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Him unwillingly. He is too great and glorious for any of His creatures to
dislike Him, and to serve Him unwillingly. God spake by the tongue of Micah,
the prophet who disquieted Ahab king of the children of Israel, about his
rebellion and error in the time of Elias the prophet, and he was killed by
king Joram son of king Ahab, the rebel son of the rebel, whilst he was
accompanying him from his error; seeing him opposed to the obedience of God
and the word of His prophets, he prophesied, saying by the Holy Ghost about
the birth of the Christ according to what God revealed to him, "And thou,
Bethlehem, thou shalt not be despised in the dominion of Judah, for a chief
shall come forth from thee, and He shall rule the nation of Israel, and His
going forth is from the first days of time." The learned men and all the
people knew that the Christ was born in Bethlehem a mercy and a guidance, and
from it He ruled Israel, He ruled all nations, He shepherded them and He drove
them to the noblest mansions of the kingdom of heaven. His going forth was
from before the days of time, because He is the Word and the Light of God; He
was with God before all time. When the Christ was born in Bethlehem, God sent
down one of His Angels to shepherds who were watching near Bethlehem, and he
said to them, "I bring you good tidings to-day with great joy, it is a
joy to all nations, that a God is born to you to-day, the Christ the Lord in
the city of David, which is Bethlehem; and this is the sign unto you that you
shall find a babe in the cradle." Whilst the Angel told them the good
tidings, they heard the voice of angel-hosts in a multitude adoring God and
saying, "Glory to the most high God, on earth peace, and good will among
men." The Christ came down upon earth and there was good will to them and
peace and mercy; the good will of God dwelt among them. The Christ when He
appeared to them purified their hearts, and the Holy Ghost dwelt in them,
brought them near to God and shewed them light and leading. Then the Christ
caused a star to arise in Heaven; when the people of the East saw it, and the
Magi saw it ...its light, and the glory of the stars of Heaven, |
