The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-12-25

watch DER their
18TH fiocks by night
SSSS$xI The gentle sheep
4HAXA browsing here and
5R@ WZ&&3 there on the Judean
SgEsn,Sy3& hillside The still
ness and quiet of
the soft night only broken by the muslcal
murmur of conversation as the men talk
together of God and the hope of Israel,
for God reveals Himself to man when
his heart is turned towards Him and
when his thought searches out the deep
things Of Scripture. 1t Is quite In har-
mony with Scripture and the Divine
methods to suppose that these simple
but devout Jews were talking OF the
promises of God made to Israel OF
Baviour and Deliverer. Faith was
reaching up toward God in anticipation
and certainty of fulfillment, when 10,
the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round
about them" Heaven and earth seemed
to mingle and the outstanding glory
Of the Lord enwrapped angel and shep-
herds as In a mantle of light. "And they
were sore afraid" In the presence of the
supernatural, man always trembles, but
where the reverential spirit rules the
heart God speaks ACKNOWLEDGMENT the
angel said unto them, Fear not; for, be-
hold, bring you good tidings Of great
Joy, which shall be to all people. For
unto you is born this day, In the city of
David, Saviour, which Is Christ the
Lord" And scarcely have the vibrant
~ ha AniC hn bril-
message when from out the vast blue of
the starry heavens there floats into the
circle of light a multitude Of the heaven
ly host" whose voices the chorister of
Heaven had been training through the
ages before to sing their wonderful song
Of praise to God. And, says Edersheim.
what the angels sang was but the reflex
of what had been announced. 1t told in
the language of pJ>:se the character, the
meaning, the result of what had taken
place. Heaven took up the strain of
glory Earth echoed 1t as peace 1t
e fell on the ears and hearts of men as
good pleasure
GLORY to God in the highest
And upon earth peace
Among men good pleasure"'
WHAT message that was! What
w song that was! Earth had
been waiting expectantly for GEN.
turtles for that message and that song.
Its sins needed cure. The judgment
OF death needed q Saviour, Who would
bear that judgment and provide a way
Of escape for man. And so the angel
sent by the loving Lord came to earth
with the message of a Saviour born,
and the angelic host caught up the
glad story and echoed it in song. And
since that first Christmas morning
Gods ministers have been echoing that
message until it has circled the globe
and found lodgment in almost every ma
ton and people under the sun. And
earthly choirs have been singing the
strains of the redemption song until
hearts everywhere have caught the
strains of the heavenly music, end the
name of Jesus is heard in every
tongue. 1t was but few Judean shep
herds which heard the first Christmas
message, and felt the thrill of the first
Christmas joy. All the rest Of the
;, world lay in darkness and ignorance
y and sin. There was no response to the
Joy bells of Heaven and the angel
voices except in the hearts of the very
very few. But. to-day the message and
the song of Christmas have well-nigh
nlled the earth. In Jesus day He was
forced to declare that the Kingdom
Of Heaven suffereth violence, and tho
violent take 1t by Storm and how
much more is it true to-day that the
things of God are secularized and ap-
propriated by the world The mustard
seed has become the great spreading
tree in the branches of which the fowls
OF the air have come and lodged But
Christmas above all other events
connected with the Christ mas beer
taken possession of by the word. TIL.
Joy of Christmas has filed the eartf
almost las the waters cover tie sea.
OUT that Joy is of q material rattle,
- than a spiritual character. The 10,
and gladness of the worlds Christ
mas celebration are an expression O
the natural man, and not that of the
spiritual. 1t Is something which ap
peaiS to the physical senses The da,
Is hlled with feasting and merrymak
ing. with giving and receiving gifts
and with all manner of excuses ant
lndulgences. The worlds thought O
oad ELAN for Christmas is wholly O
the earth earthly. The celebration O
the birthday of the One Who came int
the world to redeem nom sin and Sc
MP q spiritual kingdom is character
ICED by everything which appeals Il
the physical and material nature O
man Ruskin exclaims: standing a,
1t were astonished In the midst OF thf