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