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gs of great joy, which shall be to _all people_. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10, 11. Since the preaching of the gospel began, men are instructed to "seek first the kingdom of God" (Mat. 6:33), and they "press into it" (Luke 16:16) by the saving virtue of Him "who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us _into the kingdom_ of his dear Son." Col. 1:13. Taking our place by the side of the writer of the Revelation, we testify with him that we are already "in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ" (Rev. 1:9), and that we "receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness," whereby "we _reign in life_ by one Jesus Christ." Rom. 5:17. In this happy condition, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, our Savior, made "a royal [kingly] priesthood" in the "holy nation" of "peculiar people" that have been gathered out of all nations of earth (1 Pet. 2:5, 9), we feel like singing anew this glad song of redemption in honor of Jesus, our only Lord and Savior, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen. This new and rapturous song of the redeemed was immediately caught by a greater multitude of the angelic order, an innumerable company, even "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands," and together, with loud and united voices, did they swell the mighty anthem, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing." And again the heavenly strain was raised to loftier heights, until the stupendous chorus rolled around the universe, by every creature in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, saying, "Blessing and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." A few gifted voices of earth may possess such power and sweetness as almost to entrance us with their melody of song; but what an oratorio will it be, my brethren, when, released from the narrow limits of mortality, that sublime strain sung by the redeemed of all ages and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of angels, bursts in upon our ransomed souls! Did human thought ever reach the conception of music like this? Did the eyes of a mortal ever behold such rapturous scenes? You may feast your eyes upon earth's greatest beauty--Yosemite Valley, Yellowstone Park, Niagara Falls, may
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