THE VOICE OF THE REDEEMED
Amen, hallelujah! Be it to Your servants according to Your Word. But who are we, and what is our Father's house that You have brought us here? And now, O Lord God, what shall Your servants say unto You? For we are silenced with wonder and must sit down in astonishment; for we cannot utter the least note of Your praises. What does the height of this surpassing love mean? And why is this unto us, that the Lord of heaven and earth should condescend to enter into covenant with His dust, and take into His bosom the viperous brood, that has so often spit their venom in His face?
We are not worthy to be as the handmaids, to wash the feet of the servants of our Lord. How much less worthy are we to be Your sons and heirs, and to be made partakers of all those blessed liberties and privileges which You have settled upon us? But, for Your goodness' sake, and according to Your own heart, You have done all these great things. Even so, Father, because it seemed good in Your sight.
Wherefore You are great, O God, for there is none like You, neither is there any God besides You. And what nation on earth is like Your people, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Himself a name, and to do for them great and terrible things? For You have confirmed them to Yourself to be a people unto You forever, and You, Lord, have become their God (2 Samuel 7:18) to the end.
Wonder, O heavens, and be moved, O earth, at this great thing (Revelation 21:4)! 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 shall be their God. Be astonished and ravished with wonder, for the infinite breach is made up. The offender is received; God and man are reconciled; a covenant of peace is entered; and heaven and earth are agreed upon the terms, and have struck their hands and sealed the indentures. Oh, happy conclusion! Oh, blessed affiliation! Shall the stars dwell with the dust, or the wide, distant poles be brought to mutual embraces?
But here the distance of the terms is infinitely greater. Rejoice, O angels! Shout, O seraphim! Oh, all you friends of the Bridegroom, prepare a wedding song; be ready with the marriage song. Lo, here is the wonder of wonders: Jehovah has betrothed Himself forever to His hopeless captives, owns the marriage before all the world, and has become one with us and we with Him. He has bequeathed to us the precious things of heaven above, and the precious things of the earth beneath, with the fullness thereof, and has kept nothing back from us.
And now, O Lord, You are that God, and Your words are true. You have promised this goodness unto Your servants, and has left us nothing to ask at Your hands but what You have already freely granted. All we ask is this: the Word which You have spoken concerning Your servants, establish it forever; do as You have said, and let Your name be magnified forever, saying, "The Lord of Hosts, He is the God of Israel." Amen, and hallelujah!

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