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sign of dishonor. After all these centuries, tens of thousands
are clinging to that cross as their joy, their glory, their hope,
and they are singing with heart and voice—
“Jn the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;

All the light of sacred story,
Gathers round its head sublime.”

Why should we marvel that a life so wonderful—a life
that was not only the wonder of its own generation, but
has been the wonder of every generation since—should begin
in mystery and wonder. ‘His name shall be called wonder-
ful!” was the promise of Israel’s greatest prophet; and
wonderful he was, from the manger-cradle in David’s royal
city to the cross of shame, and to the unhewn sepulchre in
the garden of Joseph of Arimathea.

But let us now turn our thoughts to the narrative. It
is all in keeping with the wonder and majesty of the life
of Jesus that angels should be concerned in the matter of
his birth. We can well believe that there was not one in
all those shining ranks, but would have counted it high
honor to be permitted to announce the near approach of the
coming Messiah. According to Luke’s story, with a joy of
which we mortals can but faintly dream, the Angel of the
Lord swept down the shining way to Mary’s peaceful home,
and broke forth in this lofty salutation:

“Hail! Thou that art highly favored,

The Lord is with thee;
Blessed art thou amongst women!”

Could anything be more natural than that angels should
hover around the birthplace of the infant Saviour? If it
was the mission of angels to minister to the servants of the

most high God, to those who should be heirs of salvation,
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