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THE CELESTIAL CHARM OF CHRISTMAS The story is old, and some of us are old, but the charm of the Christmas story never grows old. There are the shepherds, tending their flocks, uncon scious of what is to come to pass, when suddenly the angel of the Lord, in glistening glory, bursts upon them with the most marvelous message ever given to human ears: “ Christ, thè Lord—a Saviour—is born
Saviour, who came and made His home here for a few years and then fulfilled the purpose of His Christmas coming by pouring out His blood on the cross that we might have the higher, happier, Heavenly joy of look ing for Him to come the second time, and from the open heavens call us with a shout do meet Him in the air! God pity the robbers who seek to take away from young and old the joy of a real Christmas celebration, and let us pray that their eyes may be opened, and their hearts opened, and their homes opened to Him
u n t o you !’’ and then, out from the clouds of heaven, same the angelic hosts praising God a n d saying (not singing) “ Glory to G o d in t h e highest, a n d on earth, p e a c e to me n o f g o o d will.” Just a few mo ments ! J u s t a b a n d of humble men! But j u s t like God! R e a d y o u r Bible ! Search the Scriptures ! Man n e v e r invented that story. And if that s t o r y is true, then the ac count of the Vir gin Birth is true, and the promise of Gen. 3:15. “ And I will put e n m i ty between thy seed and her s e e d ; it s h a l l bruise thy head, and thou s h a l t bruise his heel. ’’ awaits fulfillment. What a p o o r kind of Christmas it m u s t be for those who have no real, Virgin-bom
who is K i n g of kings and Lord of lords. God make it a joyful Christmas Day—if He tarry! TRIFLING WITH TERMI NOLOGY T h e v i s i b l e c h u r c h is com posed of the-com mon people. They are the royal heirs of Christ. T h e y a r e t h e h a r d - h e a d e d , h a r d working s a i n t s who have l i t t l e time for specula tions;' S u p p o s i tions, or veneered v e r b o s i t y o f words. T h e y may be deceived s o me times by the semi- n a r y sophistry, but not a l l the time. T h e y are plain people and they w a n t plain speech. They want to know what the minister m e a n s when he speaks of the ‘^divinity of Jesus C h r i s t . ” D o e s he m e a n that He was con
As the Waters Cover the Sea A nnie Johnson F lin t. C lifton Springs, N. Y.
T here is w ra th and ru th in th e w orld to -d ay , th ere is m erciless h ate an d woe, A nd e a rth is shaken w ith m arching ho sts w here th e huge b a tta lio n s go. She m ay n o t cover th e h eaps of slain a n d the dead u n buried lie, T here is d eath on th e lan d and d eath on the w ave and d eath in th e clouds on high. F o r the kings of th e w orld a re all a t strife an d th e ir arm ies fight o r flee, A nd violence covers th e face of th e e a rth as th e w aters co v er th e sea. T ake heed, ye ty ran n o u s kings of e arth , fo r y o u r doom is n e a r a t hand, L ong have ye drenched th e w orld w ith blood and long laid w aste th e land. T hough ye b o lt y o u r doors an d b a r y o u r g ates an d stren g th en y o u r o u ter wall, Though ye se t y o u r th ro n es in th e m id st thereof, y e t shall y o u r kingdom s fall; F o r th e R uler of kings h a th se t H is K ing upon H is holy hill, A nd y o u r counsels all shall com e to n a u g h t an d y o u r w ra th shall w ork H is will. H e will sweep y o u r refuge of lies aw ay a n d find y o u r hiding place, A nd y o u r h e arts shall m elt and y o u r s p irits fail a t th e ligh tn in g of H is face, F o r the m o u th of the L ord h a th spoken it an d who shall say H im n a y ? H e will w eaken th e h e arts of th e terrib le ones an d rob them of th e ir prey, He will break th e sw ords of the m ighty m en an d s h a tte r th e ir shining spears, H e will loose th e b an d s of th ë p risoners an d free them from th e ir fears, H e will reign in ju stice an d rule- :.n love an d w ars shall cease to be, A nd th e glory of God shall co v er th e e a rth a s th e w aters cover th e sea. Awake, arise, Ô Israel, from the d u st w here thou h a st lain, Long h a st th o u w ept beside th é dead and m ourned am ong th e slain. P u t on th y b eautiful g arm en ts an d tu n e th y h arp anew, F o r th e m o u th of the L ord h a th spoken it a n d the w ord of th e L ord is tru e : The Sun of R ighteousness shall rise w ith healing in H is w ings, Like th e chaff of the sum m er th resh in g floor shall be th e pride o f th e kings. From th e ends of th e e a rth H e w ill ,g a th e r thee a n d b rin g th y so n s from far, From the d esert place, H e w ill lead thee o u t w here th e riv ers of w a ters are. He is castin g up the highw ay now w here H is redeem ed shall tread , And thou s h a lt com e w ith songs of jo y a n d g arlan d s on th y head. Thou sh alt en ter iifto th y land w ith peace a n d th y foes bow down to thee, A nd th e glory of God shall cover th e e a rth as th e w aters co v er th e sea. B reak fo rth in song, ye m ountains, an d sh o u t ye m ourning e a rth ; Be joyful all ye little hills an d clap y o u r hands in m irth, F o r the m outh of th e L ord h a th spoken it an d it shall com e to p ass; T here shall be rain in his season a n d th e fields be clothed w ith g rass. The c ed ar tree and th e fir shall sp rin g w here now th e b rie r grow s, The w aste and desolate w ilderness shall blossom a s th e ro se; T here shall be pools w here th e parched ground lies, fo r th e day of redem ption nears. A nd p a st th e endless seem ing strife of th e endless seem ing years T here shines th e vision of peace to com e in the age th a t is y e t to be, W hen the glory of God shall cover th e e a rth a s th e w aters cover th e sea. Look up, O chu rch of th e living C hrist, fo r H is com ing draw eth nigh, W atch fo r th e gleam of th e M orning S ta r in th e d ark of th e e aste rn sky. H ark to H is voice: “Behold I com e“ a n d an sw er: “Even so.“ # Till th y pulses th rill to th e joy of it am id th is w orld of woe. L ift up th y head, fo r th e B lessed H ope, like a bow in th e cloud, appears, C om fort y o u r h earts, fo r th e L ord will com e, a n d H is h an d sh all d ry y o u r te a rs. Sorrow an d sighing shall flee aw ay an d sin no m ore shall be, W hen the glory of God shall cover the e a rth a s th e w aters cover th e sea.
Saviour; who have no real, Heaven-given message; who have allowed Satan to rob them of the joy that the shepherds had, and who—in turn—rob their chil dren of the real story of God’s gracious gift to the home in Bethlehem, and to every other home where faith rises above superstition and above sordid criti cism, and tells the old, old, story of the God-child, the
ceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a Virgin? that He was God manifest in the flesh—very God of very God; (John 3 :13) “ And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven," even the Son of man which is in heaven.” and if so, why not say so? Why keep the poor sheep queered with question marks ?
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