The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-12-20

But suddenly, In one GREATNESS
moment, both David and Jacob sprang
to their feet, and all the other shep-
herds crowded up to them with pale
faces, and open eyes, and trembling
knees; for in an instant, without
sound or sigh, the wide heavens were
flooded with light and glory, brighter
than the sun at noon; the stars were
drowned in light, the radiance flowed
In waves of splendor from mid-heaven
down to earth And then, in the
deepest depths of glory far above
their heads in the heart of all the
shining, appeared a great angel, with
robes of Wilderness brighter than the
gathered light, and a face calm with
awful gladness; and the shepherds
we're sore afraid, for they thought the
Day of the Lord was come. But the
angel smiled upon them, like the sun
shining in his strength, and spoke
like the voice of the sea for might,
yet sweeter than the turtle-doves
amid the cedars of Lebanon, and he
said unto them:
Fear not! For behold 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 this shall be sign unto you:
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
neutrality-suspicious. lying in man
ger"
Little Jacob heard these words, but
he knew them not, except the name of
Messiah, for whom he often heard
his mother pray in the evening time,
but now, while the glad tidings
sounded still, behold! from the
bright depths of Heaven came angel
after angel, countless as the hidden
stars, and radiant as light itself; their
stainless ranks rayed outward from
the vast, calm shape of the Herald
Angel like means from the morning
sun, and with great sound like the
flowing of some mighty stream, they
sung the song of Heaven:
Glory to God in the highest!
And on earth peace;
Goodwill toward men.
The wondrous sound thrilled all
the high and glowing Heaven, and
then, still with strains Of glory and
peace ringing above and falling
fainter and fainter to those below,
rank folded in on rank, the Angel Of
the Lord leading upward, and the
awful splendor gathering up about
them, they scared into that glory, and
the glory shrouded their departing
cohorts, and the dark midnight sky,
feebly starred now to the shepherds
smitten eyes, bent its purple arch
again above unconscious earth.
David stopped and lifted Jacob in
his arms; neither of them could
speak, but old Simeon, the oldest of
all the Bethlehem shepherds, bent
low, and, with uncovered head, began
the chant:
0, come let us sing unto the Lord
Let us make joyful noise unto the Rock
of our Salvation!
With lOwvoices they sang the Psalm
through, as they turned from the
plain toward Bethlehem, forgetful of
their f1ocks and herds, caring for
nothing but to find the Messiah, the
baby in the manger, the Son of God.
And there, indeed, in a rude cav
ern, where the beasts of burden were
sheltered and their poor masters fed
by the way-there, upon a shaken
wisp of straw, very babe in the
flesh, lay the infant Christ, with His
awed and adoring mother kneeling
beside Him, and Joseph the carpenter
standing with folded hands, amazed
but faithful, beside the newborn
King of Israel
And while the shepherds told their
wondrous tale, and they that were in
the inn heard it, and adoFed, Mary
shut up all these things in her heart,
and little Jacob gazed on the calm,
sad face of the Mighty Child, and
went away with a vision in his soul
that never left it while life remained.
And the shepherds returned, glor-
flying and praising God for all the
things that they had heard and seen,
as it was told unto them"
This was little Jacobs Christmas.
'NTI,o hos ,.ooob05 ~