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he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace” (Heb. 10:29)—every proud, self- righteous Pharisee that has spumed Óod’s pure way of salvation, will one day, even in hell, bow the knee and confess the Lordship of Christ. Even though unwilling, each of these will join in singing this oratorio in its last chorus, “Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be untò him that sitteth upon thè throne, and *unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (v. 13). May we stop to recapitulate the four classes that will take up this Oratalo of Redemption which is universal in its scope and includes every God-conscious •creature that inhabits or has ever in habited the universe: (1) The ones who have participated personally ih redemp tion. (2) The unredeemed in glory, angels and others. (3) Those not in heaven’s glory, but still inhabiting the earth. (4) Those who have already entered the regions of the lost. [ Continued on Page 380]
Creation, the four'living creatures, and the four and twenty elders. It is usually agreed by interpreters of the Book of Revelation that the four and twenty elders represent the church, which com prises both Jew and Gentile, the twelve patriarchs representing Israel, and the twelve apostles representing the church which began to be called out from the Gentiles through their preaching. Certain it is that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders represent collectively those who have been redeemed from the penalty and power of sin, because in the song they declare that very fact: “Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood” (v. 9). This first part of the oratorio is the personal testimony, sung in mighty unison, of those who have experienced the thrill of the redemption which Christ has wrought. It is only a selected portion of the great heavenly choir that sings Jthis particular part of the score. It is after this individual and collec tive avowal of redemption has been chanted that the myriad host of angels, ten thousand times ten thousand, or one hundred million and more, burst forth into the chorus of praise to the Lamb in the words, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing” (v. 12). These are sinless, unredeemed beings who have not participated personally in the bene fits of redemption, though they have appreciated the magnitude of it vastly more than have the darkened millions for whom redemption was intended. Then John tells us of the further ex tension of the oratorio to “every crea ture which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in
them.” It b e c o m e s ' universal in e x t e n t and embraces all who are in heaven who are neither former earth- dwellers, participants in the redemption, nor are they angels. Pos sibly they are inhabit ants of other planets, or sidereal bodies, sin less and unredeemed b u t inhabiting t h e heaven of God. Then there are those who are yet living on earth, or on the sea, and those that are under the earth. The last classifica tion, we believe, em braces the myriads of the lost. Does not Paul tell us . (Phil. 2:10) that there will be a day when “at the name of Jesus every knee s h a l l bow, . . . in heaven, and . . . in earth, and , . . under the earth, and that e v e r y tongue should c o n f e s s that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the g l o r y o f G o d t h e Father” ? I t . is a s o l e m n thought that one day every Christ-rejector, every profane person who has "trodden un der foot the Son of God, and hath counted t h e b l o o d of the covenan t, wherewith
Doxologies By WILLIAM M. RUNYAN
When saints of God together bring Glad anthems to their Lord and King, With voices vibrant with the joy That the redeemed above employ. These saints on earth are practicing What thef in heaven shall help to sing. Doxologies on earth below “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” Who in the flesh shall praise Him most But echoes yonder heavenly host. O saints of God, prepare, prepare For alleluias over there! Let swell the paeans of His praise While here we live our pilgrim days. For what we sing and what we are Combine to lift our praise far Above the bounds of time and place, To where the ransomed see His face— To where the “New Song” in acclaim Extols the Saviour’s wondrous name: “Thou hast redeemed us by Thy blood, Worthy art Thou, O Lamb of God, Honor and glory to receive!” This shall we sing! This we believe!
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