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There, with nought to cloud or sever,

Ever with the Lamb to be.
Heir of glory,

That shall be for thee and me."

BONAR.

References. Heb. xii. 22, 23.

5 John xiv.
8 Isa. xxiv. 23:
12 Rev. xxi.

4 Heb. xi. 16. 19, 20. iii. 20; marg 1 Rev. xxi. 2, 10.

2 Heb. xi. 10.

3 Eph. ii. 6 Heb. xiii. 14. 7 Phil.

2. 9 Gal. iv. 26. 10 Rev. iii. 12. 14, 16, 18, 19, 21.

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CHAPTER XVI.

HEAVEN'S GLORY.

ND the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads : they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Now here is something very definite. We have had a good deal of the negative side of the matter," no more " of this, and "no more" of that. Here is something positive. They shall not only lose sorrow and sighing, but they shall "obtain joy and gladness." In Bible descriptions of Heaven,-sometimes inclusive, sometimes not inclusive, of Paradise, or of the thousand years' reign,-we find certain lead

ing characteristics brought repeatedly forward. These are glory, brightness, radiance, sunshine, singing, music, gladness, and rejoicing.

"Glory and honour are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place."2

"In Thy presence is fulness of joy ; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."3 "Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."4

"They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever."5

66 "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."6

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY."7

"The glory that shall be revealed."8

"That great City, the holy Jerusalem . . having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. . . For there shall be no night there."9

"I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”10

"And I looked, and lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Zion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's Name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder : and I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harps and they sung as it were a new song before the throne."II

:

"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."12

Reading these and other like passages, the impression which is conveyed, and which no doubt God has willed to convey, is of exceeding

radiance and abounding joy. We seem led back to the simple hymn of childhood's days,

"In flowing robes of spotless white

See every one arrayed,
Dwelling in everlasting light,

And joys that never fade,

Singing, Glory, glory, glory."

And perhaps some of us can recall the feeling, which no doubt recurs more or less dimly to many a childish mind,-" I should not quite like to stand always in a row of angels, singing 6 Glory,' even with ever so beautiful a white dress and golden harp."

A natural shrinking, but now needless! Does God set His saints upon earth to sing unceasingly in chorister-like rows, through a life-time? Nay, does He set the little birds of the field to do so? Are not freedom and variety essential to the life which He has breathed into us? Death and Resurrection will not change us into

automatons.

True, we read in Revelation of the four living creatures round about the throne that they "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy,

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