The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-12-24
Doctor Scudder breaches Christ
mas Sermon in Central
Union Church.
SUBJECT is THEIR ANGELS
What Christianity Means for the
Little Ones and the Sor-
rowing Ones.
(From Monday Adyertiser)

Church yesterday morning. He built
his address around the birth of Christ
and the ideals of child life which spring
from that memorable occasion. He re.
called the utter disregard of the follow
ers of other religions for their children
and then compared the changes that had
been wrough wherever the story of the
Christ Cnild has gone.
His text was, ''See that ye despise
not one OF these little ones, for l say
unto you, that in heaven their angels
do always behold the face OF my Father
who is in heaven.' His sermon was;
"The Babe of Bethlehem, announced
by Archangel Gabriel, born in stable,
manger- Graded, heralded to shepherds
by heavenly choirs, worshiped by star
guided sages, has accomplished the
greatest miracle of history, the en-
thronement of the child. The consum-
mate fruit of Brahmaism is India S
millions of child widows. Buddhism in
Japan and Confucianism in China
never dreamed of combating the fright
full infanticide which cursed Eastern
Asia for unknown generations. But
wherever the story of the Christ Child
has gone divine hand has reached
forth to exalt the little ones. Jesus
once took tiny boy in his arms with
the word, 'Whosoever shall humble him
self as this little child, the same is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven
''Ever since in the hearts of Chris
tian disciples the child has been invest
cd with peculiar sacredness never
seen elsewhere on earth. And today
the babe Is enthroned We call him in
popular parlance the tyrant of the
home. Jesus crowned him when he
took him in his arms and cried, Behold
the greatest in Gods kingdom! Long
live the little Klng.' There is no mir
aele in history quite to compare with
this. The social enthronement of the
child by the mere word of tramp car
penter and by the story of his baby
hood.
"Among all the words which Jesus
spoke of children, the most poetic and
beautiful is the declaration, In heaven
their angels do always behold the face
of NV Father. What did He mean
by iti
The Imagery of Poetry.
'Jesus used the language and thought
of his day. If He had not done so lie
could not have made himself under
Stood either to his own or to any other
generation. No Jews believed in guard
ian angels and held that every person
was always accompanied by a good
spirit detailed by God to care for him.
Jesus took this popular thought and
made use of it in this declaration to
show how close to the heart of the
Great Father the little children nestle
"The imagery is the familiar one of
the Kingdom We are transported to
the audience chamber of the universe.
There in the center upon a magnificent
throne sits the Ancient of Days, dwell
ing i'll light unapproachable, King of
Kings and God of Gods. About him in
the descending ranks of glory, arch
angels, seraphs and angels are ranged
in majestic tiers of spotless, glowing
white. Filling the nearer air close
about the King and comprising at least
the first of the archangelic quartet, Ga
briel, Raphael, Michael and Urie, hoy
ers cloud of purest radiance, which on
clearer vision resolves itself into a
company, myriad strong, of feecy, grace.
full spirits, privileged ever to behold
the face of their Lord and constantly
agitated, as one and another dart off in
obedience to some command and as
quickly come again. These are the chill
dren's angels.
1T is the imagery of poetry, the
speech of Hebrew prophecy which loved
to clothe it's thought in pictures. Is it
more than play fancy7 Yes, for no
poet ever cared so much for the spirit
behind the form as the typical Hebrew
prophet, and first among them all in
this passion for reality stood the man
who said, My words are spirit and they
are life.
Are we then to take Jesus words
here and elsewhere as a declaration of
the existence of angels. We live In an
age when some men find it not on,y
possible, but in "A certain sense neces-
sary to intellectual freedom to discard
both the demonology and angelo ogy
of our fathers, And the teacher who
has freed us from this traditional way
of thinking is none other than Jesus
Himself. He who said He that hath
seen me hath seen the Father II am
not alone, but / and the Father that
sent Me, 1t is enough for the disciple
that he be as his master lived in per
feet and continuous cOmradeship with
his father.
AHtN lpo were always IuIelleF III
his consciousness. He needed no angel
ministry. And we are to be like him
We too may cultivate the consciousness
God is with me. He fills my being now
! speak, He hears, He answers 1t i:
not too much TO say that the Christian
life today consists in making God'i
presence real and God IS will domlnan-
every moment of life, What neeC
then for angels?"
Angels of Love
"First, God needs angels for Him
self. BY angela we mean spiritual be
ings in communion with God. His com
rades, made by Him to satisfy His so
cial nature, which is Love Men, o
course, are merely angels in the max
ing. For aught we know there ar
myriads Of ways outside of the humi