The Voice of the Redeemed, After the Proclamation

AMENl Halleliah! Be it to thy servant s according to thy word4 But who are we, and what is our father’s house, that thou hast brought us hitherto? And now, O Lord God, what shall thy servants say unto thee? For we are silenced with wonder, and must it down in astonishment; for we cannot utter the least tittle of thj praises What meaneth the height of thm strange love? And whence is this unto us, that the Lord of heav«n and earth should condescend td enter into covenant with dust? We are net worthy to be as the hand-maids, to wash the feet of die aervaats tpf our Lord; how much less to

‘«£zek. zxxvi, 27.l»Hos. n, 3» 4. c Psalm sxxvii» 23» 31. ii% 8. 1 Thes. in, 10. Heb. tf 9. Eedes. w. 3a be thj sons and heirs, and to be made par« takers of all these blessed liberties and privileges which thou hast settled upon us! But for thy goodness’ sak6, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things. Even so, father, because it seemed good in thy sight.

“Wherefore thou art great, O God, for there is none like thee; neither is there any God besides thee.^ And what nation on earth is like thy people, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for them great things and terrible; for thou hast confirmed them to thyself, to be a people unto thee for ever; and thou, Lord, art become their God.

Wonder, 0 heavens, and be moved, 0 earth, at this great thing I^ For behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people; and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Be astonished and ravished with wonder, for the infinite breach is made up; the offender is received, and God and man reconciled and a covenant of peace entered, and heaven and earth are all agreed upon the terms, and have struck their hands, and sealed the indentures. 0 happv conclusion! O blessed conjunction! Shall the stars dwell with the dust? Or the

«2SuihVii. 18.totlieeiid. ARev.sod 4.

wide distant poles be brought to mutual embraces and cohabitationP

But here the distance of the terms is infinitely greater. Rejoice, Oausels; shout O seraphims; O all ye friends of the bridegroom, prepare an epithalamium* be ready with the marriage song. Lo, here is the wonder of wonders; for Jehovah hath betrothed himself for ever to his hopeless captives, and owns the marriage beiore all the worlds and is become one with us, and wt with him.. He hath bequeathed to us the precious things of the heaven above, and the precious things of the earth beneath, with the fulness thereof, and hath kept back nothing fil’om us.

And now, O Lord, thou art thkt God, and thy words be true; and thou hast promised this goodness to thy servants,*^ and has left us nothing to ask at thy hands, but what thou hast already freely granted. Only the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servants, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said; and let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, ‘’The Lord of hosts, he is the God ot Israel.” Jlmm, HaUehijah*

aSSom. vii>25,28.

*A song or ode compoeed or sung in honoitf of the mari i<i»f«<efaoyoiie.