and soon a multitude, all of one mind, all
doing one thing, clarifying God. Com
pare lisa. vi, 3, and Rev. iv. 8, the song of
Seraphim and Cherubim, and may we
have their spirit now and cease extolling
this or that church above some other, or
this or that man instead of Jesus. Let us
unite to magnify the Lord.
IA. "Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, good will toward men," Well
might they so sing, for He of whom they
sang pleased not Himself, did not His own
will, sought not His own glory, and His
testimony when speaking to His Father in
His last great prayer was, 81 have glori
fed thee on the earth" (Rom. XIV, iii; John
vi, 80; viii, so; xvii, ~.
Is. LET us now go and see this thing
which is come to pass, which the Lord hath
made known unto u.s." To come to earth
and return to heaven as the angels did will
be our privilege in the next age when we
shall with Jesus subdue all things unto
Him. Note the faith of these shepherds;
they did not say, LET us see If this is real
ly So" but they believed that it was just
as the angels said. Like Paul they could
say, II believe God that it shall be even as
it was told me" (Acts xvii, 25). See also
John iv, so.
IS. And they came with haste, and
MARY OOstpu, anu Uue DdDe
lying in a manger." 1t always has been
SO, and always will be SO; they found it
just as the Lord had told them by the
angel. Search the Scriptures through aud
observe where anything has come to pass
that the Lord said should come to pass,
and notice how literally and exactly all
was fulfilled just as had been foretold.
See Gen. XIV, 43; FIX. xii, 40. and l Kings
xiii 2; II Kings xiii, 1917, and every pre-.
diction concerning the humiliation of
Jesus So we conclude that every word
Of God which is as yet unfulfilled shall in
due time be fulfilled to the letter.
II. And when they had seen it they
made known abroad the saying which was
told them concerning this child" That
which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you. We cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard q John i, 81
Acts iv, 20). Such are the testimonies of
those who lave seen and known this one
who is called Wonderful, Counselor, the
Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the
Prince of Peace; the Child born, the Son
given, of the increase of whose govern
ment there y to be no end upon the throne
of David Qsa tx, G, q. We have not to
preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ, the
Lord. We ave only to make Him known
and the things concerning him, and the
Holy Spirit will honor such testimony.
IS. "And they that heard it wondered
at those things which were told them by
the shepherds" Compare the wondering
people of chapters iv, 90; tx, 43; XII IA, and
notice that merely wondering does not ac-
complsh anything. The word preached
does not profit if it is not mixed with faith
in those that hear it (Heb. iv, g. But it is
to be feared that the majority of gospel
hearers do not get beyond wondering il
these things are so, wondering If they
should not give heed to Them wondering
about the result If they do or do not give
heed to them.
10. "But Mary kept all these things and
pondered them in her heart" See also
verse 81. Pondering is better than won,
dering. Daniel kept the vision in his heart.
Ezekiel was to receive the word In his
heart; and the command is to let the word
of Christ dwell in us richly dan. vii %;
Eek. iii, 10; Col ill., 49, Not fully COM
pretending all that it might possibly mean,
Mary had said to the angel. "Be it unto
me according to thy word" (chapter |, 3s).