The National tribune., 1892-12-15

| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
| study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
| indicated above.l
l. Data
| The only Scrip.ural account Of the angels
| and shepherds on the first Christmas night IS
! furnished by St. LIKE. We see our great iu-
| dehtedness to the Gospel of the Beloved Physi-
| clan This would have been almost different
| religious world without the beautiful story
| which we now study. Many delightful Christ
| mas carol would he robbed of its inspiration if
| St. Luke had failed to tell the story of the
| shepherds He wrote in the year 81, aud prob
| ably at Rome.
2. Time
| For all practical purposes we may put the
date Of Christ's birth on Dec. %. B. c. 6. The
matter has been subjected to much study, and
no month of the IL of the year has lacked claim
| ants that Christ was born therein. Able critics
| have united in the opinion the great event oc,
CURED in August. Pope Jnlius I is credited
with the act of authoritatively designating the
25th of December as the day on which to eele-
brate the birth Of our Savior. 1t is beautiful
fact and one OF sufficient force 10 warrant the
appointment of December the 18th. 70 wit, the
fact that said day the sun begins to return
north, Winter begins to end, the days COM
mence to lengthon, Spring is looked for as not
far of. All these are beautifully emDenatic
of the coming of the Sun of Righteousness
the Day-spring from on high-our Savior. Jesus
Christ.
The shepherds received the visit OF the angels
on the same day which witnessed the birth of
Christ. V. IL.
st. Luke writing A. D. 81. wrote of what
happened SO years before be penned the account
1t is possible some record was made at the very
time of the event and preserved. st. Luke
utilized all data he could secure 1t is plain,
however that lie must have had some degree
of supernatural guidance as protection against
recording an erroneous history of such import
ant facts.
3. Place.
Christ was born in Bethlehem. V. A. 1t
was called the "City of David" from the
fact he too was born there. 1t was styled Beth
lehem Ephratah, to distinguish it from a
Bethehem in the tribe of Zebulon. Christ's
birthplace was about six miles south of Jeruss-
lem.
The shepherds were out in the field not far
from the city when the angels appeared and
told them of Chrst's birth. In FaTrGr's Life
Of Christ we read:
One mile from Bethlehem is a little plain in
which, under grove of olives stands the bare and
neglected chapel known by the name of The An
gel to the Shepherds 1t is built over the tradi-
tionai site of the fields where, in the beautiful
language of St. Luke-more exquisite than any
idyl TO Christian ears-'tbere shepherds keep
ing watch their flock by night. when, 10. the
Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory
of the Lord shone round about them, and to their
happy were uttered the good tidings OF great
joy, that unto them was born that day IN the City
of David n Savior, which was Christ the LORD"
Kitto says: In the plain to the eastward,
little less than a mile from the Convent (of the |
Nativity is what is asserted to be the field |
where the shepherds received the glad tidings /
of the Savior's BIRTH"
H. Definitions.
l. Watch " g. The original Greek is |
plural, watches. Nights divided into /
four watches of three hours each. Keeping |
watch the Shepherds took turns, each set being |
on duty one fourth of the night. There was |
special occasion to keep on guard of nights. |
Then is the time when wolves and dogs and |
thieves prowl about.
2. Came upon them. V. 9. lowered over |
them, balancing wings in the sky over the |
plains where lay the sheep We cannot sup
pose them far up. They we're within speaking |
distance. 1t is possible the particular Angel |
(probably Gabrel) was nearer to the Shepherds |
than were the hosts of Angels referred to in
V. Is. 1t is possible the Angels alighted quite |
like Gabriel descended.
g. Glory of the Lord. v. 8. By glory is
meant dazzling light, spIendor, briliancy. (St.
Lu., 9:31; Acts. %: IL; Cor, 15:n) "Of
the Lord is added to indicate snperlativsness.
Trees of God mean huge trees. Hills of God
mean very large mountain-like hills.
4. Sore. Y. g. The word is ADglo-Saxon and
means pain. The Shepherds were so deeply,
violently, grievously afraid as actually to suffer
painfulness. Conscience-smting is often a real
agony. lex, 10: Is; Heb, II: 81; st. Luke,
$3.50 Prof. G. B. d. Pepper says: " Men feel a
sense of sin hightens."
s. Afraid V. 8. Fear is severe and dis
tressing. Hence afraid. We notice the
general effect of divine or angelic appearances
causes apprehension to mOrtals. This pain
probably rises mostly from our snfulness. And
oIe,t r&atrr
beings alarmed by very unusual noise or
sight.
g. Good tidings. V. 10. The coming of Christ
to live aud die in the work of reseuing all men
through his sacrifices and love jointly with their
belief and repentance. Often we style this the
Gospel. The word salvation covers the ideas.
We see fitness in uniting the two conceptions
good news great joy.
Z. Sign. V. IL. proof
8. Wrapped in swaddling clothes. V. II.
about tight with bands of cloth.
There is no intimation necessarily of any infe-
riority, poverty, nor want of preparation on the
part of the mother of Chrisfs humanity. Even
Solomon said, Il was nursed in swaddlng
clothes" Solomon was the son of wealthy
King and as an infant received royal atten-
tious.
g. Manger. V. IL. The original Greek l
means crib. 1t probably refers primarily at
east to a trough with divisions in which cattle
rocking beds of our modern babes, cribs. 5
10. Behold! V. 10. Notice, /. Wonderful
news. 2. Wonderful such news come to us. 8.
Behold it, give it heed. 4. Behold it; it is
plain. You can see it 1t is fact.
IL. Host. Y. 13. The original means an army.
That was curious army. 1t came declaring
peace. Notice in contrast peace" in v II. {
Christ is the Prince of Peace. Us. 81 :
IL. Glory to God. " IA. May God be glori- :
led, hOnored. The praise belongs to him.
-. In the highest V. IL. Views. 1. In
he highest heavens; not on earth only. 2. In z
he highest society; by the most exalted in
elligences. 8. In the highest praises with G
.randest Inscriptions of honor. 4. To Him who
S the highest; to the highest; to Him who is
ver above all the Most High.
IA Verse IA reads: GLORY to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward
men," Have we three members in this SEN
ence or two? There has been much discus J
ion on this point. Some render "on earth
eace to men of goodwill" In this view the
entence ". Ii has only two members. We
hoose three members aud thus have
/. Glory to God in the highest.
q Peace earth.
8. Good will toward men.
The Revised Version has ION earth peace
mong men in whom God is well pleased" The .
'ulgate, Rheims, aud Wckiiffe make two mem =
ers There is, after all, trilng authority for