The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-12-26
GLORIA IN EXCELSIS

mas Sermon ut the Fourth Street
NJ. Il. Church-C Christmas the Fest
ival of JOY the World over.
The morning Christmas service at
the Fourth Street n. e. church drew
congregation that filled the large edl-
fee. A feature was the fine musical
programme arranged for the chorus
choir. The pastor, Rev. DR.. ]. L. sooy.
took for his topic, Gloria in Excelsis."
His text vas from Luke IL, 1874; And
suddenly there was with the angels
multitude of heavenly host praising
God. and saying Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will
toward men,"
Year after year, in one genratlon af-
ter another, Christian hearts in every
land seem TO hear once more this song
of the nativity. Christmas Is the sacred
festival event in the years calendar.
1t is the festival OF joy. All the world
over, on this day. Christians. what
ever language they speak, under what
government soever they live, Join to
celebrate 1t as the day of Joy. Stand
ing as we do, to-day, at the beginning
which crowd around us call upon us to
consider some theme that will naturally
unfold to us the supremacy OF Jesus.
"The theme have selected is the
Gloria in Excelsis, Glory to God in
the highest, and on earth peace, good
will toward men,. The object OF Chris
tlanity is all in that proclamation. This
is the sum of Christianity. You may
run out each single sentence of 1t into
a whole system Of theology, you may
make books about 1t, and have philoso-
ply founded upon 1t; but, after all, you
shall find the whole OF Christianity to
be summed up still in the song OF the
angelic host.
1.-THE message reveals two things:
First, the glori1cation OF God is the OBJ
1ect Of Christs coming. All through
His earthly career His life was the
working out and development Of the
first element in the song OF the angels:
Glory to God in the highest. And rs
that is put at the very beginning Of the
song OF redemption. so Glory 10 God In
the highest is the first thing 10 be wish
ed for in the experience of every Chris
tain. 1t is only when we allow the
world to get hold of us tilat we find this
glory becomes dimmed, and this song Is
not the first utterance of our heart, lips
and daily life. When we fall back
among the men of the world we discov-
err that they are not pleased with the
division of Gods blessings which the
angels make, Glory to God and peace
to men,-thaI is not the object OF
their ambition or striving in this world.
The pride Of man rather says. Let me
have the glory. But God says, II VIII
not give my glory to another. We may
test ourselves, therefore, on this
IuN-, VV1nwFfnFP hys ftTu nnngtInns
Are our daily lives an embodiment OF
this glory 10 be given to God, or nre
they mere struggles to attain wealth
and the applause of men; struggles IN
some way to secure, not the glory OF
God, but glory unto ourselves? o, how
this story OF the angels strikes at the
roots OF all base ambition and SELFISH
ness! How It bids us empty ourselves
OF ourselves II we would be In sympathy
with Christ!
Second, the second element in the
angelic song was Peace on earth, good
will toward men, Centuries before
HIS advent, prophecy sung Of Christ rs
the Prince OF Peace He gave us the
benediction, Blessed are the peace
makers, for they shall be called the
children Of God" His Valedictory was,
Peace | leave with you. His epitaph,
He is our Peace. His cause, Chris
tlanity, is specifically mission OF
peace.
"And in the incarnation Of His own
peace, God offers to mankind: first.
Peace in the individual soul. This Is
the inevitable fruit Of sins forgiven.
And as a Christian every man can al
ways live in this atmosphere OF expert
mental peace. His soul can always be
MS the heavens were on the night when
the shepherds looked up, and saw them
full OF angels as well nS stars. The Sc
cret OF this experience IL, God. through
Christ. has spoken peace to that soul.
Second, peace between man and
man. Christ Is not only the mediator
between God and man, but also between
man and man. The age OF peace Is
here. With Christ came peace. The
Christian religion means peace. The
laws are laws Of peace; It's fruits are
fruits OF peace; its joys are joys of
peace; the Christian home Is home OF
peace: the Christian land Is a land of
peace: Christianity is all peace, and
when the Garth shall be all Christians
there shall be no sound Of war forever.
For six thousand years God has been
lifting the world up toward the reniiZn-
ton OF that hour; slowly some OF the
elements are rising: more rapidly 9th
ers; but one day. all Will be up.
''AlI history is but helping US to in
terpret the apostles Grent prophecy
OF Christ's supremacy: Wherefore God
also hath highly exalted Him, and
given Him name which Is above every
name: that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, OF things in heaven,
things in earth. and things under the
earth
And has not this prophecy already
n partial realization? Come and look
on tho wide prospect. Wherever u
church is built to the universal Father.
the hand OF Christ Is laid In consecYa
ton upon Its altar: wherever bloody
law is expuuEcd from the statute books
OF a people, the finger OF Jesus has
pissed In mercy across It's code; wher-
ever sounds rebukc OF slavery, can
demnatlon OF war, plea for the poor,