The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-26

and subsequently presided over holy COM
munion. The chancel of the church was
suitably decorated with ferns, palms and
berries, and pulpit and reading-desk were
similarly adorned with tokens of the sea-
son.
The lessons of the day were Isaiah *
and st. Luke ii, in which the advent of
the Savior is respectively prophesied and
narrated. The musical programme was
of the most sumptuous description and
ably rendered by the choir, under the di-
rection of Henry KirKe White Jr., George
R. King being the organist. Mendelssohn's
professional 'Hark! the Herald Angels
Sing" and Avison's beautiful and inspIr-
ing hymn, Shout the Glad Tidings," are
almost too familiar and popular to call for
additional comment. The Interpretation
of Soaper's iubilate, the selection rom
Redhead and Turks GLORIA Patri' did
tull Justice to the devotional themes of all
these compositions and gave satisfactory
evidence of much careful rehearsal.
The Bishop chose the text of his dis
course from st. Luke, 1888, And of His
kingdom there is no end" The speaker
said: "Tancred, the very perfect and gen.
tie knight, almost 800 years ago, on the
eve of the capture of Jerusalem, during
the first crusade, made a night journey
TO Bethlehem in order that he might plant
the standard of the Cross near the spot
where Christ was born, with the thought,
no doubt, that the kingdom which they
were about to esta blish should have its
birthday on grounds made famous by the
birth of the King. | have no doubt that
in the minds of those people there was
conviction that they were engaged in a
great work-the founding of an earthly
klngdom-and it would not be strange il
&kls,- 49, Il
Pi"es, in the midst of that vast surging
multitude which swept over the continent
"a Europe, INSURED by the shrill cry of
If God wills it'll there was feeling that
this kingdom would be kingdom for at
least ali time. How significant the i'll.
fated result! Jerusalem was captured
the Christian stood IN the place of the
Turk; the standard of Christ again fioated
over the scenes OF Biblical history. But
in less than 100 years that Kingdom, owing
TO internal discussions and outside attack,
had numbered itself among the things of
the past. 1t is striking com ment, dear
friends, on the way in which the world is
wont TO misinterpret that prophecy which
forms my text" The speaker character
lied as mistaken ideal the belief which
endured for centuries, that Christ's king
dom is to find Its fulfillment in the uplift-
ing of some really standard pageantry and
royalty. LET US ask, them" he con-
tlnued, what that prophecy m ant. We
turn from the announcement of the angel
to the shepherds 10 that conveyed by Ga
biiel to the mother of our Lord. There is
something of a contrast between the mes
sage carried to those watching ones with
their hocks and that carried 10 the heart
of the Virgin. In each message there
runs the joyous accents of the prophecy
of a Savior and kingdom. But in the
former the Savior was placed first.
1T would appeal more naturally TO
those who were themselves in an illustra-
tive way saviors of their focks. In the
message to the Virgin, on the contrary,
the sovereign seems to be uppermost. To
the shepherds the emphasis of the
Saviour; to the mother the emphasis of
the King. Again. the wise men who ap-