He that shall overcome, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; and he shall go out no more; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And there shall be no curse any more; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face: and his name shall be on their foreheads. 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. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Then palaces shall rise; the joyful son Shall finish what his short-liv'd sire begun; Their vines a shadow to their race shall yield, And the same hand that sow'd shall reap the field: See lilies spring, and sudden verdure rise; On rifted rocks, the dragon's late abodes, To leafless shrubs the flow'ring palms succeed, The lambs with wolves shall graze the verdant mead, And boys in flow'ry bands the tiger lead; The steer and lion at one crib shall meet, And harmless serpents lick the pilgrim's feet; The smiling infant in his hand shall take The crested basilisk and speckled snake, Rise, crown'd with light, imperial Salem, rise! See thy bright altars throng'd with prostrate kings, For thee Idume's spicy forests blow, And seeds of gold in Ophir's mountains glow; And break upon thee in a flood of day! No more the rising sun shall gild the morn, Nor ev'ning Cynthia fill her silver horn; But lost, dissolv'd in thy superior rays, One tide of glory, one unclouded blaze O'erflow thy courts: the Light himself shall shine And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. HIS is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord. THIS Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. Thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. And for all these things bless the Lord, that made thee, and that replenisheth thee with all his good things. THY REFUGE THE BIRTH OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE Watchman, what of the night?-ISAIAH Watchman, tell us of the night, What its signs of promise are? Trav'ler, darkness takes its flight, See that glory-beaming star! Watchman, does its beaut'ous ray Trav'ler, yes; it brings the day, Watchman, tell us of the night; Trav'ler, blessedness and light, Peace and truth, its course portends. See, it bursts o'er all the earth! Watchman, tell us of the night; Travler, darkness takes its flight, Travler, lo! the Prince of Peace, Lo! the Son of God, is come!-BoWRING "Welcome, happy morning!” age to age shall say.—FORTUNATUS Long the nations waited, through the troubled night, Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own.-BRIDGES THIS HIS is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord, we have patiently waited for him, we shall rejoice and be joyful in his salvation. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. The old error is passed away: thou wilt keep peace: peace, because we have hoped in thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lowest depths of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein. |