The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-22
THE ANGELS SONG.
(Selected for The Times-Dispatc


/ And 10. the angel OF the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord
} shone round about them, and they
were sore afraid.
And the angel 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
tho city OF David. a Saviour, which Is
Christ. the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you.
Ye shall find the babe wrapped In
swaddnng clothes, lying in a manager
And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude OF the heavenly host
praising God and saying. Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace.
good will toward n."-St. Luke IL.
STA.
Every particular OF this announce
ment OF the birth Of Christ is signifi-
cant There We're shepherds" They
were simply rustics-poor working
men-going about their nightly tasks
and thinking more of these than Of
angels and of opened heavens. Why
were they the recipients of the glad
news? Just because they were not
wise men after the flesh. nor mighty.
nor great. 1t was hitting that the
| universal gospel should first be spoken
to humble men. Christ is all mems
Christ. because He comes TO take away
the universal disease and TO give the
common salvation. Therefore the good
tidings were first spoken. not to priests
at the altar, or kings on the throne, but
to plain peasants going about their or
binary work.
Hero is the beginning OF the true
democracy which Christ establishes
Science and culture begin at the top
and filter downward; religious move
ments begin at the bottom and ascend
Tho time is significant Night IS the
parent OF holy thought; its darkness
is often tho time chosen for heavenly
illumination The world was shroud-
ed in night when Christ came. and
into the thickest of its gross darkness
HIS light burst. Yet the unobtrusIveness
of His appearance. and the blending of
secrecy with the manifestation Of His
power. are well typified by that glory
which .shone in the night and was
seen only by two or three poor men.
How simply the appearance Of the
single angel and the glory OF the
Lord is told! The evangelist thinks II
the most natural thing in the world
that heaven should send out its inhabi-
tants on such an errand. and that the
symbol of the divine presence should
fill tho night with sudden splendor.
What did the blazing glory Of God
mean but that the birth OF Jesus was
the highest revelation Of God. and
henceforth would be the companion OF
common lives, to make all sacred by
its presence? The glory of God shines
where Christ is. and where it shines is
the temple
II mans Saviour must be man, he
must be more than man. Unless God
become man there can be no Saviour.
for no mere humanity can bear the
full gift Of the divine Spirit Let US
be sure that unless the birth at Beth
lehem was the incarnation of Jesus II
would have called forth no angel song.
nor would 1t work any deliverance, nor
bring any 10Y to men The one voice
has barely time to tell its message
when suddenly" the multitude OF
the heavenly host" pours out It's praise
"Glory to God echoes through the
- I'd
crowned on earth, because Jesus is
born. In whose birth the infinite good
pleasure Of God comes to dwell among
men. And amid all the radiance OF the
glory OF God" nothing has ever been
so bright as the Incarnation and work
OF Christ. In that lies the highest
revelation OF God HIS glory Is not IN
eternity or innnity, nor IN all knovi-
edge or wisdom. nor in the might OF
His unwearied arms; rather we ind il
in the tenderness of His pity and the
Iowliness OF His love.
These are the divinest things in
God, ana these shine forth from the
Child in the Manager. That wondrous
birth, which brings sveeter music into
heaven. brings harmony to earth
Heaven needed only the increase Of its
possessed blessing. but the world needs
the quoting Of its discords. the sooth-
ing OF Its unrest. and. above all. the
reconciliation Of sinful hearts with
God.
The arst clause OF this song. GLORY
10 God in the highest" was fuihlied
on the Instant: the second. And on
earth peace. good will towards men.
L. but partially accomplished after
nineteen centuries; but 81 too. will
not Be always a hope or q dream We
can each secure its fuiniment in our
own heart. and through Him Be at
auIty with COD and concord within
ourselves.
The loving heart Of COD goes on; 70
rnea IN Jesus Christ. and the apostles