The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-21
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS.
THE BIRTH or CHRIST BEACTI-
FULLY TOLD By DIR. PELL
In the International sunday-Schooi Les
son for To- Morrow-Visit OF the shep-
herds to the Manger.
Dec. 22-The Birth of Cbrist.-Luke ill.,

| not be hepfully told i'm a single lesson.
/ The plan Of the present lesson embraces
only the visit of the angels to the shep-
/ herds, and OF the shepherds TO the man
! ger.
their aocks by night. Tradition aside
7 they were probably ordinary shep-
herds watching ordinary fiocks on an
ordinary night Tradition has worked
hard TO paint the rainbow and shed
light on the sun. The story cannot be
improved upon by imagining that the
focks We're temple fiOcks, or that the
stars behaved In an extraordinary way
We note that these men Tor whom heaven
had "A message were humble men Great
men should hear the news later, but those
should hear it first who needed II or
feIt their need OF IL most Tho advent of
the Sun of Righteousness wa<Tot 10 DE
announced from an observatory as men
announce the discovery OF star Inc
Gospel was not TO be wired from out-oi-
the-wav Bethlehem to the universities OF
the world as an exploring scientist wires
10 centres OF learning the discovery OF
Tho supoosed missing link. Plain, hum
BILE men who sat on the hilsdes ana
watched their hocks and looked UP NJ the
stars and thought OF God, men VINO hau
little OF this world and time TO thlnk OF
when the still small voice sounded out
Ioud-were they not, after all. such men
as Heaven would be likely TO stoop down
Ia IL she had "a message TO tel IN NOR
tails ear?
Remember. too. that these men were at
their posts. They were just beneath the
windows OF heaven. When angels come
with good news. they come 10 men VINO
are on duty The man who Hes on the
grass with his mouth open toward
heaven and yawns may lie there forever,
and nothing from heaven VIII ever ran
into IT, These shepherds were on nulS
hard duty. They were ehs"seu Il,
drrdgery. They were doing the sort OF
things we do because We must ana
wonder while we are doing them why
We cannot do something for the glory
OF God. Run over the list OF the men
i'm the Scriptures who We're honored with
angels visits. and you will find few that
were engaged at the moment I'm what
men call noble or ennoblins employ
mcnts.
II WAS while these men were on duty
AT their pOsts-not sleeping al their
posts-that suddenly an angel or the
Lord appeared before them. and dal-
ziing light from above shone rouho
ahout them There is nothing strange
the angel OF the Lord surrounded by
darkness. Nor is II strange that this bit
OF heaven in touching earth struck terror
To the hearts of the shepherds. II we
are ordinarily good. We will have no rear
| in the presence of men who are orul-
narily good. but when the light from
| heaven shines around MS we fall on our
faces Conscious of our unhtness Tor the
upper world, we are afraid when II comes
near US.
Heaven knows how We feel. and when
its messengers come 10 men their hrst
word is a weird OF cheer And the anger
said unto them. Fear not. Ihat is
Heavens first word 10 man. God would
not have us live in fear There is les
son here for those poor souls who think
that they are never so pious as when
they are making themselves miserable
with forebodings.
Fear not: for behold ] bring you good
tidings Of great joy. which shall be TO all
peOplc." II Is often the case that wheh
we fear most there is the least reason
for IT, The angel came TO bring good
news. and they were afraid OF him.
Earth IS never ready 10 receive heaven
IL is always suspicious OF Heavens adj
vances. conscious Of our sinfulaess, we
never see Heaven coming down 10 us
that we do think IL is coming 10 punish
ms How slow we are 10 realize that
God is better than our fears! The shep-
herds were apprehensive OF a message OF
death: they received a message of life:
Unto YOU Is born this day, I'm the city
of David. a Saviour. which Is Christ the
| Lord" "A Saviour" And that was the
announcement for which men had been
waiting all those years. And Heaven
had condescended to communicate the
news 10 themi At a first reading II seems
strage that these men stood still and ST.
lent and that il was left for angels who
had no part in the Gospel 10 PRAISE the
Lord. but evidently they were overcome
by the wonderful revelation. The angels
who came TO show Heavens interest IN
earth's redemption had been prepared for
IT, and they had, too. what the shep-
herds did not have-a song appropriate
for such a moment: GLORY 10 God In
the highest. and on earth peace, good
will toward men. The critics have tried
10 get al the meaning of this song by dis
secting il; we will get at the meaning bet
ter by singing IT, When we can shout
from our hearts, Glory 10 God IN the
highest we will not trouble our brains
10 decide whether II means the highest
degree, or the highest heaven or the
highest music. we can accept all three.
And we will not trouble ourselves TO de-
eide whether 1t means that the news Is
OF Gods goodwill TO men, or whether II
is &c men OF good will, or whether II ~
TO result in good will among men-ah
are true, whatever the angels may have
meant.
TIE moment the angels disappeared the
shepherds were ready 10 start for Bethie-
hem: they had heard; they now wanted
10 see. There are people who sit in their
pews Sabbath after Sabbath and hear
about Christ without having any desire
70 90 and see Him for themselves. Evil
IDENTIFY they do not think the news comes
from heaven. And they came with
haste, and found Mary and Joseph and
the babe lying in a manger;" found Him
as the angel had said; found Him where
the world has tried 10 keep Him ever
since. for IL is still hard 10 find room
for Him in the inn; and when they had
seen Him they went out and did what
all men who have seen Him since have
done-proclaimed 70 all around what
Saviour they had found
EDWARD L. PELL.