Sermons for the Christian Year - 1 Author:W. H. Lewis Volume: 1 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1870 Original Publisher: Church press co. Subjects: Church year sermons Sermons, American History / General Religion / Christianity / Episcopalian Religion / Sermons / Christian Religion / Christian Ministry / Preaching Notes: This is a black and white ... more »OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: SERMON V. Christmas Day. THE SONG OF ANGELS. " And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God." -- St. Luke, ii. 13. THE songs of angels were heard upon earth at the creation, when "all the sons of God shouted for joy." But in their visits to this lower world after the fall they seem to have been, like those in deep affliction, unable to utter a note of gladness, and never losing the burden upon their spirits so that they could sing, until they had risen far above this polluted atmosphere, beyond the reach of mortal ears. At the end of four thousand years, however, the strains of angelic music once more broke upon our world. When Jesus was born, angels could sing again, and the shepherds at Bethlehem heard their second earthly song, -- the last, probably, that will be heard, until God create "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness," after which, we trust, angels can strike their golden harps as freely below, with men, as above, before the throne. It is a striking fact, and expressive of the abhorrence of these holy beings of oursins, that though they have been in our midst continually, and though their very element seems praise, they have been mute, save over something as it came pure from the hand of God, such as the new-created world, or the new-born, sinless Saviour ; nor could they ever find heart to sing over ...« less