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Speaker 1: Christ's incarnation. Glad Tidings to all by Charles Simeon. Behold,

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I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall

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be to all people, for unto you is born this

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day in the city of David, a savior, which is

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Christ the Lord. It has pleased God on many occasions

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to confer upon the poor some peculiar tokens of his regard.

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He has even chosen them in preference to all others,

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to be rich in faith and ears of his kingdom.

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But as though He had designed to mark with special

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approbation the exertions of honest industry, he has vouchsafed his

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most distinguished favors to them at a time when they

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have been employed in the duties of their respective callings. Gideon,

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who was of a poor family of Manasseh and the

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least in his father's house, was threshing his far wheat

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when he was called the judge and to deliver Israel. Saul,

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who also was of the least family, belonging to the

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least of all the tribes, was seeking his father's asses

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when he was anointed to be king over Israel. David,

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also the least of Jesse's family, was brought from the sheepfold,

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that from tending his father's sheep, he might be exalted

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to the throne and be made the shepherd and king

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of God's peculiar people. Thus, when God had sent his

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dear son into the world, he commissioned an angel to

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announce the tidings of his advent. But to whom did

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he send the angel to Herod or the chief priests, No,

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but to poor shepherds, who, for the security of their

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sheep and their own mutual convenience, were keeping their watchers

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in rotation through the night, to fix their attention and

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to counteract the scandal which the tidings themselves would occasion.

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For it must seem so strange, indeed, to hear of

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the Savior of the world and the Lord of Glory

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lying in a manger. The Angel appeared clothed in light,

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such light as clearly indicated the dignity of the messenger

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and the importance of the message. Having dispelled the fears

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which his first appearance had excited in their minds, he

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addressed them in the words which we have just read,

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in elucidating which we shall consider one the tidings announced

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the birth of Jesus is here declared, and the city

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wherein he was born is specified in appropriate terms, in

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order that the accomplishment of that prophecy which had foretold

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the place of his birth might be distinctly seen and acknowledged.

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The description here given of Jesus is worthy of our

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deepest attention. The Angel describes him by first his office.

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Many saviours had been sent to Israel in former ages,

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but here was one infinitely superior to them all, one

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who came to deliver not one people only, but a

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whole world, not from temporal bondage or misery, but from

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sin and satan, death and hell. Second, his right and

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title to it. The name Christ as also the name Messiah,

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signifies anointed, and it was the name by which the

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Great Deliverer was expected both by the Jewish and gentile world.

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Now this name denoted his divine commission, together with his

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supereminent qualifications for the performance of his office. The kings

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and priests, and in some instances the prophets, also were

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set apart for their respective officers by a holy unction.

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And he in whom all these officers were combined was

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consecrated to them by a public and immeasurable effusion of

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the Holy Ghost. He was no unauthorized obtruder, but a

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savior duly sent and qualified third his sufficiency for it.

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Had the person announced as a savior been a mere creature,

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he never could have affected all that was necessary for

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those whom he came to save. But he was the Lord,

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even Jehovah himself. It had been said of him by

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the prophet eight hundred years before, to us a child

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is born, to us, a son is given, and his

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name shall be called the Mighty God. And that prophecy

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was declared to be now accomplished. Consequently, whatever he had

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undertaken he was able to perform. His atonement would be

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sufficient to expiate the sins of the whole world. His

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righteousness would be sufficient to justify all that should trust

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in it for acceptance, and his grace would be sufficient

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to make them conquerors over all their enemies. Together with

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the Tidings themselves, the Angel announced also two the importance

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of them. The term behold is always used to mind

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the importance of that to which it is prefixed, But

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here the precise view in which the Tidings claim our

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attention is distinctly specified. They are a matter first of

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exceeding joy. To illustrate this, we need only observe by

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whom the message was delivered, and to whom an angel

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was the messenger. But he was not privileged to say

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to us, is born a savior. No, there was no

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savior provided for the fallen angels, but for man. When

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he fell God became incarnate. He took not on him

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the nature of angels, but he took on him the

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seed of Abraham. Suppose then, that instead of being sent

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to men, the Angel had been sent to his fallen brethren,

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and that having opened the gates of Hell, he had

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announced the tidings to the apostates spirits, to you is

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sent a savior? Or what joy had been diffused through

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those miserable regions? How would the vaults of hell have

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rung with act clamations and hosannas. How would every spirit

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instantly have forgotten his pains and pressed forward to hear

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the full import of this astonishing message? Thus, then, ought

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the tidings to be received amongst us, since the only

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difference between them and us is that on them is

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executed the sentence they deserve, and we are shut up

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in prison waiting to have the same executed upon us,

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as soon as the full measure of our iniquities shall

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be completed. Second of universal joy. These tidings were equally

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interesting to Jews and gentiles, to those of the Apostolic age,

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and to us who live at such a distance, both

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of time and place. Nor is there one among the

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children of men who has not equal cause to value

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the Savior that is here announced. Who is there that

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does not need the merit of his atonement and the

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efficacy of his grace, And who is there to whom

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they are not freely offered. There is not one on

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earth who can be saved without them, Nor is there one,

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however abandoned, who may not, by a believing application to

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the Savior, be interested in them. Well, therefore, may they

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be called good tidings to all people, since they are

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so to all of every age and of every description.

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And well, may the Prophet call on the whole creation

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to shout for joy. We conclude by inviting you all

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to imitate the shepherds first inquire into the truth of

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the tidings you have heard. The shepherds instantly went to

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Bethlehem to see with their own eyes the truth of

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what they had heard to you, Then we say, go

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to Bethlehem, or rather go to the Bible, and search

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whether these things be not as they have been represented.

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What would you have thought of the shepherds if, when

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they had such an opportunity of obtaining satisfaction on the point,

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they had neglected it and had laid themselves down to sleep?

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Oh be not, ye such yourselves you have in probably

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better means of information than they had. You may see

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the whole record concerning this Holy Child, his birth, his life,

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his death, his resurrection, his ascension. Yea, you may see

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the union of the god Head with his human nature,

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and may read as facts as well as in declarations,

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his ability to save you to the uttermost. Oh, arise

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and inquire into these deep mysteries with all the humility

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and attention they demand. Second, when convinced of the truth

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of them, yourselves, communicate them diligently to others. The shepherds

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would not hide within their own bosoms the things they

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had heard and seen, but published them abroad for the

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information of others also. And should you be silent when

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you have so much clearer instruction to convey, should you

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not impart it gladly to those around you. Remember that

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if you have the knowledge of Christ as the only

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and all sufficient Savior, you are on no account to

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put that light under a bushel, but to make use

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of it that you may guide others also into the

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way of peace. Third, make them the theme of your

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joyful praises in the midst of your earthly business. The

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shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things

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that they had heard and seen. They forsook not their duty,

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but returned to it in a joyful and devout frame

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of mind. A discovery of the deep things of God

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is not intended to take us out of the situations

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in life which we have been called to fill, but

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to make us wholly and happy in them. Let this

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effect be wrought on you. Neglect not your worldly occupations,

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whatever they may be, but serve God in them, and

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abound in praises and thanksgiving for that which has been

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revealed unto you. However mean or toilsome your vocation, be

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care not for it, but make it to appear that

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the knowledge of this Savior can render any yoke easy

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and afford a joy which the world can neither give

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nor take. Away end of Christ's incarnation. Glad Tidings to

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all by Charles Simeon