The Tupelo journal., 1902-12-26
ANGEL MESSENGERS.
Bring from Heaven to Earth Good
Tidings of Great Joy.
Christmas Sermon by the "Highway
and Byway" P~reacher-A Three
Fold Message Concerning
the Christ.


Text:-"Are they 1.-THE angels] not all
ministering spirits, sent forth to minister
for them who shall be heirs of saliva
tion?'-Hebrews lila.
Greek mythology represents the
imaginary gods of the planets as
coming to earth and performing
their deeds and bearing their mes
sages to man. The experience of
Paul and Barnabas at Lystra strlk-
ingly illustrates what a strong hold
these ideas had upon the mind of the
heather world. Because of the mi
raculous blessing which Paul brought
to the impotent man, the supersti-
tious people instantly concluded that
Paul and Barnabas must be gods
GENE to earth, and they named Bar
nabas Jupiter and Paul they called
M%ercurius, and would fain have done
sacrifice to them. This idea of Wis
itors to earth from other worlds per-
meated the thought and literature of
the heather nations from earliest
times, and may have been borrowed
from the records of Gods Word,
which told of angel messengers come
to earth bearing communications
from the God of Heaven to man.
The blessed tread of angel footsteps
echoes all through the sacred pages
of Gods Word from the Heavenly
messenger with the flaming sword,
placed at the east of the Garden of
Eden to guard the way of the Tree
of Life, to the angel who visited
John on the isle of Patmos on that
memorable Lords day and unrolled
before his vision all the wonderful
mysteries of Gods will which he left
recorded in the Revelation. Angels
come to earth from the presence of
God as ministering spirits to com
municate to man Gods will and Gods
purpose for man.
We are treading on holy ground
when we come into the presence of
Gods angels. We may not gaze with
the curious eye and seek to penetrate
the beautiful mystery of Gods move
ments, but if we remove the shoes
of our natural will and desires, we
may draw near to the burning bush
of the angelic presence, and behold
many a beautiful vision, may hear
many IN inspiring message and learn
lessons that only the Divine finger
can trace IN the fleshy tables of the
human heart. 1t was the Angel
Gabriel who came to the handmade
en- of the Lord in Nazareth, of Cali
lee, and brought the message from
God that she was to be the mother
Of the Christ. 1t was most probably
the same angel whose quick glad feet
trod the sward of the hillside over
looking Bethlehem until he stood in
the midst of the supplemented shep-
herds and announced to them the
good tidings of great joy of a Saviour
born. 1t was two angels who joined
the group of wondering disciples
as they stood on the brow of sacred
Olivet, gazing after their ascending
Lord, and who announced to them
that This same Jesus, which is
taken up from you into Heaven,
shall SO come in like manner as We
have seen Him go into Heaven
Glad messages of the angels! Let
us draw near and listen TO the sweet
music of their words, let us drink in
the height and depth and the length
and breadth of their meaning, let us
appropriate the i~neXhaustible riches
of Gods love which they pour at our
feet.
The Christmas-time air is filled
with the music of angel voices. The
song that burst from the angelic
choir over the hills of Judea that
first Christmas morning has not
ceased its music. The hillsides rang
with the glad message, the mountain
peaks clapped their hands with JOY
and sent echoing throughout the
world the glory to God in the high
est, and on earth peace, good will
towards men," 1t comes ringing
over dale and hill to-day, bringing
Joy to the hearts of men. Not a
Christmas bell can be rung, not a
Christmas carol can be sung, that has
not caught its music from the melody
that burst from the multitude of the
Heavenly host as it lowered over
that entranced group of shepherds
and their gentle focks. Christmas!
Glad Christmas! Joyous Christmas!
Blessed, yea thrice blessed, Christ
mas! Let all the earth rejoice.
Angel messengers from Heaven TO
earth with their reassuring words:
'Fear not" and then the gates of
Heaven open wide and the glory of
God streams forth, the Celestial mu-
sic bursts upon the world, the beau
teous star guides to the lowly man
ger, and there the world is led to
pay homage to the Eternal King, the
Saviour of the world. To pay hon.
age, but oh, it is SO easy to bow the
knee, while the heart remains nm
yielding and unmoved. So easy to
worship as the wise men did. to ma V
tribute as the wise men did out of
their treasure, and then to depart
to the "own country" of the hearts
unyielded will. But it is quite an
other thing to come with the simple
faith Of the humble shepherds, to Law
at the feet of the Saviour the surren.
dered will, and to go away glorify-
ing and praising God for His gift and
His d~elivcrance.
The glad feet of angels have sped
from the presence of God and the
courts of Heaven down, down on the
steps of Gods love to the weary, sad,
sin-cursed earth, and the sweet
voices of the Heavenly messengers
have heraldcd forth their glad story.
ILL., ..ronAncA- anA Tho g