The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-11-27

of the prophecy draws near, the
people Of the earth rejoice and sing
Unto us a Child Is born. and His
name shall be called Wonderful,
Counsellor, The Mighty God, The
Everlasting Father, The Prince OF
Peace" and this ends the first part
which has been really only the in
PRODUCTION and which has merely
led us up TO the story we know SO
well-the story, as told by Sain,
Luke. of that first Christmas night
twenty centuries ago, in the little
old-world city Of Bethlehem.
The next part is beautiful be-
yond words. You cannot really
hear it from the Chapel seats: you
will have to go back like dream,
TO the star-lit plains Of old Judea,
where the shepherds watched their
flocks by night, where the angel OF
the Lord came upon them and
brought them tidings OF great Joy;
where the multitude OF the heaven
ly host sang GLORY TO God in the
highest-Peace on Earth, good will
to Man." Christ has comet Re-
joicel for He shall speak peace and
Righteousness TO all people; and He
shall feed His flock like a shepherd,
and in Him shall we find rest unto
our souls.
Then the spirit of il all changes,
and we are plunged into the most
sad and tragic thought in the his
tory of the ages. He, who taketh
away the sin Of the world, is de-
spised and rejected OF men. He be-
comes a Man of Sorrows and is &C
quainted with grief. The music is
slow, dark and sad. Surely we can
feel in it the ache Of the broken
heart, the pain Of the stripes by
which we are healed. But that is
only a part Of the wonderful plan OF
salvation-only part Of the mission
of that Messiah the sages sang OF
centuries ago. They also foretold
that He should be the King OF Glory
so the last number Of this part Is
a chorus so magnificent that, ever
since IL was first sung in London
years ago, everybody instinctively
rises and stands while il is being
sung, as il il were the National
anthem of Christianity. II is the
Hallelujah Chorus-"The Kingdom
of this world is become the king
dom of our Lord and of His Christ
and He shall reign forever and
ever"
The last part is short, but il con-
tains the most beautiful song that
was ever writen-"I know that my
Redeemer liveth." The pen that
wrote those notes was guided by
God Himself. No earthly power can
conceive such sublime beauty. This
is followed by another solo which
tells OF our resurrection from the
dead; and then comes the last Choir
us--a marvellous hymn of worship
and solemn adOration-"WOrthy is
the Lamb that was slain. Blessing,
glory and honor be unto Him for
ever and ever-Amen."
The music OF "The Messiah" was
written in London by George Fred
erick Handel, thirty years before
our Revolutionary War. Handel's
father did not like musie, and would
not let him play when he was a
boy, so Frederick used to steal away
TO the garrett 10 practice on an old
spinnet at night, by the light OF a
dim lantern. He grew up 10 become
one OF the worlds greatest musi-
clans.
You will find that the music OF
THE Messiah" is not "pretty"-it
is beautiful. II is like our noun
tains. We cannot understand IL at
first. We have 10 listen 10 ii
again and again with earnest minds
and hearts, and even then IL takes
years TO find all the beauty there is
in it. SO do not be discouraged il
you do not like il at first, but come
and hear it. II is pure gold, and II
is for you'll