IN treating of the familiar but inexhaustible Christmas
text contained in this chapter, we have no intention of
preaching a sermon ; we only wish to present the radiant
words in their simple profundity and natural sequence to
the Christian reader, and with exegetical precision to place
in its true light whatever has been imperfectly understood
and preached, or erroneously translated.

" There were in the same country shepherds," signifies
the environs, or a district near to Bethlehem ; shepherds
dwelling with their flocks in the plains or open country.
Their number is not given to us any more that that of the
wise men of the East, with reference to whom tradition
will not be satisfied to receive the simple Bible narrative.
These shepherds, humble, if not poor, were more favoured
than all the great and wise in Israel, nay, than all men
then upon the earth. Not to the high-priest and doctors
of the law, not even to Mary and Joseph, does the glory
of the heavenly pageant appear.

This much we may assert of these shepherds, they were
evidently pious men, waiting intelligently and anxiously
for the redemption of Israel. On this subject Schleiermacher
has justly and beautifully observed, as Neander
acknowledges :" This satisfaction of individual desire, not
infrequent at great eras such as this, is truly impressive
and divine." A thought that is still more admirably
elaborated by Van Oostevzee : "In this satisfaction of the
private and concealed desire of a few individuals at the
very moment that the eternal salvation of millions was
being provided for, there is something indescribably touching
and divine. We overlook the masses in the individual,
or the individual in the masses ; God regards both at once,
and both alike." Indeed it is generally the manner of all
divine manifestations as unfolded to us from earliest times,
to make known to a few elect persons, in the first instance,
what is intended for all; so that the facts that are to become
most universally known have a silent and unnoticeable
origin." The secret of the Lord is with them that
fear him, and he shall show them his covenant" (Ps. xxv.
14), and according to this ancient rule the first recipients
of the new announcement here stand in the place of or
represent the whole people of the Lord.

In the neighbourhood of Bethlehem there was in olden
times a fortified place for flocks, a tower of shepherds, as
already appears in Gen. xxxv. 21. This is spoken of by the
prophet Micah, the proper rendering of chap. iv. 8 being :
" And thou, tower of the flock, thou strong hold (hill) of
the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the
former dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem."
Now, this hill of the daughter of Zion, i.e., the
tower of Ophel at Jerusalem, may represent the house of
David, and be at the same time named a tower of the flock
in remembrance of David's original character of shepherd
of the sheep, and afterwards shepherd of Israel. In either
case, since the prophecy concerning Bethlehem comes from
Micah, our thoughts revert not only to the tower of the
flocks that stood there, but discern in the passage an allusion
to the future announcement of the coming kingdom
to the shepherds near Bethlehem. These shepherds, not
incorrectly viewed as types of the shepherds of God's flock,
were found faithful to their calling even in the hours usually
Jevoted to rest ; they were keeping watch over their sheep
by night. Then there came to them, or rather suddenly
jtood before them (" not having been seen either to walk
or fly") an angel of the Lord. Whether this was again
Gabriel we are not told, and do not therefore venture to
decide, though it seems most probable, from chap. i. 19-26,
that this angel, not being named here, was not the same as
on the two former occasions. But it was a real individual
angel, and no doubt one exalted above others, as he was
chosen for the honour of bringing such a message. We
know not why Lange, in opposition to the literal truth of
the narrative, should persist in speaking of the shepherds
having" a vision of the angel of the covenant."

The birth of the Lord is announced and celebrated, we
observe, in a manner quite different from that of the Forerunner
; the child registered on earth as a subject of the
Roman Empire, is proclaimed by the heavenly hosts as the
Saviour of all mankind. No glory streams round his
manger, but the shepherds are shone round about (as in
Acts xxvi. 13) at the appearing of the angel with the glory
of fhe Lord, the light of God referred to in Ps. civ. 2.
Not like to a fire as in Exod. xxiv. 7, but in mild splendour
shines this light in the night that tells of the holy
birth of the wondrous child. And yet the shepherds were
"sore afraid," till the one angel commissioned to speak
first of all the heavenly host, addresses them in these gracious
words:
" Fear not ; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of
great joy, which shall be to the whole people." Of all the
exhortations," Fear thou not,""fear ye not," which the
Holy Scriptures contain for the comfort of the children of
men, surely this is the most significant, the most glorious.
Even passages like that in Rev. i. 17, have not quite so
close, so full a relation to that first" I was afraid," in
the mouth of fallen Adam. In the same way the noteworthy
prelude,"behold," has an unparalleled strength of
emphasis laid upon it here ; for even the last behold in
Rev. xxi. 3, 5, is included in and develops itself as a consequence
of this. The message of the resurrection even,
as Bengel observes, does not positively express the joy
which it is destined to convey ; but here the child in the
manger is from the first designated, as we parents delight
to hear our children call him in their Christmas games,
a child of great joy. Truly the word joy is one that
must at all times be welcome to the fearful, care-worn,
sorrowful heart of humanity. Here, too, it sounds forth
as the real fulfilment of the prophetic words (Isa. ix. 3, 6).
No doubt the Old Testament often gives us the reassuring
fear not, but henceforth more than the joy in harvest,
more than the joy of dividing the spoil, is conveyed
by the great joy with which the gospel begins, when, for
the first time, it is preached to the poor. Great is the joy
Christ brings to all those who sorrow for sin ; great in its
height, breadth, depth ; so great that to all eternity it will
remain unexhausted. Yea, this joy not only removes all
grief, but alone makes earthly joy to be joy indeed. The
angel, in using the words "I bring to you," refers primarily
to the shepherds to whom he speaks, but he immediately
adds, that the glad tidings are to be made known by them
to the whole people, or, as it is more generally rendered,
to all people. And not incorrectly, since the message,
taken as a whole, borders very closely upon the disclosure of
the mystery (soon to be revealed by Simeon, ver. 31, 32).
"Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people" (Rom. xv. 10).
Nay, perhaps, the second clause (ver. 11), to you is born,
may be understood in the same comprehensive sense as
the close of the angelic song of praise" Peace on earth,
good-will to men." But literally the angel's speech begins
with Israel, as it was meet ; the gracious offers of salvation
being in very deed first made to the chosen people. The
fact, however, that the. Lord's people would subsequently
reject the one now born to them, and accordingly come
short of the great joy, is not at this juncture to cloud and
mar the glad tidings brought.

" For there is born to you to-day a Saviour, which is
Christ the Lord, in the city of David." We observe a
harmony with the order of the prophetic words,
" For untous a child is born ;" and the yet more profoundly
significantclause that immediately follows," unto us a son is given'
(given to us all as our own). But in our text the word
born stands out first with a stronger emphasis; the us of the
prophet changes to the you, applied by angel lips to men ;
the great to-day is come which divides the history of the
world into two mighty epochs of before and after Christ.
To the angel the child born is already the Lord whom he
worships, as in Matt, xxviii. 6, where the same words, but
still more simple, without any affix whatsoever, are spoken
by an angel of him who had been laid in the grave. To
us the children of men he is born a Saviour, which expression
hitherto had sometimes in its lowest sense been,
as we have before seen, applied to sundry human helpers,
deliverers, redeemers ; sometimes in its highest sense had
been used as one of the names of God himself, from 1 Sam.
xiv. 39 ; 2 Sam. xxii. 3 ; Isa. xlv. 15 ; down to Luke i. 47.
But here the name of Jesus is pointed at, and to it
is added," which is Christ." Not, however, specially the
Saviour, but as the English Bible correctly renders it, a
Saviour, a born child of Adam's race, a person, a man to
whom this name belongs, fully, absolutely, as it never did
to any other. First we have the fact itself, the cause of
the great joy, salvation for the sinner ; then the person in
whom the salvation is contained. He, who as man is the
long-promised, newly-born Christ ; as God, is for all angels
the Lord. This is the only place where both names, Christ,
the Lord, occur in this exact connexion, which essentially
distinguishes them from "the Lord's Christ"in ver. 26. We
should be careful therefore in no way to diminish or obscure
the lofty meaning of the expression, as they do who explain
it," The great deliverer, the God-consecrated king."
Whether the pious shepherds understood the full bearing
of the words is another question which has nothing to do
with their proper exposition ; for these are the words
which have come down from the first hearers, and have
spread over the world. At all events, they must have
had more correct ideas concerning the expected Christ
than the Samaritan woman had (John iv. 25), and they
would probably draw a lofty inference from the expression,
the Lord.

Lastly, we have the specific information connected with
the directions given for the finding of the child (ver. 12),
"in the city of David." The time of the holy birth, today,
biirst forth in the angelic message first, then comes
the place which, according to prophecy, could indeed be
no other. Not only were the chief priests and scribes
familiar with those words of the prophet Micah (Matt.
ii. 4, 6), but some knowledge of them had even spread
abroad among the people, as we see from John vii. 42.
Accordingly we find that the earliest disciples were in no
way scandalized by the Messiah being of Nazareth.

It appears most probable from the angel's address that
the shepherds were well acquainted with the prophecy.
And besides, pious shepherds in Bethlehem had just now
peculiar reason to remember the honour and dignity
ascribed in Scripture to their little town. No doubt the
taxing just decreed, reminding persons so vividly of their
house and lineage, had given them and others occasion to
sigh : Alas, how lowly and obscure are the descendants
of David become ! that the son of David would soon
come to his kingdom !

And, lo ! he is come ; he is born in his own city ! That
the shepherds, as soon as this was made known to them,
should at once prepare to go to Bethlehem, to see that
which was come to pass, is taken for granted ; they are not
told to go. But their first impulse would naturally have
been to inquire aloud for the new-born king, supposing
that his birth was generally known, as did the wise men in
Jerusalem. To prevent them from doing this, the angel
gives them a sign unasked, not as confirmation of their
faith, for these shepherds had simply believed each word
that fell from his lips ; but to help them in their silent
seeking and finding, in which, indeed, it is probable they
were still further assisted by a divine leading.

" And this (shall be) to you the sign; you shallfind a child
wrapped in swaddling clothes, (and) lying in a manger."
Here only one sign is specifically given to them, and
that is ; in a manger ! The word and is in all probability
not authentic ; the passage runs, a swaddled child, lying
(as all new-born children indeed do, but not in such com
fort as even the poorest have; no, but) in a manger
That is the sign, that is the extraordinary circumstance,
whereas the swaddling clothes are proverbial, are universal,
without respect of persons, as we read in the Book
of Wisdom (vii. 3-6). Nevertheless, we are authorized
to take not only the swaddling clothes as well, but more
especially the child, as for us the lovely sign of our Lord
and Saviour. A child 1 thus is Christ the Lord as our
Saviour, to be made like unto us ; to take our poor flesh
and blood on him, that is his first sign. Akin to this are
the swaddling clothes, typical of helplessness and weakness
(see, in addition to the passage of Wisdom, Ezek.
xvi. 4), and common to all ; but the unusual circumstance
is the manger, the unclean manger, fitted only for cattle,
a sign of poverty and humiliation indeed. But as shepherds
were familiar with the stall and the manger, this
sign was one peculiarly calculated to encourage them :
" You may approach this king ; he is not come in worldly
pomp and splendour." Again, there would certainly be
no other child at that time in Bethlehem lying in a manger,
they would not therefore make any mistake as to his
identity. Some have, indeed, read in the manger (but
erroneously, see ver. 7), and have thence concluded that
the angel referred to one in a stable belonging to these
very shepherds, but the tone of the whole narrative, especially
of ver. 8, is opposed to such an idea.

We pass onward from the touching picture of the
swaddled and manger-laid baby, condescendingly afforded
us by the angel, to the lofty hymn which followed upon
the lowly details just given." Heaven alone then knew
of the treasure bestowed on earth," as it has been well and
truly said. Nay more, all the angels of heaven were
powerless to effect what this new-born infant brought and
"fulfilled ; and for this reason the "heavenly hosts sing to the
child born in Bethlethem such a cradle -song as never was
 sung to monarch's son, for in those swaddling clothes
is wrapped a mystery into which even angels desire to look."
 To which we add, that for men and angels, the understanding
 of this mystery is from first to last limited to adoration,
"Glory be to God in the highest !"

And suddenly, quite unexpectedly, there was (there
became visible with the angel who had just spoken) a
(great, or, it may be rendered, the whole) multitude of the
heavenly host. If over the repentance of one sinner there
is joy among the angels of God, joy throughout heaven,
how should not all the angels have rejoiced with and over
us in this great joy ? Certainly we do not find it so specified
in the original, but it is hardly to be conceived that the
whole multitude of the angels was not present ; how should
any of them have failed, as though unconcerned in this
great event? If at the first creation of the earth the
morning stars sang praise, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy, how much more now?"

Glory (be now) in the height to God, and on earth
peace, to men (a) good will." This is the proper construction
of the passage. There is indeed a different
reading, authorized by the Catholic Church, which gives
us, to men of good will, but there are positive and wellfounded
objections to it. Neither the critical investigation
of ancient MSS., nor customary idiom, still less the
general meaning of the passage, authorizes such a limitation
of this full gospel and comprehensive song of praise,
such an allusion to the co-operating good-will of men.
Luther, indeed, while still fettered by the traditional interpretation,
understands the passage, good-will ofmen, i.e.,
their praise and thanksgiving to God, and their entire
resignation of themselves to his will. But we, for our parts,
unbiassed by human authority however high, determine
with the angel only to give glory to God, and to proclaim
and celebrate his good-will to man, and that only.

From the nature of the three clauses, we may infer that
two choruses answered each other, alternately speaking
of heaven and earth, then joined in one common song
to express the ground of the union of heaven with earth,
of God with men. The very words, indeed, are rightly
called, not so much a song, as an ascription of praise to
God, as the Evangelist says in ver. 13, for the first clause
is the main one, which the others only confirm and complete.
The best and clearest illustration of its meaning as
a whole is given by Nitzsch, when he says :
" This song rises up to the glory of God,
comes down again to proffer peace to earth,
rests with good-will on men ;" and proceeds
to paraphrase its contents : " How is the glory of
God manifested in the making earth peaceful, by mercy
and good-will shown to sinful man;" to which we may
add Beck's beautiful thought," The angels' song soars
to heaven, then stoops to earth, and concludes with men,
as though it would for ever echo in the human heart."

Further, we may remark that the threefold division, as
is almost always the case, assumes a Trinitarian form :
Glory to the Father, peace through the Spirit, God's goodwill
manifested by his Incarnate Son ; with which may
be compared the similar sequence in Tit. iii. 4-6.

Well might we be content to sing after the example of
the angels,"Glory be to God in the highest," but we must
not forget that the words imply not merely an aspiration,
but, at the same time, an announcement of what actually
is ; how, because the Saviour is born, there does, indeed,
arise new glory to God. For a prophecy and assurance
that this glory will be given to him more and more, is contained
in the fact itself. God's glory, the foundation and
aim of all things what is it else than (according to the
closely resembling Greek and Hebrew words) the image
of the divine glory in the creature ? But the full glory
of his love stooping to the lost, now first appears in all its
completeness in Christ. In creation, indeed, he has prominently
displayed his omnipotence, wisdom, and love ;
but here he has made known his mercy, his everlasting
mercy ; in this transaction he has opened out to the hosts
of heaven, a new infinity of his perfections ! Accordingly
the Church sings : To God in the highest, alone be praise,
and thanks be to his grace !

t But the position of the words is not quite correctly
given. According to the order of the original, the words,
in the height, or the highest, belong not to God, but to the
glory to be given ; for even in heaven itself sin had
troubled and disturbed the glory of God (Col. i. 20), which
was now to be restored by Christ. Thus there was now
a new honour, a new praise to God, that broke out in
heaven from the angels, just as there was a new peace on
earth among men. Thus it is not here meant (although
this also is true) that God dwells and reigns in a highest
height to which the angels can only look up. It is not
this that is alluded to, but the heavens generally, spoken
of in a plural form, and in opposition to the earth. That
we men should once more be able rightly to honour God,
is the subject taken up by the second chorus, after the first
chorus has sung the praise of God from the height ; the
angels giving him glory for his omnipotence, truth, faithfulness,
justice, but, above all, and in all, for his mercy.

And peace on earth ! That sounds more intelligible than
the somewhat obscure cry of the people, "Peace in heaven':
(Luke xix. 38). In heaven there has never been discord,
but the ungodly on earth have no peace, no wellbeing.
The earth is the abyss to which the peace-bringing grace
descends from above. In the original, it is true, and especially
in the Old Testament, the word peace, in its primitive
meaning, stands for salvation, restoration, though it
also expresses that which we call peace. But here it is
more than peace between man and man that is meant ;
the great Reconciler of our strifes, puts an end to our
divisions by first of all reconciling us to God. Both
go together ; the cause is seen and glorified in the effect.
This peace on earth sounds like a far-reaching prophecy ;
certainly its fulfilment is still distant, and advances slowly,
but it will grow and increase more and more. The angels
themselves have made the first beginning of that great
peace-preaching of the peace-bringer, prophesied in Isa.
Ivii. 19, and referred to in Eph. ii. 17. The angels see,
in the new-born child, the Prince of peace, at whose birth,
events being so overruled and rendered typical and prophetic
by God's providence, the Roman empire had peace
under Caesar Augustus. And now, throughout Christendom,
and in missions to the heathen, progress is being
made, glory is given to God by increasing peacefulness,
till at last the whole perfect good-will of God shall be fulfilled
toward us and in us !

And so, gazing onward to this ultimate goal, the holy
angels sing at the birth of him in whom alone we are well
pleasing and acceptable : To men a good-will. Thus we
see the three clauses are closely connected. Wherefore
is this glory and praise to God ? For the peace-making
on earth. But whence this peace ? Through the child
born, in whom and for whose sake God's good-will, goodpleasure,
is towards men (Eph. i. 5, 6 ; Luke iii. 22).
This is not, indeed, actually said, because it is self-evident
when we turn back to the first clause : His, or God's, goodwill,
as well as the restoration of men, once lost through
their sins ; all this is comprehended in the many-sided
whole. Thus," the angels' lips blend together God and
the Highest with men and earth in one song of praise,
as though they were all one whole, one holy family"
(Beck).Or, to be more precise still, both that which is in heaven
and on earth, really is, and will be gathered together in
Christ (Eph. i. 10). Only we must not, with over-subtlety,
interpret the word good- will as Lange would have us do
when he says,"Amongst men the good-will, in which
God accepts and blesses humanity, has personally appeared."
Yet there is a certain truth in the idea, and Bengel says very truly,
"Until now men have had a bad name among the angels;
now they in amazement proclaim the paradox,
the seeming contradiction as one that is solved,
"To men a good-will!'" Or as Koos, in his naive style,
carries on the thought :" So cheerfully, then, do angels
think of men, and it is a sin that men themselves, even
believing men, should not, cannot, always think alike
cheerfully of themselves and others."

Yea, verily, this is the great sin which can only be healed
by the repeated going in faith to Christ, of which we have
an example given by the shepherds. The evangelist writes :
" And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from
them into heaven, the men, the shepherds said one to another."
This significant form of speech, thus linked with
the third clause of the song of praise, constitutes these
shepherds the representatives of all men for whom Christ
is born, and brings their words," Let us now go," into pro-
minence, as the "first words spoken by men in Scripture
after the birth of Christ." They came with haste to the
spot, to the manger indicated, found, soon, without much
seeking (this is almost implied in the expression), found
Mary, Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. For a
moment they forgot, in that blessed sight, even the angels
and the open heaven, and then they related, for the
strengthening of Mary's and Joseph's faith but alas ! only
for the wonder of some that heard them the sayings which
had been so miraculously told them concerning the holy
child.