The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1915, Page 90

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

90 The Lutheran Pioneer.

enjoyed. Yet they cannot by any means free us
from sin’s darkness. But sin, with its eternal sor-
row, and with it the bitter sting of all temporal
woe that may fall to our lot, will vanish, and the
gladsome brightness of the Lord will shine around
us, yea, thoroughly pervade our hearts, if we be-
lievingly listen to the Christmas angel’s message,
and with the shepherds longingly hasten to the
manger to find and adore the dear Child, our
Savior.

The angel announced that the great joy shall
be to all people that on earth do dwell. If the true
Christmas spirit, the spiritual joy over the birth
of Immanuel, lives within us, we shall be very
eager, very desirous indeed, to spread the sweet
Gospel of the Christ-child among those that have
not yet become children of God and heirs of sal-
vation through faith in Christ Jesus. The words
of Isaiah: “Darkness shall cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people,” still apply to millions
of souls, souls that are not only found in heathen

* lands, but also in so-called Christian countries, in-

cluding our own.

Let us, then, be indefatigably active, praying,
giving, and laboring faithfully, that through the
blessed work of missions the gracious, gladdening,
life-giving, cheering, saving light of Christmas may
dispel the dark shadows that make the children of
the world so unhappy, so that, having apprehended
Christ by faith, they may join us in singing with
the angelic hosts, “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

: H. OsterHus.

The Angels’ Christmas Song.

“And suddenly there was with the angel the
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and
saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men.” Scarcely had the
herald angel proclaimed the Savior’s birth to the
shepherds on Bethlehem’s plains than there came
forth from the invisible world around them a host
of angelic forms to sing praises to the Lord of hosts.

“Glory to God in the highest!” the song begins.
By the coming of His Son into the world the
highest degree of glory is come to God. By His
humble birth, His holy life, and His atoning death
on the cross the Son glorifies God’s love, mercy,

holiness, justice, and wisdom as they were never

glorified before. The wonders of creation glorify

4

God. but even more than by the creation is God
glorified by the work of redemption.

“Peace on earth!” the song continues. It is
not earthly peace which the angel choir hymns in
these words, as some would have us think; a peace
far more real and enduring is their theme, namely,
that peace of God which passeth all understanding.
Now, with the Savior’s birth, is come to earth the
perfect peace between a holy God and sinful man,
the peace which Christ was to purchase with His
own blood, the peace which is freely offered to all
mankind, the peace which, once admitted to the
heart, makes men also live at peace with one
another.

“Good will toward men!” the song concludes.
Now, with the Savior’s birth, is come the time when
God’s kindness and good will toward guilty man
is to be fully made known. His power was seen
in creation; His justice was revealed by the Flood ;
but His mercy and love were fully shown in the
coming of His Son into our flesh.

Such was the angels’ song of praise on Christ-
mas Day.. Happy are we if we enter into its mean-
ing, and gladly accept every word of it. And happy

-shall we make others if the full purport of this song

comes home to us; for then we shall do all we can
to spread God’s glory among men, and bring them
the good tidings of peace with God and His good
will toward all in Christ Jesus. Yes, he that can
sincerely sing this song with the angels cannot but
be a friend and faithful supporter of missions among
those to whom the words of this heavenly song have
not yet come. With Luther he will say:

My heart for very joy doth leap,

My lips no more can silence keep;

I, too, must sing with joyful tongue

That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

Glory to God in highest heaven,

Who unto us His Son hath given!

With the shepherds of old he will help to make
known abroad the Gospel story, — the story which
gives all glory to God, brings to sinners the peace
of God, and proclaims good will toward all men.

F. J. 1.

The Convention of Luther Conference.

The seventh annual convention of Luther Con-
ference was opened in Mount Zion Church, Wednes-
day evening, October 27. The introductory sermon
was delivered by the Rey. G. M. Kramer, of Beth-
lehem Church. ‘The speaker chose for his text the