Fourth Sermon for Christmas Day

« And this shall be a sign unto you: you shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.’’— Luke ii. 12.

How great isthe solemnity of Christmas you may recognise, my dearest brethren, from the fact that the day is too short for its celebration, and the wide-extended earth too narrow. Itmustspreaditself out in space and in time. Itinvades the realms of night and occupies both heaven and earth. For the “ night was illuminated as the day ” when in the midst of its course that new light from above shone round about the shepherds. And in order that we might know where this joyous festivity began to be celebrated, there suddenly appeared “a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God,” and the shepherds were told that the “ great joy ” already experienced by the angels, “shall be (communicated) to all the people.” This is the reason why the present feast is regarded as more solemn than any other, and is more joyously kept “in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles” ; and in the offices of to-day especially, we may believe, without the slightest hesitation, that the celestial “ princes go before joined with singers, in the midst of young damsels playing on timbrels.”’

How many altars are glittering to-day with gems and gold! How many churches are decorated with costly hangings! But do you suppose that the angels of God will be attracted by this earthly splendour, and will turn away in disgust from the rags of the poor ? If such be the case, how is it that they showed themselves of old, not to the kings of the earth, or to the priests of the temple, but rather to the ‘‘ shepherds keeping the night-watches over their flock ” ? How is it that the Saviour Himself, to whom belong all the earth’s treasures of silver and gold, has consecrated and sanctified poverty in His own Person? How is it, also, that the angel makes such deliberate reference to the poverty of the new-born Child? For not without a certain purpose and mysterious significance was the Saviour wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the manger, since this was expressly offered as a sign to the shepherds: “ This shall be a sign unto unto you,” said the Angel, “ you shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.” Thus, O Lord Jesus, even Thy poor swaddling clothes have been “set for a sign,” and “ for a sign which (is) contradicted ’’ by many to this day. “ For many are called, but few are chosen,” and few, consequently, signed.* Brethren, I recognise now, I recognise “ Jesus the (great) High-Priest ” Who was “ clothed with filthy garments” whilst He disputed with the devil—I am speaking to persons who know the Scriptures and are familiar with the symbolic vision vouchsafed the

'* “ And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the sign of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying : hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we sign the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them that were signed : an hundred and forty-four thousand were signed of every tribe of the children of Israel” (Apocalypse vii. 2-4).

Prophet Zachary.* But when our Divine Head had triumphed over the enemies of our salvation, He at once “clothed Himself with a change of garments,” He “put on beauty,” and appeared covered “ with light as with a garment,” giving us an example, that as He has done so we should do also. For although an iron breast-plate is not so light and graceful as a linen robe, it is more serviceable in time of war. But the day will come when the members shall follow their Head, and then the whole body shall sing with one voice and one spirit, “ Thou hast turned for me my mourning into joy: Thou hast cut my sackcloth, and hast compassed me with gladness.”

“ You shall find the Infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.” Thus spoke the Angel. And a little further on we read of the shepherds how “they came with haste, and they found Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in the manger.” Now, what is the meaning of this? The Angel appears to have mentioned only the humble Infant, and yet the shepherds find not the Infant alone, but Mary and Joseph also. Perhaps the celestial herald had a particular desire to commend to us the virtue of humility, embodied in the new-born Babe, because he had himself stood firm in humility when his brother-angels fell through pride. Or perhaps the reason why he made special mention of what belongs to humility is this: in order to teach us that it is by humility more than by any other virtue we are to honour the Majesty of God. But humility is never found alone, since God always “ giveth grace to the humble.” Therefore the shepherds found “‘ Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in the manger.” For as the infancy of the Saviour manifestly designates the virtue of humility, in the same way is continence represented by the Virgin, and Justice by Joseph, whom the Evangelist calls “a just man,” and “‘ whose praise is in the Gospel.” Who does not know that purity is a perfection which belongs to one’s own flesh ? Justice, on the contrary, has regard to one’s neighbour, being the virtue which inclines us to give every man his due. And humility has relation to God, because it reconciles us to Him, makes us subject to His law, and renders us pleasing in His sight. Hence the holy Virgin said, “ He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid.”’ Consequently he who violates continence, sins against his own body ; he who violates justice, sins against his neighbour ; and he who by pride and self-exaltation violates humility, sins against God. The first degrades himself, the second oppresses his neighbour ; the third dishonours God, so far as it depends on him. The Lord says, “I will not give My glory to another.” But the proud man replies, “ Although Thou refusest to give me Thy glory, I will nevertheless take it.” For pride is not pleased with the division made by the angels, when they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of good will.” The proud man, therefore, does not worship God, but is rather lifted up against Him with manifest impiety and infidelity. What indeed is piety but the worship of God? And how can anyone really worship God unless he voluntarily subjects himself to Him, so as to be able to say with the Psalmist, “ As the eyes of the handmaiden are on the hands of her mistress, so are the eyes of my heart on the Lord, our God ” ?

Therefore, my brethren, let us “live soberly, and justly, and godlily in this world,” if we desire to find always in ourselves ‘‘ Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in the manger.” For it was unto this that “ the grace of God our Saviour hath appeared, instructing us’’; and if we are faithful in the practice of these virtues, the glory of God also shall be revealed to us. We have the testimony of St. Paul for this. “The grace of God our Saviour,” he says, “hath appeared to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live soberly, justly, and godlily in this world, looking for the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Grace hath appeared in the Little One, but this Little One “shall be great,” as the Angel Gabriel predicted of Him. And those whom the Little One shall have instructed unto humility and meekness of heart, shall hereafter be made great and glorious at the coming of the great and glorious God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is over all things and blessed for evermore. Amen.