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Show ' Saner; ft W7 HAT an interest centered in , VV that bale, wrapped in swad-: swad-: ; . dling clothes, lying in a man-ger man-ger at Bethlehem I Prophets were interested, .angels were interested, l- the ages have been most deeply in-. in-. terested since. The shepherds had v 'f, ' perhaps' some premonition. The , seventy weeks of Daniel's prophecy ' . were about fulfilled. It may be at . ': 7 ' ' that verj time they wete talking of . ; ' . the coming of ChriBt. Suddenly their attention was ar-V ar-V rested by a strange eight in the ' . heavens. It grew brighter and took - ' the form of an angel, and then they . . heard a voice announcing the birth ' of Christ as glad tidings for all peo-' peo-' pie, not to the JewB only. Then 1 . suddenly the air was filled with angels an-gels singing as if they had come f right out from the air. - . We know not their wonderful eong, but part came to mortal ears, "Glory to God in the highest,", etc. We know not who those angels were, tut we fancy they were the redeem-' redeem-' ted. Adam was there; Eve was ' . -.there. Eve, who in her maternal earnestness declared at the birth of her firstborn, "I have got a man ' Jfrom the Lord," hoping that that- iwas he who should bruise the serpent's ser-pent's head. Now, in the fullness of time she had come to witness the birth of the babe who was to be the . ' Saviour of her race. David, Elijah, . ' "Moses, the patriarchs, we believe, ' were with the heavenly host. (' This song reveals three things: First. The glorification of God through the incarnation. God has - glory through hia vast work in na- ture, his providence building up and ' , . casting down "nations, etc, . ' ;; ' t ; In the" incarnation there was spe- mfMsl glory. It was glory td God in -t the highest highest, in that it was v above ill other glory, in hat it ex- ; tended , to all time and in that it . wrought such wondrous good. - Second.: The great results to the ' itarth. It " would result in peace. ' ' . Strifes, . thorns and thistles were T . ' abounding. , The earth was torn and t . r , Weeding k by constant ' contention. . ' -r ' !Vith Christ came peace. ;The Tesult , . would be universal peace. , . ' .,. "... ' Third. The effect on the individ-- ; ' nal man. "Good will toward men," ... ... . from one. another, from God. Out . of.thi's goqd will would finally spring i ., peace on earth and glory to God in . the highest.-Dr.-Matthew Simpson. |