The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1908-12-19
Sabbath School
NOTES BY r. S. HOLMES.
Lesson XII December 90 l0oo'
CHRISTMAS LESSON.
n ,,Le .. 2.3o1
Luke 2: 3 2o.)

I.uke's story of the birth OF Christ IS
the most beautiful poem in the world.
No one tells this story but Luke.
How could any other tell the story
after once this had been wriiten9
What a scene The fields OF Bethle-
hem Tor the arena The open heavens
filed with the choral company
Simple rustics the auditors oi the
glory song OF all the ages.
The theme OF the song, Present sal
vation
List. O heart, to the angels cry
Still do they lill the wintry sky
Still as DER Bcthlehcm's plain they
sing,
Glory to God for the Saviour King
THE LESSON.
vs.. 8. In the same country That
was the old Bethlehem country. Coun-
try OF Ruth and Naomi. Country OF
the shepherd boy and the Twenty
third Psalm.
The first to hear OF the Christ were
common men about the commoncst OF
tasks.
1t was fitting that the first to hear OF
the Good Shepherd should be shep-
herds
The Christ was born not to kings
upon the thrones OF the earth, but
unto YOU simple ruSiics, common
men.
1t is the common man who hears
most gladly even yet that Christ is
near at hand.
vs.. Q. There >sre three things in this
verse. The Angel" The Glory"
and human fear.
The fear was natural When any
manifestation OF himself is made by
God directly to men they always fear
He is just rs able to manifest him
sell now as IN the Bethlehem days
Men do not think oi that much, but it
is So.
There j., hope always for men who
can be made To fear God
vs.. 10. This is a wonderful verse
The Angel had come with message TO
all people Tie brought it. not to
Hcrnd. not to Annas. not to the Ro-
man governor. but To shepherds. rus
tics. just common men.
II was a great message Good It'd
ings. great joy; for all the people"
That has proved to be true The
greatest ioy any soul knows /, that
which comes from this Saviour.
Md how good God is always Ia alay
our fears II only wc kept near enough
to God We would never need tn fear
We would know that when he came
i"'a our lives It was for good.
vs. II. For unto you is born. etc"
That needs no exposition II is Gods
message II hope for dead world.
Unto YOU That Is the emphatic
thing IN the announcement Each
shepherd knew it was 4 message 10 him.
Is it To- you:
vs. -. "Nnd thi, shall be sign
unto YOU" Notice particularly that
the Angel expected the shepherds To
act on the information he had given
"A sign unto you."
Divine messages are WORTHLESS, TN
less they are acted upon
The description was cNplicit Think
OF IL II was the last place in which to
look Tor a king
Babyhood hclpc>SncSs. poverty.
/ hose are not the usual signs OF roy.
atty
vs. ~ And suddenly" That is
the way God often doe, things. But
God was good lad he sent the grca,
multitude at first the shepherds would
have been hupclcNsly frightened. He
sent one Angel first. and when the
shepherds had become used To him.
and knew he had come iur their happi
ness. then suddenly came the host. Too
much glory is as lear producing as too
much misery
V, IT, lhi, Is the Overture of an
gels II was the llalcluah chorus OF
lA .
Peace on earth i, the greatest the
world has ever heard
vs.. -. Now comes the transition
The visit, ~ angels are short They
gave their message and sang their
song. and vanished They have never
repeated II
What would the men do with il :?
They accepted 1t As from God. There
Is an example Tor us to follow They
said. God hath made known this
thing To- us
They acted ON the information They
said, Let u, GO see"
Not let MS 70 see II Eut let Il, go
see 1t There j, a mighty difference
between N" and "ll"
vs. 10 Mud they came with haste"
hat is the way the believing soul does
always.
This is the very day when wc should
go with haste Ia Christ.
vs. y. They made known abroad
Nh. there was the Christmas spirit. On
that first Christmas day ID. story 81
what had come to pass was made
known abroad These rustics told the
story to those they knew. There is
our model