The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-26

E 6Reace0 Was the Sub ect and It Wa,
 Ltstened to by n Very Large Congrega. ! ton -Three Characteristics of the
 Mission of the Incarnatc Son of God.
 Yesterday morning in Trinity church z the rector Rev. Dr. Frank Woods Bak-
 er. preached the Christmas sermon be-
 30re a very large congregation. Rev. ssDr Baker chose for his subject Peace and his text was taken from St. Luke ' ny, part of the fourteenth verse, "On < earth, peace" pr. Baker spoke as fol-
 lows:
 < It. was Christmas eve. All was dark |Mn&ss on the hilltops about Bethlehem. The stars which shine with an added liistre in the eastern sky were looking X down on little band of shepherds in the field, taking turn in keeping watch %lOVer the fold in which were sheltered Their fiocks of sheep. Half dozins, the &Watchman was thinking, by chance, of RStl1e duties which awaited him on the S&following day, when suddenly great 3ight shone upon him. What is it?' he asks himself. The embers of the watch fire were too much burnt to furnlsh z Such a light; even while he thinks the |6lixht grows stronger and winter. It z ' tins to proceed out of clear sky. It S%4dyances swiftly from a distant point S3fs sie, focused upon him. What can it bS? Accustomed as he is to gaze into &fla8 aky at night, he has never seen &siichs a light. He wakes his fellew shep- $sherds with all speed. But even while X 5he XIoes so there descends in the form E4Sof q man one who stands by their very Sside. from whose form is now seen to |en1anate this wonderful brightness. E1nStinctively the shepherds fall upon $s2hEfr Knees. They look up into the
 Beautiful face of the heavenly visitant. kBnddenly the very glory of the Lord &6fhes upon them They are sore afraid; #bi1t thew recognize in the visitor heav- ,iv messenger. Touching them, in or $ {l8r fo reassure them and to make them VEeslize that it is not dream, the angel
 S{6 unto them: Fear not, for behold, N bring you good tidings of great joy &xghich shall be to all people, for unto
 96i16is born this day, in the city of Da- |fvid, Saviour, which is Christ the '
 x That was the joyful message which ! ne ecofnmunicated to them. But the
 Wfofidrous vision was not yet complete < zxpr even while the angel spake the same
 WYifte, brilliant light was seen spread S3tiE over the sky, and the sound Of S&oices, as waves rippling on the sea- i10re, could be distinguished ever more sssleSrly It was the heavenly choir sSgfnRing. They were praising God. And ISWhef1 the shepherds looked they saw
 filat they were being surrounded by siinuItitude of the heavenly visitants. At
 lant they distinguished the words of the 5Rfithem. sung in their own language, Essf31ory to God in the highest, and on searth peace, good will to men!'
 1she three characteristics of the mis- As1on of the Incarnate Son of God, Ibr0uKtt out by the heavenly visitants, were these: First, glory to God, which Christ so marvelously fulfilled in His HE ofa earth, bringing down upon Him Sat the time of His baptism the enco- fiaitlm of heaven, This is My beloved |<ufi in whom am we'll pleased And 4(le other side of this mission of glory |Christ equally fulfilled, for by His own 3ifx and by His teachings He revealed fu A1s the glory of His Father and the EffifInfte privilege that is ours to become
  ZEhrist to the Kingdom of the Father. ' This revelation of Christ gave new fneaf1ing and dignity to human life. M6n need no longer think of himself as Amere creature, a beast of the earth, Hut he could look up to God through the &Iory of Christ's revelation and see in 34iin Father as we'll as the Almighty | Sovereign of the universe.
 The second aracteristic of Christ's | dIic6rnation. taught us by the heavenly | visitants, is the greatest of blessing | which He came to give to men-peace.
 The third characteristic which is here | brought out consists in the fact that | Christ came to the earth, not merely | tb reveal truth, but, out of infinite love, | tU sk,e Savious to save us from sin ming.
 3 II wish to dwell little on this Christ mas day upon the second characteristic, ss0n Earth Peace!'
 What did the angels mean by this? Surely they did not mean to declare that this was then a fact; that peace 15i-z |