The Song of the Redeemed. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."-REV. xix. 6. STAND up before your God, You army bold and bright, In your robes of white; The church below doth challenge you To an act of praise; Ready with mirth in all the earth Her matin song to raise. Stand up before your God, In beautiful array, Make ready all your instruments The while we mourn and pray; For we must stay to mourn and pray Some prelude to our song; The fear of death has clogged our breath And our foes are swift and strong. THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED. But ye, before your God, Are hushed from all alarm, Out through the grave and gate of death Stand up before your God, Although we can not hear The new song he hath taught you With our fleshly ear, Our bosoms burn that hymn to learn, And from the church below, E'en while we sing, on heavenward wing Ye stand before your God, The servants of His will; A captive band, in foreign land Long ages we have been; But our dearest theme and our fondest dream Is the home we have not seen. We soon shall meet our God, The hour is wafting on, The dayspring from on high hath risen, And the night is spent and gone; 449 450 THE SONG OF THE REDEEMED. The light of earth, it had its birth, And it shall have its doom; The sons of earth they are few in birth, But many in the tomb. Henry Alford. The Gospel of Peace. How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the GOSPEL OF PEACE, and bring glad tidings of good things.-ROMANS X. 15. WHILE to Bethlem we are going, "From that world, to bring to this Wherefore from his throne exalted All his pomp an humble manger, "From that world to bring to this Is the brightest purest bliss." Why did he, the Lord Eternal, Boundless immortality? |