Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-12-19
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL


A Scholarly sExpesition Of the Lesso1
n -Thoushts WORTHY " cain RenSsI
tion-Haif an Honr's study Of the
erriptures-rime Well Spent.
" ~ Lesson for Dec, IN. svhafs
Golden Text" Behold, 1 bring you good
tidings Of great joy."-Luke 2: 10.
The Birth of Christ IL the subject this
week. Luke 2: $40. The lesson finds
us in the midst Of Christmas prepara-
tons and on the threshold Of Christmas
cheer. May the scripture before US whole
somely remind that the best preparation
IL of the heart and the best cheer Is that
which comes with the entertainment OF
the Heavenly Guest. God grant that
the Christ may be born anew in many
hearts this Christmas time.
Room for Jesus, prepared place for the
Christ. '"rhere was no room for them in
the inn:" SO closes the seventh verse.
Now how beautifully tho eighth verse
opens, And there were In the same coun-
try shepherds abiding" No room In the
Inn, but room In the shepherds hearts.
Thank God, there was place prepared
and the Christ-babe was to have a well
come-heart welcome.
20 come to my heart, Lord Jesus, come;
There Is room in my heart for thee" ~
Fear not" was the first words that
broke from angels lips after long silence.
1t was the same word spoken at the riven
tomb. Why fear not? Because Christ
is come. Christ the King Of love. Per
feet love casteth out fear" Fear not,
for behold / bring you good tidings Of
great joy which shall be to all people"
Let trembling world, it's children lost
In the dark, take heart and hope. The
light has come!
"For unto youv "for unto your the
angels cried, unto your Not to Us in
this great blessing, the greatest of time
and eternity given, but to Che children Of
men. The angels have no part in 1t but
to announce it. But If the mere privilege
of telling the good tidings set their harps
and their hearts vibrating with ecstasy
what should be our feeling for whom the
blessing is reserved as the gracious It'd
ing drop down to us. o brothers, re-
joice; rejoice with joy unspeakable and
full of glory.
"A sign unto you" We have respon-
sibility and part in the wonderful d.
vulgence. We are to find him. 1t was
not enough to angels to announce him.
wings above, human feet beneath so is
the miracle made manifest. The sign
of the hillside song and the sign of the
Bethlehem manger. Behold the Christ
Has a song come singing into your heart
to-day? Go find him of whom the angel
voices sing. Take the lowly path to
Bethlehem and find the Christ for your
self. So review the miracle of the ma
tivity.
GLORY to God in the highest, on earth
peace, good will toward men," The old
translation is good enough. In heaven it
is glory" on earth 1t is peace" among
men it means good will" Joy every
where, blessing everywhere, above, below,
and all around us. Rejoicing everywhere,
save amongst the devils of the pit
Curses there for sin is met and death is
conquered. Well has it been said the
church's life began at Bethlehem with
praise. Let us keep the pitch.
And the pace, too. They ''came with
haste" it says. So went the women
from the empty tomb where Christ arose.
Let us keep step, quick step, with those
first hearers and messengers of the COS
pei. And for theS swift response they
found it at once as the angels had said.
A good many have heard the tidings from
the skies, but they have not yet seen the
babe of the manger. Are not doubtful
minds and laggard steps responsible for
it? "Inclipe your ear and come unto me;
hear and your soul shall live" Obey,
and see. lIs,
And what did they find when they
came? MARY and Joseph and the babe"
That lovely though lowly group, the Chris
tan family, was in itself .glory to God"
and the beginning of peace on earth,
good will toward or among men," What
more beautiful, what more suggestive i'm
surroundings and all of the new king
dom of love that had dawned upon the
hate-smitten earth. Wherever Christian
families gather in peace and affection at
this Christmas tide to-day, these find In q
measure the fulfillment of the angels
song. 70
And now the shepherds are returning
praising God and making known these
wonderful things abroad, as they go. The
angels have disappeared, !. their simple
errand accomplished. 1t is for man to
spread the good news. And so we read
that men are set to wondering not at
what angels say, but ''at those things
which were told them by the shepherds"
Rejoice, fellow teachers, rejoice and trem-
to angels but to u.s. If men hear of the
great salvation we must tell them. "And
now" said the angel to Cornelius at
Cesarea, "send men," lie, angels could
go no farther; men must do the work,
God help us!
J. Sing Song of Hope for this Christ
mas time, the words written by Mrs.
Mary A. Lathbury, of East Orange, N.
j., and which gained the first prize owt
of 5000 songs recently submitted to the
judges.
Children of yesterday,
Heirs of tomorrow,
What are you weaving
Labor and sorrow?
Look to your looms again;
Faster and faster
Fly the great shuttles
Prepared by the Master, =
Life's in the loom.
Room for it-room!
Children of yesterday,
Heirs of tomorrow,
Tighten the labor, &
And sweeten the sorrow,
Now-while the shuttles fly
Faster and faster,
Up and be at it
At work with the Master.
He stands at your loom,
Room for him--room!
"Children of yesterday,
Heirs of tomorrow,
Look at your fabric