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[0:00] with the Lord's help I would seek to direct your attention to some thoughts found in the second chapter of Luke and I hope to announce as my text verse 14 that's the second chapter in the book of Luke and verse 14 glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward man glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward man that of course is the song of the angels that of course we realize that for the most part all of us are very well acquainted with that particular verse though it is truly friends the voice of the angels or the praise of the angel what a mercy friend if we know something of that praise in our own soul that we too might be able to join with these angels in praise and in adoration unto God for that great gift and for that great blessing which he bestowed upon unworthy wretches the story of the birth of Christ is a very familiar story and no doubt often misused and misapplied and misinterpreted by the most part of the religious world but what a mercy friend if we could enter into some of its truth now to begin with we find that this particular day in which Christ was born was something which was foretold and promised from the very beginning of the world there was no need of the Savior friends until man fell up until that time friends there was no need of the Savior coming into this world promise of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ was already given to Adam and Eve there in the garden as soon as they fell it was further revealed unto Eve there when God spake there to the serpent and said it would be of the seed of the woman it was further revealed there to Abraham that it would be of his seed and that there would be a multitude who would come under the blessings of that particular person and so you can follow the prophecy of the coming of Christ throughout the whole of the Old Testament scriptures and isn't it a mercy friends that down through all these years there was always that little renmin who were looking forward to the time of the coming of Christ we notice in our last few Sundays friends about some of the those persons in the early book of the early chapter there in the first of Luke who were those who were looking for the Son of God such as Zacharias

[2:55] Elizabeth and we have no question friends that even Mary was one of those early seekers in the chapter which we read this morning hour we also notice that there were others like such as Simeon and also that there was Anna yes the Lord always has a rendement according to the election of grace and why are these persons looking for the coming of the Son of God because they have found themselves to be sinners sinners sinners can say and only they how precious is the Savior Mary had a blessed time when she heard that salutation of the angel and then also when she went down to visit her cousin Elizabeth there we found her last week friends full of joy as she looked in anticipation for the coming of that Savior in other words friends she knew herself to be a sinner she knew that there was salvation in no other way but in that promised Messiah and so she waited those nine months and then there was a decree which came forth from Caesar Augustus that all of the world should be taxed that expression there in the first verse there was a decree but friends there was a higher decree which is in heaven this was for or told and so planned that Christ should be born unto this particular time

[4:28] God didn't have to wait till things were just right in this world and that a decree would have to come forth in man Caesar Augustus and all of us and yea and all men and even ourselves friends are nothing more than puppets into the hand of God oh if we rightly look at it that friends where is there any room for pride then we can go further why is there any room then for fear of man oh to be able to believe that God rules in heaven and so on to this particular time Joseph and Mary must go down to Bethlehem it wasn't merely the decree of this man but Christ was to be born in Bethlehem but isn't it a mercy to see that God is the predestinating of all things he predestinates everything according to his will and to his own glory he raised up a Pharaoh for a divine purpose and yet he raised up a Moses for even a greater purpose that he would that he would lead that he would be appointed to lead his own people out of that

[5:39] Egyptian darkness and bring them as it were even to the promised land yes everything is in the hand of God and so we find here that they did go down and while she's there at Bethlehem whether she actually knew the time when the child would be born whether she might have thought well I think we can make it down to Bethlehem and yet return back to Nazareth so that I can have my child here in this particular city with all the help and the comforts of my loved ones we don't know she might have looked at scripture she might have realized that this promised Messiah was going to be a Nazarene and might have felt very comfortable in the fact that he should be born in Bethlehem at Nazareth I realize there was other portions of scriptures which said that he was to come from Bethlehem but I believe under this particular occasion friends all reasoning was taken away from her and she was able to lay these things into him who was greater than all that is God himself and while she is down there in Bethlehem she conceives and brings forth this son remember friends she was a natural woman the seed which was in her was that which was quickened by the divine

[7:02] Holy Spirit that of which she brought forth was not contaminated with man it was a holy seed it was a pure seed she knew it was something special I believe that Mary went through labor pains as any woman would she knew what it was there when she was told the child is born she knew the name she knew what it was going to be it was going to be a son and she without a doubt knew what it was by faith as well as by her natural arms to embrace this little babe in her bosom there was the love the natural love of a mother bringing this child into the world but this child meant something more to her than a natural child she was brought to realize it was to be her savior she didn't realize the pain and the agony that she would eventually go through and it would only be by the death and the suffering and the death and the resurrection of this child how her salvation would be brought she didn't quite fully realize it but yet friends she knew this was something special this was of the Lord they wrapped it in swaddling clothes and laid it in a manger it is quite interesting to notice here friend this city here was full of people there was no room for them in the inn apparently even their own family had been brought to such low degree and so scattered no doubt she hardly could find any relative to stay with the whole of the city no doubt was taken up with much conversation over the things of time and sense the city was full of people who once lived there you can imagine it was like a family reunion different ones getting together conversing upon all their with their acquaintance and talking about the things of this world and yet in the busyness of that city friends there was him who is the eternal son of God remember friend he was God and he is God and ever was God he is the eternal son of God now taking union to flesh he is there with all of his might with all of his glory with all of his power with all of his wisdom and yet we read a little later that he grew in wisdom and stature and with favor with God and with man a great mystery here is the most mysterious birth that ever happened upon to the face of the earth it far exceeded the mystery which was there of Isaac or any other child it far exceeded the mystery and the providence which was surrounded there of even Moses all of those were in a measure types and figures of this particular person this is the whole and of the whole of the world as I said recently pivots upon now we find the city was full of inhabitants but yet when it comes to the revelation of the birth of Christ's friends it is very exclusive in other words it is brought to only to a few the thought came to me in my meditation of this past week when Christ was born the city was full of inhabitants but yet there were very few who were brought to realize who he was and or anything about this birth it was a quiet birth it was made known to but very few very few were aware of it but yet friends when Christ died

[10:41] Jerusalem was full of people and we realize that we see by the studying of God's word friends it was something which was not done in a corner the whole of the city was aware of it in fact when Christ walked with those two on the road to Emmaus and asked them what things you remember when he hid himself at least they didn't realize who he was even those disciples said art thou a stranger in Jerusalem and knowest not these things which had come to pass in these past days in other words the whole of the Jerusalem was moved over the death of Christ they all seen to the darkness they felt the earthquake without a doubt it was a continual conversation of all of those in Jerusalem what this most remarkable thing and even after the day of Pentecost when there was to be the spreading forth of the gospel the whole of Jerusalem again was moved by that rushing sound of a wind and to these strange inhabitants who were filled with the Holy Spirit and who had the flames of fire upon his head in a measure friends it tells us that we are to remember his death we are to make much of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the church of God but we are to in a measure remember his birth but with a very solemn thought but here we find there were those who did hear about this unusual birth of Christ here we see again God's sovereignty yes the birth of Christ will be made known it is certain individuals who are brought to hear about this great revelation this great birth and they were individuals friends who like

[12:29] Mary and like Zacharias and like Simeon and like Anna who were without a doubt looking towards the day when the coming of the Son of God would take place they were looking for the Messiah not a Messiah merely to redeem them from the hand of their enemy that is the Roman Empire but there were something friends which was far more greater to them and that was it is their own sin oh friend what a mercy to be a sinner that is one who feels their sin and feels the weight of sin what a mercy to groan under the sigh and the burden of your own sin to see something of its blackness its wretchedness to recognize something of its condemnation which is placed upon you yes friend it is a mercy to be a sinner that is a convinced sinner I realize that every one of us here are sinners by birth we are sinners by choice and we are sinners in the sight of

[13:36] God but I wonder how many here this morning are actually know and feel and groan and under the sigh and under the burden of their sin feel the condemnation of sin upon them those are blessed souls it is blessed those who mourn blessed are those who seek blessed are those who hunger and thirst after a righteousness other than what they find within their own self as they find it not to be a righteousness yes these are the blessed soul so without a doubt friends we see that these individuals these shepherds were seeking souls oh isn't it true friend that they who seek shall find how we then would exhort all and sundry to call upon the name of the Lord to seek him because friends it is the day of grace and the day is coming friend when you cannot find him when there will be no more be able to seek him if there is seeking friends it will be all in vain oh it is the day of salvation so we find then the word of these particular shepherds whom God by his love and his mercy see fit to point out to them the savior were they the only true seekers who were found in that area at that particular time well it's difficult to say

[14:57] I would trust there were others friends who in according to God's divine decree they did come to find Christ no doubt after he after he began in his ministry and after his resurrection and after the day of Pentecost these early individuals who came and worshipped Christ here in the manger such as these shepherds and later that of Anna and Simeon and also the wise men I feel friends they never lived to that time when Christ was crucified that's only my own supposition I don't know and it is very possibly friends they never seen the Savior again oh can we see the value of a living faith yes friends there is nothing like the eye of faith the ear of faith the feet of faith and the arms of faith because friends that all of which is of faith can never be satisfied until it comes into a living relationship with the

[15:59] Lord Jesus Christ so we find these particular shepherds here upon the hillsides of Judea it was night but I may believe friends there was a living desire within their own soul there was a hungering there was a thirsting possibly they were like those of Malachi who conversed one with another they spake one with another because friends they had the fear of God and oh when we are possessed with the fear of God when we are known what it is to be alive in the exercise about our soul in eternity friends we cannot help but speak about the things which we have handled about the things which we desire I'm sure that they who are hungry after natural things friends cannot help but converse upon what a nice lovely meal they might like the people who look after the pleasures of this world cannot help but converse one with another upon the pleasures and the luxuries of life and those who are taken up with their investments they cannot help but speak one another about the things of which their heart and their mind goes out after oh friend would it be that there might be more lively exercises within our own heart and within our own soul but as we gather together we cannot help but speak of the things of which are found with living desires within us so I feel friends that these shepherds were conversing upon these things because when the Lord

[17:33] Jesus ever appeared he always appeared unto those people who were prepared for him and then we find suddenly there in the darkness of the night the angel appeared unto them and said unto them fear not because we find that the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid and rightly so something like this friends they had never experienced and remember they were mortals the glory of which they seen far exceeded even the glory of the noonday sun and friends the glory of Christ does there's nothing like the glory of Christ when Paul was to know something of the glory of the son of God friends there was at noon but the light of which Christ had was far exceeded that of the noonday sun and so friends when Christ is revealed to the soul it far exceeds all of the things of time and sense there is no greater joy no greater privilege and so we find that they were sore afraid and the angel said unto them fear not for behold

[18:45] I bring you good tidings the word good tidings is the same that of which is the word meaning gospel and so it can be said to behold I bring you the gospel now what is that gospel it is good news it is that gospel of which brings forth which is free it tells about the savior which was to be born again friends what what what induced them to flee there to the savior it was the fact that they were sinners this is the very thing of which they were looking for oh isn't it a mercy to be a seeking soul to have something within you which as it were goes out again and again but it is Christ who I desire yes let him have all things but give me Jesus it is him whom I long to see and there is nothing of which can satisfy the true and the living soul but some revelation he spoken to them and through the merit and the worth of the

[19:50] Lord Jesus Christ this word they said unto them for unto you is born to this day into the city of David there is something very special in that expression isn't it for unto you is born in other words it is the seed of the woman it is that savior which hath become man it is that savior which hath become into union with man he hath taken flesh he hath taken on him a human soul a human body and yet he is truly the eternal son of God he is born and he's born unto you in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord again friends there is something also very remarkable in this expression

[20:51] Christ the Lord remember the word Christ means the anointed in other words this is that person which was anointed of the father for this particular office you remember Moses says the Lord would raise up a prophet like unto me and him ye shall hear in other words that prophet of which Moses talked about and foretold would far exceed his ability and his prophetic work and so we find then Jesus is that anointed prophet here's some time back a man come to my door trying to promulgate and spread his particular religion which was Mormons and he did say to me usually I don't deal very long with them friends because we know they are very clever and they only come upon certain portions of scriptures but when such a do come to us oh that we might be given grace that we might answer wisely and prudently the things of which we can stand for but he asked me if I would like to hear about a prophet and I said yes

[22:04] I would like to hear about that one great prophet which exceeds all prophets and he says well there's another prophet well I says I know there's one prophet which is the greatest of all prophets and that is Jesus and he looked at me with a few more words and then he finally says to his friends well he says let us be going I thought yes if they would tell me about that one all important prophet which is Jesus I would gladly hear about him yes he is the anointed prophet of God and there was none that teaches the like on him because his teachings are they abide that of which I have been taught of man friends soon I lose and often that of which is taught of man friends is something of which is only of time and sense and it would be good sometimes if we did lose some of the things we are taught but to the teachings of which Christ teaches in the soul friends they are eternal as we see even in the experience of

[23:08] Mary the teachings which she had we read and she pondered these things in her heart isn't it a mercy to have some things in your heart friends of which you still pondered over of which we came in a special way by God things of which he taught you not only of your own sins and of your own corruptions which is absolutely essential but something about himself something of which laid within you which were effectual something which stayed within you something which brought a tear a sigh a groan which enlivened faith and desires within your own heart and also friends he is that anointed the savior the christ the lord who is that great high priest which is over the house of god who even today stands at the right hand of the father who hath ascended on high yes there is that anointed the great high priest who was none like who could be touched with the feelings of our infirmities who needed no sacrifice on his behalf but he gave himself as a sacrifice for others who knew no sin who could have compassion upon the ignorant oh friends there is none greater who could be anointed to that office than the lord jesus christ but he is also that great king i realized much of that early day when christ was born they were looking for an earthly king and i realize even the disciples had much confusion as to this matter but isn't it a mercy that there is that blessed spirit which in time taught them about that great king who went forth against that great enemy of our souls that is satan and who went forth to conquer and to call out and to reign and who has his laws and whom still reigns and rules within the hearts of his people yes for unto you was born to this day in the city of david a savior which is christ the lord oh friend can you enter into the little of the experience of those shepherds would have been something of great joy would it truly had been something to the gospel is there something within your own heart and your own soul which longs for the revelation of christ to your soul you know he's been born in this world you know that he has accomplished the great work which you is ordained to the father to accomplish you know that he hath ascended and rose again and hath ascended into glory and that he is that same savior there at god to the father at the right hand of the father over the church of god as the great intercessor the great representative of the church of god is it him whom whom you desire then after they heard this glorious message and it was a message they were given the seal or or a token how was they defined him again we notice that everything in the word of god is for the comfort and the encouragement of those who find themselves to be of the poor and the afflicted of the land who find themselves unworthy of the least of god's mercies who realize within their own heart and their own soul that they dare not approach into the eyes of that before the deity but isn't it a mercy that there is the condescension of the son of god and ye shall find him i like that expression and ye shall find him yes because ye are seekers to begin with but ye shall find him wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger everything there for the encouragement of living faith oh isn't it a mercy how that god hath compassion upon to the fearful is it not fear not little flock it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom is there not everything in the gospel invitations to encourage all of those who seek him in truth and in sincerity come on to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and i will give you rest how sad it would be if it said come on to me all ye that are come fulfilled of the law who are righteous who are holy who have the right grounds to come upon friends there's no such thing found in the gospel invitations is there but it is for the weary it is for the sinners it is to those who feel something of the load and the corruptions of their own heart and sin before god and so we find here these words and ye shall find him and this shall be a swine unto you ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in the manger then as the one angel stood on and told them all of this glorious truth then we find that there was a multitude of angels yes heaven rang with this glorious truth this great thing yes the hold of the angels as it were left the court parts of the ports of heaven and came down and sang this glorious song of which we seek now to look into as which also I have announced as the words of my text and as I said friends this is the words of the angels but friend it is also in measure according to the revelation of these things to the soul this also as I already said is in measure also the song of all of those who are also the redeemed of the

[28:53] Lord I realize when it comes to the song of the angels it varies from those who are to the songs of the redeemed especially as we look into the book of Revelation you will notice there that the angels did sing of God's glory they praised God but they never could enter into that glorious song of redemption this is for sinners they looked upon to the marvel of God's love and of God's mercy not to the redemption there of fallen angels but to the redemption of him of those people who had sinned grievously in the sight of God they marveled at his love they marveled at his plan of redemption and so they take the song glory to God in the highest in other words they looked on the angels here as well as all the redeemed of angels upon the face of the earth they are brought to realize there is the source there is the fountainhead of all of that glorious song of redemption it is glory to God this particular song first of all then does bring glory to

[30:11] God because salvation is all of God and God alone it was of God there in the consuls of eternity who would devise such a plan it was God in his love and his mercy who would let elect out of all of fallen mankind a certain number to be found amongst the redeemed it was the glory of God and to be gloried unto him that he would send his own beloved son of whom was ever the delight in his own bosom who would send him to this sin cursed world to humble himself and to take upon him not the form of angels but of the seed of Abraham of lost souls to appear as sinful flesh and yet not to be sinful flesh to be there as it were to brought into subjection to all of that of which flesh brings us into subjection and yet to be never to be found with any sin it's the most glorious truth yes it is glory to God now in the giving of the Lord

[31:23] Jesus Christ friends all of the attributes of God are glorified every one of them and because of this friend there is every reason then that we ought to seek him and to call upon him yes the attributes of his love his mercy his grace even the attributes of his wrath and of his righteous indignation against sin and of a sinner are all displayed in the giving of his son all the glory of his names that is his omnipotent his almighty power is is displayed in and glorified in the giving of Christ glory to God then for this wonderful and glorious plan of redemption glory to God because there is perfection only found in him and in the person whom he hath given yes there is perfection it is a perfect person therefore the law could only be satisfied by him so we find there is glory to God glory to God to the father in the giving of the gift there is a glory to God as it were in the son for coming and taking union to the church of God becoming flesh coming here in the sin place in the law place because of I have said it repeatedly again by being born into this world friend and born of a woman he immediately came under the jurisdiction of

[32:57] God's law and therefore he was born under the law and the reason that he was born to the law is that he might redeem them who are under the law and we are under the law but what a mercy friends when we are brought to realize that we are under the law so there is the glory to the whole of the Trinity yes glory to God even God the Holy Spirit who quickened the womb there of Mary who so inclined and worked faith and love and desires in the heart of these shepherds and in the heart and the souls of mankind even today oh that blessed spirit what would we do without it friend oh may we be careful that we grieve not to the spirit of God but that we might know what it is even like these angels and to join with them and to say glory to God that Holy

[33:58] Spirit yes in the highest theirs were the plan man glory to God then for his greatness his power his grace and also glory to God for that great wisdom which was found there in the council and in the Trinity which devised such a glorious plan of redemption for sinners yes the angels sang it maybe the the the the shepherds at this particular time could enter into the fullness of it but as we see a little later in our narrative friends finally they returned back to their sheep back to the hillside there was the natural darkness round about them friends but there wasn't darkness in the soul they too could join as it were with the angels of old and say glory to God in the highest then we notice the next phrase there is peace on earth I realize in many of the cards and expressions you hear round about us that it is put something of this nature glory to

[35:09] God in the highest and peace to men of goodwill but friends is it surprising that men would pervert scriptures no it only goes to show that their blindness they do not realize that it is not a will of men but it is of God and it is not by any goodness of their own that they obtained this great and glorious salvation if that was the case friends then that he worked which Christ was sent here upon to the face of the earth was a failure because he didn't bring peace upon earth that is that earthly peace and carnal peace in fact Christ himself said he did not come to bring peace but rather to soar and by the Christ coming into the soul he makes a division he makes a conflict and there is isn't there'll be conflict in the home there'll be conflict in the soul there'll be a war there will be that but friends are also going to be that spiritual peace of which here now he is speaking about peace upon earth there's always been peace in heaven because sin and corruption have never entered there but since man fell friends there came enmity there came a conflict there came a distance there between God and man but now God in his love and his mercy by the sending of his own dear son this person came that is this anointed one he came there to make to fill in the breach which have been made between sinful man and a holy and a just judge remember friend a criminal cannot come into union and fellowship with a right judge there's a breach made and that it is caused by sin and the sin is not caused by the part of the judge but it is caused by the part part of the sinner and therefore there is the distance but now how is this peace brought about it isn't a peace which is cultivated or by man by his own works or by his own devices it is that peace of which God hath brought about by his own might and by his own power that isn't the giving of his own son it is a peace friends of which is not only found in heaven but also was in time applied with might and power to the soul and when that soul under the exercise and want of sin or the exercise and the dwelling of sin when he's brought to realize something of his condemnation before God there can be no peace he finds himself to be estranged from God he finds himself under

[37:59] God's righteous holy law he finds himself under the wrath of God and under his righteous indignation because every man by nature is under God's wrath and only when do they become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is the wrath of God satisfied and it is passed away because it was placed upon the other which is Christ oh let us think now when we think about the birth of Christ let us ever realize friends for what purpose did he come he came under this earth to suffer to come under the wrath of God to bear the indignation and the penalty of sin this is the very purpose that he came and so it is glory to God and it is blessed to think that it was the delight of God the father that he should suffer and it was the delight because it pleased the father to bruise him but it was also the delight of the eternal son of God because in this he looked forward to the cross when he would redeem and bring many souls unto glory when he would redeem the church so this is this piece it is a piece which is applied when that soul is brought to a believing in Christ I realize the believer in Christ Jesus in the very very early exercises of the soul when they are brought to see something of the glory of the promises when they see that there is a savior given to her sinner sometimes there is that I like to call it I know it all comes from that one true peace but it is those tokens those evidences those earnest of that peace of which they are brought to see and the very anxiety and the anxious and then the anxious and quietly the soul is to know that they might know more and more of the application of this peace to the soul what is this peace on earth it is brought about by he who is the prince of peace and by him coming into the world fulfilling the law both in the working out of the law and also answering its demands in this justice by coming under its condemnation because he took the sins of the church upon him he also satisfied it also its demands not only the fulfilling of it but also in its condemning power and by him being the the prince of peace and making peace it is then that as I already said he are a pride applied peace when that soul is brought to that blessed place of believing in Jesus it is a peace it is a perfect peace it is perfect friends because that soul then is brought to see the complete and the perfection of the work of Christ peace on earth there yes to sinners who are deserving of hell peace on earth and it is the only peace friends of which is worth knowing men have made many types of trying making peace one with another friends if they have failed and as the day comes when Christ will return friends there will be even more rumors of war and more wars as it is yet friends today we have a measure at least of peace in our own little circle don't we but wonders how long it'll last we might well pray for the coming generation that they might know the prince of peace and that we all might know what it is to have the prince of peace it is the peace of which not to the world give it but of which

[41:58] God applied a peace by Christ it is a peace which is brought about by the satisfaction of the precious atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ it is that peace which is brought about by his precious blood it is that peace which is brought by the cross of Christ which satisfied all the demands of the law and what a mercy when we are brought to see the finished work of Christ then friends there is peace it's a peace which passeth all understanding a peace which the world knows nothing about but it is a peace of the conscience to know that it is well with God peace by the blood peace by the cross peace by him who is the prince of peace glory to God in the highest and on earth peace on earth and goodwill toward men the goodwill the goodwill here is that of which God bestows upon men of the earth who are sinners there's a marvel of it even the angels glorified gloried in it and there are sinners here upon the face of the earth who also glory in this great plan of redemption what was the effect when the when these shepherds heard it we read a letter later friends they said come let us go and see this great thing of which God has showed unto us they came with joy and they came to this place where they and they made with haste and they found

[43:43] Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger oh here is something again of the wonders of a living faith the scribes and the Pharisees they in a measure were looking for the Savior at least for a natural Savior they would have been sorely offended and possibly would never had gone and especially gone into the stable and found this little babe laying in the manger no doubt there were many who viewed Christ in his infancy who seen no glory they seen no beauty oh but isn't it a mercy faith never stumbles over these things in fact faith can rejoice in the fact that my Savior my God humbled himself contracted himself into a span that he might come into this world that he might live and die on the behalf of sinners yes this is something which faith could rejoice in he's wrapped in swaddling clothes he's laying in a manger he came down as these shepherds could say into a state like unto ours he humbled himself he made himself now for no reputation and as Paul says you know the grace of our Savior who though he was rich yet he made himself poor that we might be rich and so they came with haste in the midst of all of that darkness and they seemed the babe that's what they seen it is true they seen Joseph and

[45:18] Mary but if they had not seen the babe friends we could put it this way friends they had seen nothing but they seen all that their soul desired after and they seen him we do not read that they worshiped here like the wise men did but there is no question friends that they did worship oh friends again the marvel of faith as we see there in the case of Simeon and Anna and of the shepherds they worshiped and then they returned to their house full of joy now we notice here friends that there were certain individuals as they prayed this proclamation and told all the things that they had heard and seen there were those who wondered what this wondering was in the verse 18 of these particular persons we don't know whether was the commencement of a work of grace whether they wondered about is this so others might have wondered after the curiosity of these shepherds and how they carried on they might have thought there was only filled with some natural excitement possibly being deceived but who these wonders were we don't know but I only can think of that time when Paul called the company there into his own house and he expounded onto them the way of salvation and they went away with great reasonings and wonderings and they only possibly perished in their sin but to these shepherds they returned back to their flocks with great joy praising God over that great salvation they had seen Mary wasn't quite brought after this particular time to this joy but she pondered all these things in her heart she stored them up and the day I believe again came to her when she took them out and laid them before God in prayers and supplication and how that in due time the Lord shined upon all her past experience and gave her that most glorious revelation of her own beloved son who was there now at the right hand of glory as the great head of the church the great savior who intercedes there on the behalf of sinners well what a mercy if we would know something of that glory to God to be able to join with these shepherds in singing his praises to go on our way rejoicing well may we be found true seekers because all of they who truly seek him they in due course friends shall be finders well there I'm going to leave it and only ask the Lord that he might see fit to bless these few remarks for his name's sake shall we conclude our service then with the singing of hymn number 703 703 ye souls redeemed with Jesus precious blood proclaim the grace of your incarnate God sing that amazing boundless matchless love which brought the Lord of glory from above hymn number 703 ye souls redeemed with Jesus precious blood

[49:08] Jesus redeemed with Jesus precious blood proclaim the grace of your incarnate God sing that amazing boundless matchless love which brought the Lord of glory from above with love with love which brought the Lord of glory from above the Lord of glory from above he heard a prayer in the earth and sky make on his man and in a manger grace the Lord of glory from above granted to God's men to

[50:43] Lord was God and man in one. It is a God and David blessed us.

[50:59] Well, might the angel bring their way to earth?

[51:11] Good shall of Easter glory and also reign.

[51:23] November 17th, desta, Christ is blessed me night. Glory to God in all his jealous eyes.

[51:44] Her ranted spirit of glory in the flame. We shall enjoy goodbye to you by the spirit of all good saints.

[52:07] Kailing and singing, fathers of his soul Gegen's tim has taken your On earth of His name Then sinners saved Thy great silence remains If God's forbidden To lame us with Thy love than a crueld in my life and things above.

[52:47] This God-like mystery We will gladly sing And own the Virgin Babe, our God and King Jehovah Jesus We will thee adore And crown thee, Lord, above Forevermore May the grace of the Savior

[53:49] And the love of the Father And the communion of the Holy Ghost Rest upon all Now and forevermore Amen The kingdom of heaven Amen.

[54:34]  Amen.