,,the ,,angels' ,,song4                 
,,alexander ,,strahan #adh ,strand1     
,london #agh ,grand ,street1    ,new    
,york              ,,the ,,angels'      
,,song         ,,by ,,thomas ,,guthrie1 
,d4,d4   ,,author ,,of ,,man ,,and ,,the
 ,,gospel1 ,,etc4     ,illustration3    
,publisher's device        ,,alexander  
,,strahan1 ,,publisher          ,,london
 ,,and ,,new ,,york                     
#ahff     ,,contents4                   
,,page  ,,part ,i41                     
#e       ,i4 ,,that ,,redemption        
,,yields ,,the         ,,highest ,,glory
 ,,to ,,god1                            
#ad  ,,part ,,ii41                      
#bc      ,,ii4 ,,redemption ,,glorifies 
,,god ,,in         ,,the ,,sight ,,of   
,,holy ,,angels1                        
#cj     ,,iii4 ,,redemption ,,glorifies 
,,god         ,,throughout ,,all ,,the  
,,universe1                             
#ce      ,,iv4 ,,the ,,redeemer ,,and   
,,redemption         ,,are ,,worthy ,,of
 ,,our ,,highest         ,,praise1      

#dj  ,,part ,,iii41                     
#dg       ,v4 ,,they ,,were ,,men ,,of  
,a ,,peaceful         ,,calling1        
#ee      ,,vi4 ,,they ,,were ,,men ,,of 
,,humble         ,,rank1                
#fj     ,,vii4 ,,they ,,were ,,men      
,,engaged ,,in         ,,common         
,,duties1                               
#fe  ,,part ,,iv41                      
#fi    ,,viii4 ,,jesus ,,restores       
,,peace ,,between         ,,god ,,and   
,,man1                                  
#hj  ,,part ,v41                        
#ic      ,,ix4 ,,jesus ,,brings ,,peace 
,,to ,,the ,,soul1                      
#ajb       ,x4 ,,jesus ,,shall ,,bring  
,,peace ,,to ,,the         ,,world1     
#aaj  ,,part ,,vi41                     
#aag      ,,xi4 ,,the ,,persons ,,to    
,,whom ,,good         ,,will ,,is       
,,expressed1                            
#abf     ,,xii4 ,,the ,,person ,,who    
,,expresses         ,,good ,,will1      
#acd     ,,part ,i4   ,the birth of an  
heir to the throne is usually           

accompanied by circumstances befitting  
so great an event4 ,no place is deemed  
worthy of it but a royal palace2 and    
there1 at the approach of the expected  
hour1 high nobles and the great officers
 of state assemble1 while the whole     
country1 big with hope1 waits to welcome
 a successor to its long line of kings4 
,cannons announce the event2 seaward1   
landward1 guns flash and roar from      
floating batteries and rocky            
battlements2 bonfires blaze on          
hill-tops2 steeples ring out the news in
 merry peals2 the nation holds holiday1 
giving itself up to banqueting and      
enjoyments1 while public prayers and    
thanksgivings rise to ,him by whom kings
 reign and princes decree justice4 ,with
 such pomp and parade do the heirs of   
earthly thrones enter on the stage of   
life6 ,so came not ,he who is the ,king 
of kings and ,lord of lords4 ,on the eve
 of ,his birth the world went on its    
usual round4 ,none were moved for ,his  
coming2 nor was there any preparation   

for the event--a chamber1 or anything   
else4 ,no fruit of unhallowed love1 no  
houseless beggar's child enters life    
more obscurely than the ,son of ,god4   
,the very tokens by which the shepherds 
were taught to recognise ,him were not  
the majesty but the extreme meanness of 
his condition3 ,this shall be a sign    
unto you2 ,ye shall find the babe       
wrapped in swaddling clothes1 lying in a
 manger4 ,in fact1 the ,lord of heaven  
was to be recognised by his humiliation1
 as its heirs are by their humility4    
,yet1 as we have seen a black and       
lowering cloud have its edges touched   
with living gold by the sun behind it1  
so all the darkest scenes of our ,lord's
 life appear more or less irradiated    
with the splendours of a strange glory4 
,take that night on ,galilee when a     
storm roared over land and lake1 enough 
to wake all but the dead4 ,the boat with
 ,jesus and ,his disciples tears through
 the waves1 now whirling on their       
foaming crests1 now plunging into their 

yawning hollows2 the winds rave in ,his 
ear2 the spray falls in cold showers on 
,his naked face2 but ,he sleeps4 ,i have
 read of a soldier boy who was found    
buried in sleep beneath his gun1 amid   
the cries and carnage of the battle2 and
 the powers of nature in our ,lord seem 
to be equally exhausted4 ,his strength  
is spent with toil2 and with wan face   
and wasted form ,he lies stretched out  
on some rude boards--the picture of one 
whose candle is burning away all too    
fast1 and whom excess of zeal is        
hurrying into premature old age and an  
untimely grave4 ,was the sight such as  
to suggest the question1 ,where is now  
thy ,god8--how soon it changed into a   
scene of magnificence and omnipotent    
power6 ,he wakes--as a mother1 whom     
louder sounds would not stir1 to her    
infant's feeblest wail1 ,he wakes to the
 cry of ,his alarmed disciples2 and     
standing up1 with the lightning flash   
illumining ,his calm1 divine face1 ,he  
looks out on the terrific war of        

elements4 ,he speaks2 and all is hushed4
 ,obedient to ,his will1 the winds fold 
their wings1 the waves sink to rest2 and
 there is a great calm4 ,glory to ,god  
in the highest6 ,how may ,his people    
catch up and continue the strain which  
falls from angels' lips8 ,in disciples  
plucked from the very jaws of death1 and
 pulling their boat shoreward with      
strong hands and happy hearts over a    
moonlit glassy sea1 ,jesus shows us how 
,he will make good these sayings1 ,fear 
not1 for ,i am with thee2 be not afraid1
 for ,i am thy ,god--,i have given unto 
them eternal life1 and they shall never 
perish4  ,the divine glory of that scene
 is not peculiar to it4 ,for as an      
eagle1 so soon as she has stooped from  
her realm to the ground1 mounts aloft   
again1 soaring into the blue skies of   
her native heavens1 our ,lord never     
descends into the abasement of ,his     
meanest circumstances without some act  
which bespeaks divinity1 and bears ,him 
up before our eyes into the regions of  

,godhead4 ,the grave1 where ,he weeps   
like a woman1 gives up its prisoner at  
,his word4 ,athirst by ,jacob's well1   
like any other wayfaring1 way-worn      
traveller1 ,he begs a draught of water  
from a woman there1 but tells her all   
she ever did4 ,houseless and poor1 ,his 
banquet hall is the open air1 ,his table
 the green grass1 ,his feast five barley
 loaves and a few fishes from the       
neighbouring lake1 yet this scanty fare 
supplies the wants of five thousand     
guests4 ,his birth and life and death1  
,his whole history1 in fact1 resembles  
one of those treasure-chests which      
double locks secure2 for as that iron   
safe yields its hoards of gold1 silver1 
pearls1 and precious stones to none but 
,him who brings to each lock its own    
appropriate key1 so the riches of divine
 truth1 redeeming love1 and saving mercy
 are open only to such as come to ,jesus
 with a belief in ,his divinity on the  
one hand1 and a belief in ,his humanity 
on the other2--who behold in the child1 

whose birth was sung by angels1 the son 
of ,mary1 and worship the only begotten1
 well beloved1 and eternal ,son of ,god4
  ,now this mingling of divine and human
 characters distinguished ,christ's     
birth as much as ,his death4 ,the halo  
of glory that surrounded ,his dying1    
crowned ,his infant head4 ,his sun rose1
 as it afterwards set1 behind a heavy   
bank of clouds2 but the divinity they   
screened1 touched their edges alike with
 burning gold2 so that ,he at whose     
death the rocks were rent1 and the sun  
eclipsed1 and graves deserted of their  
dead1 no more entered than ,he left our 
world as a common son of ,adam4 ,not    
that a world which was to reject ,him   
went out to meet its ,king with homage  
and royal honours4 ,omen of coming      
events1 it received ,him in sullen      
silence4 ,but the heavens declared ,his 
glory1 the skies sent out a sound2 and  
the tokens of ,his first advent--unlike 
the thunders which shall rend the skies 
when ,he comes the second time to       

judgment--were all in beautiful harmony 
with its object4 ,it was love and saving
 mercy2 there were light1 music1 and    
angel forms4 ,with this object all      
things indeed were in perfect           
keeping1--the serene night--the shining 
stars--the pearly dews glistening on the
 grass--snowy flocks safely             
pasturing--and the shepherds themselves1
 to whom the annunciation was made2 men 
who1 whether going before their charge1 
or carrying the lambs in their arms1 or 
gently leading those that were with     
young1 or standing bravely between their
 flocks and the roaring lion1 were the  
choicest emblems and types of ,him who1 
dying to save us1 gave ,his life for the
 sheep4 ,to them there suddenly appeared
 a multitude of the heavenly host1      
turning night into day1 and shedding on 
the soft hills around a bright but      
gentle radiance4 ,as guard of honour1   
they had swept in their downward flight 
by many a sun and star1 escorting the   
,son of ,god to our nether world4 ,and  

now--ere they left ,him to tread the    
wine-press alone1 and returned on upward
 wings to their native heavens1 and     
their service before the throne of      
,god--these celestials bent their loving
 eyes on the stable2 and in anticipation
 of ,jesus' triumphs1 of men saved1     
death conquered1 graves spoiled1 and    
,satan crushed1 they sang ,glory to ,god
 in the highest1 and on earth peace1    
good will toward men4  ,this hymn1 sung 
perhaps in parts by different bands of  
these heavenly choristers consists of   
three parts2 and we now proceed to the  
illustration of these4     ,i4  ,,that  
,,redemption ,,yields ,,the ,,highest   
,,glory ,,to ,,god4   ,i say the        
highest2 for though ,his absolute glory1
 like ,his eternal being and infinite   
perfections1 admits of no degrees1 and  
is affected by no circumstances         
whatever1 it is otherwise with ,his     
declarative glory1 as old theologians   
called it4 ,this1 which ,i speak of1 and
 which angels sung of1 consists in the  

manifestation of ,his attributes4       
,whatever it be1 though only the drop of
 water1 which appears a world of wonders
 to the eyes of a man of science1 any   
work is glorious which reflects the     
divine character in any measure1 and    
still more glorious or glorifying which 
exhibits it in a greater measure4 ,god's
 glory expands and unfolds itself as we 
rise upward in the study of ,his        
works--from inanimate to living objects2
 from plants to animals2 from animals to
 man2 from man to angels2 from these to 
archangels1 upward and still upward1 to 
the ,being who1 bathed in the full blaze
 of divine effulgence1 tops the pyramid1
 and stands on the highest pinnacle of  
,creation4 ,that ,being is ,god manifest
 in the flesh1 our ,lord ,jesus         
,christ--the redemption which ,he       
wrought for us1 through blood and       
suffering and death1 being the work     
which reveals ,god most fully to our    
eyes1 and forming a looking-glass1 so to
 speak1 to reflect the whole measure of 

divinity4 ,this will appear if we look  
at--  ,the ,redeemer4--,one of ,his many
 titles is the ,wonderful4 ,anticipating
 the royal birth at ,bethlehem1 and     
speaking of ,christ in terms which no   
other key can open but the doctrine of  
,his divinity1 ,isaiah says1 ,unto us a 
child is born1 unto us a son is given2  
and the government shall be upon his    
shoulder3 and his name shall be called  
,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 ,the mighty    
,god1 ,the everlasting ,father1 ,the    
,prince of ,peace4 ,with pencils of     
sunlight ,god paints the rose2 by arts  
of a divine chemistry ,he turns foul    
decay into the snow-white purity and    
fragrant odours of a lily2 ,he fashions 
the infant in the darkness of the       
mother's womb2 ,he inspires dead matter 
with the active principle of life2 in   
man ,he unites an ethereal spirit to a  
lump of clay--wonders these which have  
perplexed the wisest men1 and remain as 
incomprehensible to philosophers as to  
fools4 ,yet1 as if there was no mystery 

in these but what our understanding     
could fathom--as if there was nothing in
 these to teach proud man humility and  
rouse his admiration--as if there was   
indeed no wonder but ,christ himself in 
all this great and glorious universe1   
,he is called by way of eminence the    
,wonderful4 ,and why8 ,because1 as the  
stars cease to shine in presence of the 
sun1 quenched by the effulgence1 and    
drowned in the flood of his brighter    
beams1 these lose all their wonders     
beside this little ,child4 ,to a        
meditative man it is curious to stand   
over any cradle where an infant sleeps2 
and1 as we look on the face so calm1 and
 the little arms gently folded on the   
placid breast1 to think of the mighty   
powers and passions which are slumbering
 there2 to think that this feeble       
nursling has heaven or hell before it2  
that an immortal in a mortal form is    
allied to angels2 that the life which it
 has begun shall last when the sun is   
quenched1 enduring throughout all       

eternity4 ,much more wonderful the      
spectacle the manger offers1 where      
shepherds bend their knees1 and angels  
bend their eyes6 ,here is present1 not  
the immortal1 but the eternal2 here is  
not one kind of matter united to        
another1 or a spiritual to an earthly   
element1 but the ,creator to a creature1
 divine ,omnipotence to human weakness1 
the ,ancient of ,days to the infant of a
 day4 ,what deep secrets of divine      
wisdom1 power1 and love lie here1       
wrapped up in these poor                
swaddling-clothes6 ,mary holds in her   
arms1 in this manger with its straw1    
what draws the wondering eyes1 and      
inspires the loftiest songs of angels4  
,if that be not ,god's greatest1 and    
therefore most glorifying work1 where   
are we to seek it8 in what else is it   
found8 ,the depth saith1 ,it is not in  
me2 and the sea saith1 ,it is not in me6
 ,were we to range the vast universe to 
find its rival1 we should return1 like  
the dove to its ark1 to the stable-door1

 and the swaddled babe1 there to mingle 
human voices with the heavenly          
choir--singing1 ,glory to ,god in the   
highest6  ,the fact that redemption     
yields ,god the highest glory will      
appear also if we look at--  ,the       
,redeemed4--,it is in them1 in sinners  
saved1 not in the happy and holy angels1
 that ,god stands out fully revealed as 
in a mirror2 long and broad enough1 if  
,i may say so1 to show forth all ,his   
attributes4 ,to vary the figure2 the    
cross of ,christ is the focus in which  
all the beams of divinity1 all the      
attributes of the ,godhead1 are gathered
 into one bright1 burning spot1 with    
power to warm the coldest and melt the  
stoniest heart4 ,no man hath seen ,god  
at any time1 otherwise than in ,his     
works2 and though created things are    
immeasurably inferior to their ,creator1
 they may still help us to form some    
conception of ,his character4 ,a drop of
 water is an ocean1 a spark of fire is a
 sun1 every grain of sand on the        

sea-shore is a world1 in miniature2 and 
as those who have never seen ocean1 or  
sun1 or world1 may form some idea of    
their appearance by magnifying these    
their miniatures millions of millions of
 times1 so1 by immensely magnifying the 
age1 the power1 the wisdom1 the holiness
 of an angel1 we could form some dim    
conception of ,god4 ,not that we would  
not have still to ask1 ,who can by      
searching find out ,god8 who can find   
out the ,almighty to perfection8--not   
that when we had exclaimed1 in the      
sublime words of ,job1 ,hell is naked   
before him1 and destruction hath no     
covering4 ,he stretcheth out the north  
over the empty place1 and hangeth the   
earth on nothing4 ,he bindeth up the    
waters in his thick clouds4 ,he holdeth 
back the face of his throne4 ,the       
pillars of heaven tremble and are       
astonished at his reproof4 ,he divideth 
the sea with his power4 ,by his spirit  
he hath garnished the heavens2--we would
 not have to add with the patriarch1    

,these are parts of his ways2 but how   
little a portion is heard of him8 but   
the thunder of his power who can        
understand8  ,study ,him1 for example1  
in the angels who sung this birth-song6 
,they are holy1 and we may conclude that
 their ,maker is infinitely holy2 they  
are wise1 and ,he who made them must    
possess infinite wisdom2 they are       
powerful1 and ,he must be omnipotent2   
the ,god of good angels must be         
infinitely good1 as the avenger of sin  
and evil ones must be infinitely just4  
,this is sound reasoning--for1 as ,david
 says1 ,he that planted the ear1 shall  
he not hear8 ,he that formed the eye1   
shall he not see8 ,he that chastiseth   
the heathen1 shall not he correct8 ,he  
that teacheth man knowledge1 shall not  
he know8 ,still1 however lofty and      
worthy were the conceptions which we    
thus formed of ,god1 ,he had never been 
discovered in the full glory of ,his    
gracious character by this or any       
corresponding process4 ,unspeakable     

honour to man and unspeakable grace in  
,god1 the fulness of ,his character is  
revealed1 not by seraphs but by         
saints--in redeemed and ransomed        
sinners4 ,and so ,mary ,magdalene1 as   
reflecting ,his attributes more fully   
than angels1 wears in heaven a brighter 
glory than crowns their unfallen heads4 
,she1 and all with her1 who have washed 
their robes in the blood of the ,lamb1  
are trophies of free1 saving mercy2     
monuments of that love which1 when stern
 justice had dragged us to the mouth of 
the pit1 and angels1 who had seen their 
fellows punished by one awful act of    
vengeance1 stood in dread and silent    
expectation of another1 graciously      
interposed1 saying1 ,deliver from going 
down to the pit1 ,i have found a ransom4
 ,then1 blessed ,son of ,god1 thou didst
 step forward to say1 ,and ,i am that   
ransom6 ,from that day heaven was       
happier4 ,it found a new joy4 ,angels   
tuned their golden harps to higher      
strains2 and now1 these blessed spirits1

 above the mean jealousies of earth's   
elder brothers1 whenever they see       
,christ born anew in a soul--a sinner   
born again1 called1 converted1          
apparelled in ,jesus' righteousness1    
rejoicing in ,his arms1 or even weeping 
at ,his feet1 wake up the old1 grand    
birth-song1 singing1 ,glory to ,god in  
the highest6 ,there is joy1 said ,jesus1
 in the presence of the angels of ,god  
over one sinner that repenteth--joy     
shall be in heaven over one sinner that 
repenteth1 more than over ninety and    
nine just persons1 which need no        
repentance4     ,,part ,,ii4   ,no man  
hath seen ,god at any time2 so saith the
 ,scriptures4 ,he who is confined to no 
bounds of space cannot in the nature of 
things have any visible form4 ,god has  
however occasionally made revelations of
 ,himself2 and such are described in    
language which seems opposed alike to   
the declarations of ,scripture and the  
deductions of reason4 ,it is said1 for  
instance1 of ,moses and ,aaron1 when    

they ascended ,mount ,sinai1 that they  
saw the ,god of ,israel2 and ,isaiah    
tells how he saw the ,lord sitting upon 
a throne1 high and lifted up1 and his   
train filled the temple4 ,believing with
 the ,jews that if any man saw ,god he  
could not survive1 but would die as by a
 flash of lightning1 the prophet was    
struck with terror1 and cried1 in       
expectation of immediate death1 ,i am   
undone2 for mine eyes have seen the     
,lord of hosts4  ,the object seen in    
these and also other cases was no doubt 
the ,schekinah--that holy and mysterious
 flame whereby ,god made ,his presence  
known in the days of old4 ,we know      
little concerning it beyond this1 that  
it was of the nature of light4 ,the     
fairest1 purest1 oldest of created      
things1 passing untainted through       
pollution1 turning gloomy night into    
day1 and imparting their varied beauties
 to earth and air and ocean1 this of all
 material elements was the fittest      
symbol of ,god4 ,a circumstance this to 

which we probably owe the ancient       
practice of worshipping the ,divinity by
 fire1 and certainly such figures as    
these3 ,god is light2 ,he clothes       
himself with light as with a garment2   
,he dwelleth in light that is           
inaccessible and full of glory4 ,this   
light1 said to have been intensely      
luminous1 brighter than a hundred suns1 
was not always nor even usually visible2
 although1 like a lamp placed behind a  
curtain1 it may have usually imparted to
 the cloud which concealed it a tempered
 and dusky glow4 ,there were occasions  
when the veil of this temple was rent   
asunder2 and then the light shone out   
with intense splendour--dazzling all    
eyes1 and convincing sceptics that this 
cloud1 now resting on the tabernacle1   
and now1 signal for the host to march1  
floating upward in the morning air1 was 
not akin to such as are born of swamps  
or sea2 and which1 as emblems of our    
mortality1 after changing from rosy     
beauty into leaden dullness1 melt into  

air1 leaving the place that once knew   
them to know them no more for ever4     
,this symbol and token of the ,divine   
presence was of all the types and       
figures of ,jesus ,christ in some       
respects both the most apposite and     
glorious3 a cloud with ,god within1 and 
speaking from it--going before to guide 
the host--placing ,himself for their    
protection between them and their       
enemies--by day their grateful shade    
from scorching heat1 by night their sun 
amid surrounding darkness4  ,it was one1
 and not the least singular of its      
aspects1 that this cloud always grew    
light when the world grew dark--the     
cloudy pillar of the day blazing forth  
at night as a pillar of fire4 ,so shone 
the divinity in ,him who was ,emmanuel1 
,god with us1 ,his darkest              
circumstances1 ,his deepest             
humiliations1 being the occasions of    
,his greatest glory4 ,he was buried1 and
 being so1 was greatly humbled2 but     
angels attended ,his funeral1 and       

guarded ,his tomb4 ,he was crucified1   
condemned to the death of the vilest    
criminal1 and being so1 was greatly     
humbled2 but those heavens and earth    
which are as little moved by the death  
of the greatest monarch as by the fall  
of a withered leaf1 expressed their     
sympathy with the august ,sufferer--the 
sun hid his face1 and went into         
mourning1 the earth trembled with horror
 at the deed4 ,he was born1 and in like 
manner ,he was greatly humbled1 and had 
been1 though ,his birth had happened in 
a palace and ,his mother had been a     
queen2 but with a poor woman for ,his   
mother1 a stable for ,his birthplace1 a 
manger for ,his cradle1 and straw for   
,his bed1 these meannesses1 like its    
spots on the face of the sun1 were lost 
in a blaze of glory4 ,earth did not     
celebrate ,his advent1 but ,heaven did4 
,illumining her skies1 she sent herald  
angels to proclaim the news1 and lighted
 up a new star to guide the feet which  
sought the place where man's best hopes 

were cradled4 ,the most joyful birth    
that ever happened1 it was meet that it 
should be sung by angel lips1--and all  
the more because1 redemption glorifies  
,god in the sight of holy angels4       
,,ii4  ,,redemption ,,glorifies ,,god   
,,in ,,the ,,sight ,,of ,,holy ,,angels4
   ,they take a lively interest in the  
affairs of our world1 as the ,scriptures
 show1 and as ,jacob saw in his vision2 
for what else means that ladder where   
they appeared to his dreaming eye       
ascending and descending between earth  
and heaven8 ,to the care of ,john our   
dying ,lord committed his mother2 but   
,god1 when ,he sent ,his ,son into the  
world1 committed ,him to their          
care1--,he hath given his angels charge 
over thee1 that thou dash not thy foot  
against a stone4 ,the care which their  
,head enjoyed is extended to all the    
members4 ,how happy are the people that 
are in such a case6 ,think of the poor  
saint who has none to wait on him1 or   
the pious domestic who serves a table1  

and humbly waits on others1 having      
angels to wait on her6 ,are they not    
said in ,scripture to be ministering    
spirits sent forth to minister to them  
who are heirs of salvation8--however the
 world may despise them1 this honour    
have all his saints4 ,however lowly     
their earthly state1 the saints are a   
kingly race2 and as our highest nobles  
deem it an honour to wait on the princes
 of the blood1 accepting and soliciting 
offices at court1 the angels are happy  
to serve such as1 through their union   
with ,his incarnate ,son1 stand nearer  
the throne of ,god than themselves4     
,unseen by him1 these celestials guard  
the good man's bed2 watch his progress2 
wait on his person2 guide his steps2 and
 ward off many a blow the devil aims at 
his head and heart4 ,they are the nurses
 of ,christ's babes2 the tutors and     
teachers of ,his children4 ,a belief in 
guardian saints is a silly ,popish      
superstition2 but we have good authority
 in ,scripture for believing that in    

this our state of pupilage and          
probation1 along all the way to ,sion1  
in the conflicts with temptation1 and   
amid the thick of battle1 ,god commits  
,his saints to angels' care2 and that1  
as it is in their loving arms that the  
soul of an aged saint is borne away to  
glory1 every child of ,god has its own  
celestial guardian1 and sleeps in its   
little cradle beneath the feathers of an
 angel's wing4 ,what said our ,lord8 ,on
 setting a child before the people as a 
pattern for them to copy1 ,take heed1   
,he said1 that ye despise not one of    
these little ones2 for ,i say unto you1 
,that in heaven their angels do always  
behold the face of my ,father which is  
in heaven4  ,but whether we are1 or are 
not1 the happier for angels1 there is no
 question that they are the happier for 
us4 ,they always loved ,god2 but since  
man's redemption they love ,him more1   
and employ higher strains and loftier   
raptures to praise ,his wisdom1 power1  
holiness1 justice1 and love4 ,it has    

disclosed to them new views of ,god1 and
 opened up in heaven new springs of     
pleasure4 ,heaven has grown more        
heavenly1 and though they might have    
deemed it impossible to add one drop to 
their happiness1 they are holier and    
happier angels4 ,there is joy among the 
angels of heaven over every sinner that 
repenteth2 and to the joyful cry1 ,my   
son that was dead is alive again1 they  
respond1 as they receive the returned   
penitent from the ,father's arms into   
their own1 ,my brother that was dead is 
alive again1 that was lost is found6    
,never from surf-beaten shore or rocky  
headland do spectators watch with such  
anxious interest the life-boat1 as1 now 
seen and now lost1 now breasting the    
waves and now hurled back on the foaming
 crest of a giant billow1 she makes for 
the wreck1 as they watch those who1 with
 the ,bible in their hearts and hands1  
go forth to save the lost4 ,and when the
 poor perishing sinner throws himself   
into ,jesus' arms1 what gratulations    

among these happy spirits6 ,there is joy
 in heaven over one sinner that         
repenteth1 more than over ninety and    
nine just persons4 ,the event is one    
which ,i can fancy was in the prophet's 
eye1 when1 fired with rapture1 he cried1
 ,sing1 ,o ye heavens2 for the ,lord    
hath done it3 shout1 ye lower parts of  
the earth2 break forth into singing1 ye 
mountains1 ,o forest1 and every tree    
therein3 for the ,lord hath redeemed    
,jacob1 and glorified himself in        
,israel6 ,and the heavens do sing4      
,while the saints1 descending from their
 thrones1 cast their sparkling crowns at
 ,jesus' feet1 and ten times ten        
thousand harps sound1 and ten times ten 
thousand angels sing1 ,worthy is the    
,lamb that was slain to receive power1  
and riches1 and wisdom1 and strength1   
and honour1 and glory1 and blessing4    
,,iii4  ,,redemption ,,glorifies ,,god  
,,throughout ,,all ,,the ,,universe4    
,with a small band of fishermen at ,his 
side1 and no place on earth where to lay

 ,his head1 ,jesus pointed to the sun1  
riding high in heaven or rising over the
 hill-tops to bathe the scene in golden 
splendour1 and said1 ,i am the ,light of
 the world4 ,a bold saying2 yet the day 
is coming1 however distant it appears1  
when the tidings of salvation carried to
 the ends of the earth1 and ,jesus      
worshipped of all nations1 shall justify
 the speech2 and the wishes shall be    
gratified1 and the prayers answered1 and
 the prophecies fulfilled1 so           
beautifully expressed in these lines of 
,heber3      ,waft1 waft1 ye winds1 ,his
 story1       ,and you1 ye waters1 roll1
     ,till1 like a sea of glory1        
,it spreads from pole to pole4  ,but    
shall our world be the limits of the    
wondrous tale8 ,though ever and deeply  
interesting as the scene of redemption1 
just as to patriots is the barest moor  
where a people fought and conquered for 
their freedom1 our earth holds in other 
respects but a very insignificant place 
in creation4 ,in a space of the sky no  

larger than a tenth part of the moon's  
disc1 the telescope discovers many      
thousands of stars1 each a sun1 attended
 probably by a group of planets like our
 own3 their number indeed is such that  
many parts of the heavens appear as if  
they were sprinkled with gold-dust2 and 
probably there are as many suns and     
worlds in the universe as there are     
leaves in a forest1 or rather1 sands on 
the ocean shore4  ,boldly venturing out 
into the regions of speculation1 some   
have thought that1 if sin defile any of 
these worlds1 its inhabitants may share 
in the benefits of the atonement which  
,christ offered in ours2 and that beings
 further removed than we from the scenes
 of ,calvary1 and differing more from us
 than we from the ,jews of whom the     
,messiah came1 may1 as well as we1 find 
a ,saviour by faith in ,jesus2 and that 
for this end the work of redemption has 
perhaps been revealed to such as1       
removed from our earth many millions of 
miles1 never even saw the planet that   

was its theatre and scene4 ,there may be
 nothing in this4 ,i dare not say it is 
impossible2 but these speculations touch
 the deep things of ,god1 and we would  
not attempt to be wise above that which 
is written4 ,still1 ,scripture affords  
ground for believing1 for hoping1 at    
least1 that the story of redemption has 
been told in other worlds than ours1 and
 that the love of ,god in ,christ--that 
fairest1 fullest manifestation of our   
,father's heart--links all parts of     
creation together1 and links all more   
closely to the throne of ,god4 ,he that 
hath seen me1 ,philip1 said our ,lord to
 that disciple1 hath seen the ,father   
also2 and as ,i believe that ,he who    
delights to bless all ,his unfallen     
creatures would not withhold from the   
inhabitants of other spheres the        
happiness of knowing ,him in ,his most  
adorable1 gracious1 and glorious        
character1 ,i can fancy them eagerly    
searching their skies for a sight of our
 world1--the scene of that story which  

has conveyed to them the fullest        
knowledge of ,him they love1 their      
deepest sense of ,his ineffable holiness
 and unspeakable mercy4 ,not from pole  
to pole1 but from planet to planet1 and 
from star to star1 the love of ,christ  
deserves to be proclaimed2 and it is a  
thought as grand as it is probable1 that
 the story of ,calvary1 not yet         
translated into all the tongues of      
earth1 is told in the ten times ten     
thousand tongues of other worlds1 and   
that the ,name which is above every     
name--the blessed ,name which dwells in 
life in a believer's heart and trembles 
in death on his lips--is known in       
spheres which his foot never trod and   
his eye never saw4 ,such honours crown  
the head man once crowned with thorns2  
and therefore did ,david1 with the eye  
of a seer and the fire of a poet1 while 
calling for praise from kings of the    
earth and all people1 princes and all   
judges1 young men and children1 rise to 
a loftier flight1 exclaiming3 ,praise   

,him in the heights4 ,praise ye ,him1   
all ye angels3 praise ye ,him1 all ,his 
hosts4 ,praise ye ,him1 sun and moon3   
praise ,him1 all ye stars of light4     
,,iv4  ,,the ,,redeemer ,,and           
,,redemption ,,are ,,worthy ,,of ,,our  
,,highest ,,praise4   ,let us bend the  
head1 and1 in company of the shepherds1 
enter the stable4 ,heard above the      
champing of bits1 the stroke of hoofs1  
the rattling of chains1 and the lowing  
of oxen1 the feeble wail of an infant   
turns our steps to a particular stall3  
here a woman lies stretched on a bed of 
straw1 and her new-born child1 hastily  
wrapped in some part of her dress1 finds
 a cradle in the manger4 ,a pitiful     
sight6--such a fortune as occasionally  
befalls the ,arabs of society--such an  
incident as may occur in the history of 
one of those vagrant1 vagabond1 outcast 
families who1 their country's shame1    
tent in woods and sleep under hedges1   
when no barn or stable offers a covering
 to their houseless heads4 ,yet princes 

on their way to the crown1 brides on    
their way to the marriage1 bannered     
armies on their way to the battle1 and  
highest angels in their flight from star
 to star1 might stop to say of this     
sight1 as ,moses of the burning bush1   
,let me turn aside1 and see this great  
sight6  ,the prophet foretells a time   
when the wolf shall dwell with the lamb1
 and the leopard shall lie down with the
 kid2 and1 bound in the same stall1 and 
fed at the same manger1 the lion shall  
eat straw with the ox4 ,here is a       
greater wonder6 ,this stable is the     
house of ,god1 the very gate of heaven3 
under this dusty roof1 inside those     
narrow walls1 ,he lodges whom the heaven
 of heavens cannot contain3 the tenant  
of this manger is the ,son1 who1 leaving
 the bosom of ,his ,father to save us1  
here pillows ,his head on straw2 of this
 feeble babe the hands are to hurl      
,satan from his throne1 and wrench      
asunder the strong bars of death2 this  
one tender life1 this single corn-seed  

is to become the prolific parent of a   
thousand harvests1 and fill the garners 
of glory with the fruits of salvation4  
,mean as it looks1 yet more splendid    
than marble palaces1--more sacred than  
the most venerable and hallowed temples1
 here the ,son of ,god was born1 and    
with ,him were born ,faith1 ,hope1 and  
,charity--our ,peace1 our ,liberty1 and 
our ,eternal ,life4 ,had ,he not been   
born1 we had never been born again2 had 
,he not lain in a manger1 we had never  
lain in ,abraham's bosom2 had ,he not   
been wrapped in swaddling-clothes1 we   
had been wrapped in everlasting flames2 
had ,his head in infancy not been       
pillowed on straw1 and in death on      
thorns1 ours had never been crowned in  
glory4 ,but that ,he was born1 better we
 had never been2 life had been a        
misfortune to which time had brought no 
change1 and death no relief1 and the    
grave no rest4 ,glory to ,god in the    
highest that ,he was born3 we had       
otherwise been lifting up our eyes in   

torment with this unavailing1 endless   
cry1 ,o that my mother had been my      
grave6 ,cursed be the day wherein ,i was
 born8  ,if language cannot express the 
love and gratitude we owe to the        
,saviour1 let our lives do so4 ,shallow 
streams run brawling over their pebbly  
beds1 but the broad1 deep river pursues 
its course in silence to the sea2 and so
 is it with our strongest1 deepest      
feelings4 ,great joy like great sorrow1 
great gladness like great grief1 great  
admiration like great detestation1 take 
breath and speech away4 ,on first seeing
 ,mont ,blanc as the sun rose to light  
up his summit and irradiate another and 
another snow-clad pinnacle1 ,i remember 
the silent group who had left their     
couches to witness and watch the        
glorious scene3 before its majesty and  
magnificence all were for awhile dumb1  
opening not the mouth4 ,i have read1    
when travellers reached the crest of the
 hill1 and first looked down on         
,jerusalem1--the scene of our ,saviour's

 sorrow1 the garden that heard ,his     
groans1 the city that led ,him out to   
die1 the soil that was bedewed with ,his
 tears and crimsoned with ,his          
blood1--how their hearts were too full  
for utterance4 ,if a sight of the city  
where ,he died so affects ,christians1  
as the scenes of ,his last hours rush on
 their memory and rise vividly to their 
imagination1 how will they look on that 
scene where1 surrounded by ten times ten
 thousand saints and thousands of       
angels1 ,he reigns in glory6 ,i can     
fancy the saint who has shut his eyes on
 earth to open them in heaven1 standing 
speechless2 and as the flood of music   
fills his ear1 and the blaze of glory   
his eye1 and the thought of what he owes
 to ,jesus his heart1--,i can fancy him 
laying the crown1 which he has received 
from his ,saviour's hands1 in silent    
gratitude at ,his feet2 and as he       
recovers speech1 and sees hell and its  
torments beneath him1 earth and its     
sorrows behind him1 an eternity of      

unchequered1 unchanging bliss1 before   
him1--,i can fancy the first words that 
break from his grateful lips will be1   
,glory to ,god1 glory to ,god in the    
highest6 ,never till then1 nowhere but  
there1 will our praise be worthy of     
,jesus and ,his redemption4 ,meanwhile1 
let ,him who demonstrates ,god's highest
 glory and fills heaven's highest       
throne1 hold the highest place in our   
hearts4 ,let us surround ,his name with 
the highest honours2 and1 laying our    
time and talents1 our faculties and our 
affections1 our wealth1 and fame1 and   
fortunes at ,his feet1 crown ,him ,lord 
of all4     ,,part ,,iii4   ,some years 
ago the question which agitated the     
heart of ,europe was1 ,peace or ,war8   
,the interests of commerce1 the lives of
 thousands1 the fate of kingdoms1       
trembled in the balance4 ,navies rode at
 anchor1 and opposing armies1 like two  
black thunder-clouds1 waited for        
statesmen to issue from the             
council-chamber1 bearing the sword or   

the olive-branch4 ,esteeming the        
arbitrament of battle one which         
necessity only could justify1 ,britain  
longed for peace2 but1 with ships ready 
to slip their cables1 and soldiers      
standing by their guns1 she was grimly  
prepared for war4 ,had ambassadors from 
the nation with which we were ready to  
join issue approached our shores at this
 crisis1 what eager crowds would have   
attended their advent1 and how          
impatiently would they have waited the  
course of events6 ,and had peace been   
the result of the conference1 how would 
the tidings1 as they passed from mouth  
to mouth1 and were flashed by the       
telegraph from town to town1 have filled
 and moved the land6 ,the pale student  
would have forgot his books1 the anxious
 merchant his speculations1 the trader  
his shop1 the tradesman his craft1 tired
 labour her toils1 happy children their 
toys1 and even the bereaved their       
griefs2 and like the whirlpool1 which   
sucks straws and sea-weed1 boats and    

gallant ships--all things1 big or       
small--into its mighty vortex1 the news 
would have absorbed all other subjects4 
,the one topic of conversation at       
churches and theatres1 at marriages and 
funerals1 in halls and cottages1 in     
crowded cities and in lonely glens2     
ministers had carried it in their       
sermons to the pulpit1 and devout       
,christians in their thanksgivings to   
the ,throne of ,grace4  ,in a much      
greater crisis1 where the stakes were   
deeper1 the question being not one of   
peace or war between man and man1 but   
between man and ,god1 an embassy from   
heaven reached the borders of our world4
 ,unlike ,elijah1 rough in dress1 of    
aspect stern and speech severe1 whose   
appearance struck ,ahab with terror1 and
 wrung from the pale lips of the        
conscience-stricken king the cry1 ,hast 
thou found me1 ,o mine enemy8--unlike   
,jonah as he walked the wondering       
streets1 and woke their echoes with his 
doleful cry1 ,yet forty days1 and       

,nineveh shall be destroyed1--the       
ambassadors were a multitude of shining 
angels4 ,leaving the gates of heaven1   
they winged their flight down the starry
 sky to descend and hover above the     
fields of ,bethlehem1 and in the form of
 a song1 as became such joyful tidings1 
to proclaim news of ,peace--their song1 
,glory to ,god in the highest1 on earth 
peace1 good-will toward men4 ,nothing   
presents a more remarkable example of   
much in little than these few but       
weighty words4 ,in small crystals1 that 
coat1 as with shining frost-work1 the   
sides of a vessel1 we have all the salts
 which give perpetual freshness to the  
ocean1 their life to the weeds that     
clothe its rocks1 and to the fish that  
swim its depths and shallows4 ,in some  
drops of oil distilled from rose-leaves 
of ,indian lands1 and valued at many    
times their weight in gold1 we have     
enclosed within one small phial the     
perfume of a whole field of roses--that 
which1 diffused through ten thousand    

leaves1 gave every flower its fragrance4
 ,essences1 as they are called1 present1
 in a concentrated form1 the peculiar   
properties of leaves or flowers or      
fruits1 of the animal1 vegetable1 or    
earthly bodies from which they are      
extracted2 and1 like these1 this hymn   
presents the whole gospel in a single   
sentence4 ,here is the ,bible1 the      
scheme of redeeming love1 that grand    
work which saved a lost world1 gladdened
 angels in heaven1 confounded devils in 
hell1 and engaged the highest attributes
 of the ,godhead1 summed up in one      
short1 glorious1 glowing paragraph4 ,for
 what so much as the gospel1 what1      
indeed1 but the gospel1 yields ,jehovah 
the highest glory1 blesses our earth    
with peace1 and expresses ,heaven's     
good-will to the sons of men8 ,such were
 the ambassadors1 and such the          
embassage6  ,when the king of ,babylon1 
hearing how the shadow had travelled    
back ten degrees on the dial of ,ahaz1  
sent ambassadors to ,hezekiah to inquire

 about this strange phenomenon1         
,hezekiah received them with the        
greatest respect2 paid them honours1    
indeed1 which cost both him and his     
country dear4 ,the news of an embassy   
having come to ,joshua spread like      
wildfire among the ,israelites1 moving  
the whole camp4 ,seized with eager      
curiosity1 all ran to hear what the     
strangers had to say1 and gaze with     
wonder on their soiled and ragged dress1
 their clouted shoes and mouldy bread4  
,the herald angels1 though arrayed in   
heavenly splendours1 and bringing glad  
tidings of peace1 were received with no 
such honours1 excited no such interest4 
,strange and sad omen of the            
indifference with which many would hear 
the gospel6 ,while angels sung1 the     
world slept2 and none but some wakeful  
watchers heard their voices or beheld   
this splendid vision4 ,they were humble 
shepherds1 to whom the ambassadors of   
heaven delivered their message2 and it  
may be well to pause and look at those  

who were privileged and honoured to hear
 it4 ,we do not pretend to know         
certainly the reasons why ,god1 who     
giveth no account of ,his ways1         
conferred an honour so distinguished on 
them rather than on others4 ,but we may 
guess2 and in any case may find the     
employment profitable and instructive1  
if we are wise enough to find sermons in
 stones1 books in the running brooks1   
and good in everything4     ,v4  ,,they 
,,were ,,men ,,of ,a ,,peaceful         
,,calling4   ,the highest view of the   
profession of arms is1 that the soldier1
 deterring evil-doers and maintaining   
order at home1 on the one hand1 and     
prepared1 on the other1 to resist       
hostile invasion1 is in reality1        
notwithstanding his deadly weapons and  
warlike garb1 an officer or instrument  
of peace4 ,a day is coming--alas6 with  
the roar of cannon booming across the   
ocean1 how far distant it seems6--when  
,christianity shall exert a paramount   
influence throughout all the world3     

then1 tyrants having ceased to reign1   
and slaves to groan1 and nations to     
suffer from the lust of gold or power1  
this beautiful picture of the prophet   
shall become a reality3 ,the whole      
earth1 said the seer1 is at rest1 and is
 quiet2 they break forth into singing4  
,till then1 paradoxical though it       
appears1 the cause of peace may be pled 
with most effect by the mouths of       
cannon4 ,fitness for war is often the   
strongest security for peace2 and a     
nation whose wishes and interests both  
run in the direction of peace1 may find 
no way of warning restless and          
unprincipled and ambitious neighbours   
that it is not to be touched with       
impunity1 but by showing itself1        
thistle-like1 all bristling over with   
bayonets4 ,necessity1 said ,paul1 is    
laid on me to preach4 ,it may be laid on
 a people to fight4 ,nor1 when the sword
 has been drawn in a good cause1 has    
,god refused ,his sanction to that last1
 terrible resort4 ,it was ,he who       

imparted strength to the arm before     
whose resistless sweep the ,philistines 
fell in swathes1 like grass to the      
mower's scythe4 ,it was ,he who guided  
the stone that1 shot from ,david's      
sling1 buried itself in the giant's     
brow4 ,it was ,he who gave its          
earthquake-power to the blast of the    
horns which levelled the walls of       
,jericho with the ground4 ,and when     
night came down to cover the retreat of 
the ,amorites and their allies1 it was  
,he who interposed to secure the bloody 
fruits of victory--saying1 as eloquently
 put by a rustic preacher1 ',fight on1  
my servant ,joshua1 and ,i will hold the
 lights2' and 'the sun stood still on   
,gibeon1 and the moon in the valley of  
,ajalon4' ,admitting war to be an awful 
scourge1 these cases show that the      
duties of a soldier are not inconsistent
 with the calling of a ,christian4  ,yet
 it was over no battle-field1 the most  
sacred to truth and liberty1 these      
angels hovered2 no blazing homesteads   

nor burning cities shed their lurid     
gleam on the skies they made radiant    
with light2 nor was it where their sweet
 voices strangely mingled with the clash
 of arms and the shouts of charging     
squadrons that they sang of glory1      
good-will1 and peace4 ,this had been out
 of keeping with the congruity which    
characterises all ,god's works of       
nature1 and which will be found equally 
characteristic of ,his works of         
providence and grace4 ,as was meet1 the 
glad tidings of peace were announced to 
men who were engaged in an eminently    
peaceful occupation2 who passed tranquil
 lives amid the quietness of the solemn 
hills1 far removed alike from the       
ambitious strife of cities and the      
bloody spectacles of war4 ,lying amid   
the solitudes of the mountains1 where no
 sounds fall on the ear but the bleating
 of flocks1 the lowing of cattle1 the   
hum of bees1 the baying of a watch-dog  
from the lonely homestead1 the murmur of
 hidden rills1 the everlasting rush of  

the waterfall as it plunges flashing    
into its dark1 foaming pool1 pastoral   
are eminently peaceful scenes4 ,indeed1 
the best emblem of peace which a great  
painter has been able to present he owes
 to them--it is a picture of a quiet    
glen1 with a lamb licking the rusty lips
 of a dismounted gun1 while the flocks  
around crop the grass that waves above  
the slain4  ,apt scholars of the devil1 
wicked men have used ,holy ,scripture to
 justify the most impious crimes4       
,others1 with more fancy than judgment1 
have drawn the most absurd conclusions  
from its facts2 but we seem warranted to
 conclude1 that by selecting shepherds  
to receive the first tidings of ,jesus' 
birth1 apart from the circumstance that 
they were ,christ's own favourite types 
of ,himself1 ,god intended to confer    
special honour on the cause1 and        
encourage the lovers and advocates of   
peace4 ,deer are furnished by nature    
with horns1 dogs with teeth1 eagles with
 talons1 serpents with poison1 and bees 

with stings2 but men have no weapons of 
offence4 ,yet1 acting under the dominion
 of their lusts1 men have a passion for 
fighting1 and1 easily fired with the    
spirit1 and dazzled with the glory of   
war1 are ready to abandon arguments for 
blows2 and ,i cannot but think that ,he 
who would not permit ,david1 the man    
after ,his own heart1 to build ,him a   
house because he had been a man of      
blood1 conferred this honour on these   
humble shepherds because they were men  
of peace4 ,whether it be with ,himself  
or our own consciences1 in the midst of 
our families1 among our neighbours1 or  
between nation and nation1 ,he enjoins  
us to cultivate peace3 in ,his own      
emphatic words1 we are to seek peace and
 pursue it4     ,,vi4  ,,they ,,were    
,,men ,,of ,,humble ,,rank4   ,many in  
humble1 as well as in more coveted      
circumstances1 are discontented with    
their position4 ,they repine at their   
lot1 and murmur against the ,providence 
which has assigned it4 ,this is not only

 wicked but absurd1 since true happiness
 lies much less in changing our         
condition than in making the best of it1
 whatever it be4 ,besides1 ,god says1 ,i
 will make a man more precious than fine
 gold2 even a man than the golden wedge 
of ,ophir2 and the estimate which ,he   
forms of us turns in no respect whatever
 on the place we fill4 ,one artist      
paints a grand1 another a common1 or    
even a mean1 subject2 but we settle     
their comparative merits1 praising this 
one and condemning that1 not by the     
subjects they paint1 but by the way they
 paint them4 ,to borrow an illustration 
from the stage1 7as ,paul did from      
heathen games17 one player1 tricked out 
in regal state1 with robes1 and crown1  
and sceptre1 performs the part of a     
king1 and another that only of a common 
soldier or country boor2 yet the        
applause of the audience is not given to
 the parts the actors play1 but to the  
way they play them4 ,even so1 it is not 
the place that man fills1 whether high  

or humble1 but the way he fills it to   
which ,god has1 and we should have1 most
 regard4  ,not that we would reduce the 
inequalities of society any more than   
those of the earth1 with its varied     
features of swelling hill and lovely    
dale1 to one dull1 long1 common level4  
,death1 the great grim leveller1 does   
that office both for cottagers and      
kings4 ,let it be left to the sexton's  
spade4 ,the mountains which give shelter
 to the valleys1 and gather the rains   
that fill their rivers and fertilise    
their pastures1 have important uses in  
nature1 and so have the corresponding   
heights of rank and wealth and power in 
society4 ,setting our affections on     
things above1 let us be content to wait 
for the honours and rest of heaven2 let 
us seek to be good rather than great2 to
 be rich in faith rather than in wealth2
 to stand high in ,god's esteem rather  
than in man's2 saying1 with ,paul1 ,i   
have learned in whatsoever state ,i am1 
therewith to be content2--or singing    

with the boy in the ,pilgrim's          
,progress1 who1 meanly clad1 but with a 
fresh and well-favoured countenance1 fed
 his father's sheep1--      ,he that is 
down needs fear no fall2       ,he that 
is low1 no pride2     ,he that is humble
 ever shall       ,have ,god to be his  
guide4      ,i am content with what ,i  
have1       ,little be it or much2      
,and1 ,lord1 contentment still ,i crave1
       ,because thou savest such4  ,do  
you hear him8 said the guide4 ,i will   
dare to say that this boy lives a       
merrier life1 and wears more of that    
herb called heart's-ease in his bosom1  
than he that is clad in silk and velvet4
  ,why should a man blush for his humble
 origin8 ,the ,saviour's mother was a   
poor woman2 and no head ever lay in a   
meaner cradle than the manger where     
,mary laid her first-born--the ,son of  
the ,most ,high ,god4 ,why should any be
 ashamed of honest poverty8 ,men of     
immortal names1 the apostles1 were      
called from the lowest ranks1 and went  

forth to conquer and convert the world  
without a penny in their purse4 ,was not
 our ,lord himself poor8 ,he earned ,his
 bread1 and ate it1 with the sweat of   
,his brow1 while others lay luxuriously 
on down2 ,he had often no other roof    
than the open sky1 or warmer bed than   
the dewy ground2 and never had else to  
entertain ,his guests than the coarsest 
and most common fare--barley-loaves and 
a few small fishes4 ,though rich in the 
wealth of ,godhead1 with the resources  
of heaven and of earth at ,his sovereign
 command1 poverty attended ,his steps   
like ,his shadow1 along the way from a  
humble cradle to a bloody grave4 ,he    
made ,himself poor that ,he might make  
us rich2 and it seemed meet that to poor
 rather than to rich men ,god should    
reveal the advent of ,him who came to   
enrich the poor1 whether kings or       
beggars1 peers or peasants4 ,as if to   
censure the respect paid to rank apart  
from merit1 or to wealth apart from     
worth1 ,he who has no respect for       

persons honoured in these shepherds     
honest poverty and humble virtue4 ,they 
received ambassadors not accredited to  
sovereigns2 as cottages1 not palaces1   
housed ,him whom the heavens have       
received1 and the heaven of heavens     
cannot contain4     ,,vii4  ,,they      
,,were ,,men ,,engaged ,,in ,,common    
,,duties4   ,mothers cumbered with a    
load of domestic cares1 merchants       
worried with business1 statesmen charged
 with their country's affairs1 and      
thousands who have a daily fight to keep
 the wolf from the door1 fancy that1 if 
they enjoyed the leisure some have1 and 
could bestow more time on divine things1
 they would be more religious than they 
are1 and1 rising to higher1 calmer      
elevations of thought and temper1 would 
maintain a nearer communion with ,god4  
,it may reconcile such to their duties  
to observe how the men were employed on 
whom ,god bestowed this unexpected and  
exalted honour4 ,they were engaged in   
the ordinary business of their earthly  

calling2 of a hard and humble one4      
,types of ,him to whose care ,his people
 owe their safety amid the temptations1 
and their support amid the trials of    
life1 these shepherds were watching     
their flocks2 peering through the gloom 
of night2 listening for the stealthy    
step of the robber2 ready1 starting to  
their feet1 to beat off the sneaking    
wolf1 or bravely battle with the roaring
 lion4  ,he whose sun shines as brightly
 on the lowliest as on the stateliest   
flower1 regards with complacency the    
humblest man who wins his daily bread1  
and discharges the duties of his        
station1 whatever they be1 in such a way
 as to glorify ,god and be of advantage 
to his fellow-creatures4 ,heaven1 as    
this case brilliantly illustrates1 is   
never nearer men1 nor are they ever     
nearer it1 than in those fields or      
workshops1 where1 with honest purpose   
and a good conscience1 they are         
diligently pursuing their ordinary      
avocations4 ,no doubt--for ,god does not

 cast ,his pearls before swine--these   
shepherds were pious men4 ,one passing a
 night in their humble dwellings would  
have seen the father with reverent mien 
gather his household to prayer2 and one 
passing these uplands1 where they held  
their watch1 might have heard their     
voices swaying on the midnight air1 as  
they sang together the psalms of ,david 
amid the very scenes where he tuned his 
harp and fed his father's flocks4 ,but  
people are too apt to suppose that      
religion lies mainly1 if not            
exclusively1 in prayers1 reading the    
,bible1 listening to sermons1 and       
attending on sacraments2 in time spent1 
or work done1 or offerings made1 or     
sacrifices endured1 for what are called1
 in common language1 religious objects4 
,these are the means1 not the end4 ,he  
who rises from his knees to his daily   
task1 and1 with an eye not so much to   
please men as ,god1 does it well1       
carries divine worship to the workshop1 
and throws a sacred halo around the     

ordinary secularities of life4 ,that1   
indeed1 may be the highest expression of
 religion2 just as it is the highest    
expression of devoted loyalty to leave  
the precincts of the court and the      
presence of the sovereign1 to endure the
 hardships of a campaign1 and stand in  
soiled and tattered regimentals by the  
king's colours amid the deadly hail of  
battle4 ,he who goes to common duties in
 a devout and ,christian spirit proves  
his loyalty to ,god2 and1 as this case  
proves1 is of all men the most likely to
 be favoured with tokens of the ,divine 
presence--communications of grace which 
will sustain his patience under a life  
of toil1 and fit him for the rest that  
remaineth for the people of ,god4       
,,part ,,iv4   ,mingled with its        
rattling shingle1 the sea-beach bears   
hazel-nuts and fir-tops--things which   
once belonged to the blue hills that    
rise far inland on the horizon4 ,dropped
 into the brooks of bosky glens1 they   
have been swept into the river1 to      

arrive1 after many windings and long    
wanderings1 at the ocean2 to be         
afterwards washed ashore with shells and
 wreck and sea-weed4 ,the ,gulf ,stream1
 whose waters by a beautiful arrangement
 of ,providence bring the heat of       
southern latitudes to temper the wintry 
rigour of the north1 throws objects on  
the western coasts of ,europe which have
 performed longer voyages--fruits and   
forest-trees that have travelled the    
breadth of the ,atlantic1 casting the   
productions of the ,new ,world on the   
shores of the ,old4  ,like these1 the   
record of events which happened in the  
earliest ages of the world has been     
carried along the course of time1 and   
spread by the diverging streams of      
population over the whole surface of the
 globe4 ,the facts are1 as was to be    
expected1 always more or less changed1  
and often1 indeed1 fragmentary4 ,still1 
like old coins1 which retain traces of  
their original effigies and             
inscriptions1 these traditions possess a

 high historic value4 ,their remarkable 
correspondence with the statements of   
the ,bible confirms our faith in its    
divinity2 and their being common to     
nations of habits the most diverse1 and 
of habitations separated from each other
 by the whole breadth of the earth1     
proves the unity of our race4 ,if they  
cannot be regarded as pillars1 they are 
buttresses of the truth2 being          
inexplicable on any theory but that     
which infidelity has so often1 but      
always vainly1 assailed1 namely1 that   
all ,scripture is given by inspiration  
of ,god1 and that ,he has made of one   
blood all the nations of the earth4  ,to
 take some examples4 ,look1 for         
instance1 at a custom common among the  
,red ,indians1 ages before white men had
 crossed the sea and carried the ,bible 
to their shores6 ,at the birth of a     
child1 as ,humboldt relates1 a fire was 
kindled on the floor of the hut1 and a  
vessel of water placed beside it2 but   
not with the murderous intent of those  

savage tribes who practise infanticide1 
and1 pressed by hunger1 destroy their   
children to save their food4 ,the infant
 here was first plunged into the        
water--buried1 as we should say1 in     
baptism2 and afterwards swept rapidly   
and unharmed through the flaming fire4  
,a very remarkable rite2 and one that1  
as we read the story1 recalled to mind  
this double baptism1 ,he shall baptize  
you1 said ,jesus1 with the ,holy ,ghost 
and with fire2 ,except a man be born of 
water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot see 
the kingdom of ,god4 ,its administration
 to infants1 to such as had committed no
 sin1 nor knew1 indeed1 their right hand
 from their left1 implied a belief in   
the presence1 not of acquired1 but of   
original impurity4 ,it is based on that2
 and without it this rite is not only   
mysterious1 but meaningless4 ,blind is  
the eye which does not see in this old  
pagan ceremony a tradition of the       
primeval ,fall1 and dull the ear which  
does not hear in its voice no faint echo

 of these words1 ,i was shapen in       
iniquity1 and in sin did my mother      
conceive me4444 ,create in me a clean   
heart1 ,o ,god2 and renew a right spirit
 within me4  ,like the ,fall1 the ,flood
 also was an event which1 though it may 
have worn no channel in the rocks1 has  
left indelible traces of its presence on
 the memory of mankind4 ,the ,greeks had
 strange traditions of this awful       
judgment2 so had the ,romans2 and so had
 almost all the heathen nations of      
antiquity--strange legends1 to which the
 ,bible supplies the only key4 ,its     
account of the ,deluge explains the     
traditions1 and the traditions          
corroborate it2 and by their general    
mutual correspondence we are confirmed  
in our belief that its authors were holy
 men of old1 who spoke as they were     
moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,to evade    
this argument1 infidels may trace these 
legends to ,jews1 who1 led captive of   
the heathen1 related to them the ,mosaic
 story1 and took advantage of man's love

 of the marvellous to practise on his   
credulity4 ,the attempt is vain2 since1 
on turning from the ,old ,world to the  
,new1 we find the very same traditions  
there2 and there1 long ages before ,jew 
or ,christian knew of its existence1 or 
had landed on its shores4 ,those        
paintings which were to ,mexicans and   
,peruvians substitutes for history1 for 
a written or printed language1 embody   
the story of the ,flood4 ,one of these  
pictures1 for example1 shows us a man   
afloat with his family in a rude boat on
 a shoreless sea2 in another1 the raven 
of ,bible story is cleaving on black    
wing the murky sky2 in a third1 the     
heads of the hills appear in the        
background like islands emerging from   
the waste of waters1 while1 with such   
confusion as is inseparable from        
traditionary lore1 the raven is         
substituted for the dove1 and appears   
making its way to the lone tenants of   
the boat with evidence of the subsidence
 of the waters--a fir-cone in its bloody

 beak4 ,rolled down the long stream of  
ages1 the true history is more or less  
changed1 and even fragmentary1 like a   
water-worn stone4 ,still1 between these 
traditionary records and ,bible story   
there is a remarkable agreement4 ,they  
sound like its echo4 ,in them pagan     
voices proclaim the holiness of ,god4   
,lest we also should perish with those  
who1 looking on the placid sea and      
starry sky of the ,old ,world's last    
night1 asked1 ,where is the promise of  
,his coming8 they warn us to flee from  
wrath to come4  ,of all these venerable 
legends painted in colours or embalmed  
in verse1 written in story or sculptured
 on stone1 none are more remarkable than
 those where the serpent appears4 ,old  
divines imagined that the creature whose
 shape ,satan borrowed for the          
temptation had originally no malignant  
aspect2 neither the poisoned fangs1 nor 
eyes of fire1 nor cold1 scaly1 wriggling
 form which man and beast recoil from   
with instinctive horror4 ,they fancied  

that the curse1 ,upon thy belly shalt   
thou go1 and dust shalt thou eat1 was   
followed by a sudden metamorphosis1 and 
that till then the appearance of the    
serpent was as lovely as it is now      
loathsome4 ,they gave the words of the  
curse a literal interpretation4 ,they   
bear a deeper meaning1 no doubt2 yet the
 fancy of these old divines may have    
approached nearer to fact than many     
perhaps suppose4 ,science reads the     
history of remote ages as she finds it  
inscribed on the rocks2 and1 on turning 
over these stony leaves1 we find that   
the earliest form of the serpent was    
different from that which1 as it crawls 
and wriggles along the ground1 so       
forcibly recalls the very words of the  
curse4 ,though they have now only such  
powers of motion as belong to the       
meanest worm1 those skeletons which the 
rocks entomb show that the serpent tribe
 had once feet to walk with1 and even   
wings to spurn the ground and cleave the
 air4 ,such is the testimony of the     

rocks6 ,and1 taking the words of        
,scripture in their literal sense1 there
 is1 to say the least of it1 a very     
curious coincidence between the voices  
of the rocks and the voice of           
revelation4 ,but1 be that as it may1    
what else but fragmentary traditions of 
,eden and the ,fall are the forms of    
serpent worship among the heathen1 who  
acted1 as they still often act1 on the  
principle of propitiating the powers of 
evil1 the many old monuments on which   
its figure is sculptured1 and the many  
old legends in which it plays a         
conspicuous part8 ,what else was the    
belief of our pagan fathers1 that within
 a dark cave in the bowels of the earth 
there sat a great scaly dragon1 brooding
 on gold8 ,what else was the fabled     
garden of the ,hesperides1 where the    
trees1 guarded by a fierce and          
formidable serpent1 bore apples of gold8
 ,what else was the tragic story of a   
father and his sons dying by the bites  
and crushed within the scaly folds of a 

coil of serpents2 and on which1 as      
touchingly represented in the sculptured
 marble1 we have never looked without   
recalling the fate of ,adam and his     
unhappy offspring8 ,and what else is the
 old legend of him who with rash hand   
sowed serpent's teeth1 and saw spring   
from the soil1 not clustering vines1 or 
feathery palms1 or stalks of waving     
corn1 but a crop of swords1 and spears1 
and armed men8 ,read that fable by the  
light of the ,bible1 and the wild legend
 stands out the record of an awful fact4
 ,to the serpent the world owes it wars1
 and discords1 and the sin which is     
their source4 ,disguised in its form1   
,satan brought in sin2 and when sin     
entered on the scene1 peace             
departed--peace between ,god and man1   
peace between man and man1 peace between
 man and himself--the peace which1 with 
all its blessings1 ,he descended from   
heaven to restore who is our ,peace1 and
 whom angels ushered on the scene of    
,his toils and triumphs1 of ,his atoning

 death and glorious victory1 with songs 
of ,glory to ,god in the highest1 and on
 earth peace1 good-will toward men4     
,,viii4  ,,jesus ,,restores ,,peace     
,,between ,,god ,,and ,,man4   ,there   
are things which ,god cannot do--which  
it were not to honour but dishonour ,him
 to believe ,he could4 ,he can neither  
tempt1 nor be tempted1 to sin4 ,the     
sinner ,he may love1 but not his sin2   
that is impossible2 as the prophet      
expresses it1 ,thou art of purer eyes   
than to behold evil1 and canst not look 
on iniquity4 ,indeed1 ,i would as soon  
believe that ,god could condemn a holy  
spirit to the pains of hell1 as admit a 
guilty one1 unjustified and             
unsanctified1 to the joys of heaven4 ,in
 that terrible indictment which ,god    
thunders out against ,israel by the     
mouth of ,ezekiel1 ,he says1 ,thou art  
the land which is not cleansed4 ,her    
princes in the midst thereof are like   
wolves ravening the prey1 to shed blood1
 and to destroy souls1 to get dishonest 

gain4 ,her prophets have daubed them    
with untempered mortar1 saying1 ,thus   
saith the ,lord ,god1 when the ,lord    
hath not spoken4 ,the people of the land
 have used oppression1 and exercised    
robbery1 and have vexed the poor and    
needy2 therefore have ,i poured out mine
 indignation upon them2 ,i have consumed
 them with the fire of my wrath3 their  
own way have ,i recompensed upon their  
heads1 saith the ,lord4 ,so he arraigns 
this and the other class4 ,and how of   
the priests8 ,her priests have violated 
my law1 and have profaned mine holy     
things3 they have put no difference     
between the holy and profane1 neither   
have they showed difference between the 
unclean and the clean4 ,he censures ,his
 servants for not separating between the
 clean and unclean2 and it insults ,him 
to suppose that ,he could do in ,his own
 practice what ,he condemns in theirs4  
,events1 such as old murders brought to 
light1 ever and anon occur to show that 
,god's mill1 as runs the proverb1 though

 it grinds slow1 grinds sure2 yet       
because ,he does not execute judgment   
speedily on workers of iniquity--giving 
them space to repent2 because ,he often 
seems1 like one far remote from earth1  
to treat its crimes and virtues with    
equal indifference1 men have not        
believed these solemn words1 ,there is  
no peace1 saith my ,god1 to the wicked4 
,but let the wicked hear ,his words1 and
 take the warning1 ,thou hatest         
instruction2 thou castest ,my words     
behind thee4 ,when thou sawest a thief1 
then thou consentedst with him4 ,thou   
hast been partaker with adulterers4     
,thou givest thy mouth to evil1 and thy 
tongue practiseth deceit4 ,thou sittest 
and speakest against thy brother2 thou  
slanderest thine own mother's son4      
,these things hast thou done1 and ,i    
kept silence2 thou thoughtest that ,i   
was altogether such an one as thyself3  
but ,i will reprove thee1 and set them  
in order before thine eyes4 ,consider   
this1 ye that forget ,god1 lest ,i tear 

you in pieces1 and there be none to     
deliver4  ,the universal conscience of  
mankind is stricken with a sense of     
guilt4 ,alarmed by an instinctive sense 
of danger1 men have felt the need of    
reconciliation2 and1 under a sense of   
,his displeasure1 have everywhere1 and  
in all ages1 sought to make their peace 
with ,god4 ,for this end altars were    
raised and temples built2 sacrifices    
offered1 and penances endured4 ,if the  
colossal structures of ,egypt1 and the  
lovely temples of ,greece and ,rome1    
were erected1 as well to adorn the state
 as to please the gods1 it was less to  
please approving1 than to appease angry 
divinities1 that their courts resounded 
with the cries of victims1 and smoking  
altars ran red with blood4 ,so much did 
the heathen feel their need of peace1   
such store did they set by it1 that many
 of them sought it at any price4 ,they  
would buy peace at any cost2 nor did    
they shrink from giving all their       
fortune1 even the fruit of their body1  

for the sin of their souls4 ,for peace  
with ,god the ,hindoo walked to his     
distant temples in sandals that1 set    
with spikes1 pierced his flesh at every 
step1 and marked all the long1 slow1    
painful journey with a track of blood2  
for peace with ,god the ,syrian led his 
sweet boy up to the fires of ,moloch1   
and1 unmoved in purpose by cries1 or    
curses1 or passionate entreaties1 cast  
him shrieking on the burning pile2 for  
peace with ,god the ,indian mother      
approached the river's brink with       
streaming tears and trembling steps1    
and1 tearing the suckling from her      
bursting heart1 kissed it1 to turn away 
her eyes1 and fling it into the flood4  
,we pity their ignorance4 ,but how do   
they rebuke the indifference of many2   
their unwillingness to submit to any    
sacrifice whatever for the honour of    
,jesus and the interests of their souls8
 ,these heathens may pity thousands whom
 they shall rise up in judgment to      
condemn4 ,neglecting the great          

salvation1 preferring the pleasures of  
sin1 what a contrast do these offer to a
 poor ,hindoo1 who1 hearing a missionary
 tell of the blood of ,christ1 sprang   
from the ground1 and1 loosing his bloody
 sandals1 flung them away to exclaim1   
,now1 now ,i have found what ,i want6   
,the peace which he found all men want1 
and shall find in ,jesus1 if they seek  
it honestly1 earnestly4 ,god has no     
pleasure in the death of the wicked4 ,he
 never had4 ,we pronounce him an        
unnatural father1 who1 on a breach      
occurring between him and his child1    
though he is the injured and not the    
injurer1 does not long to be            
reconciled--is not the first to make    
advances and overtures of peace4 ,in    
this feature of the parental character  
,god has stamped upon our hearts the    
beautiful image of ,his own4 ,yearning  
over them as the kind old man over his  
wayward prodigal1 his exiled child1 ,god
 was willing to receive back sinners to 
,his arms2 to reinstate them in ,his    

family1 and restore them to ,his favour4
 ,but how was this to be done8--done    
without dishonour to ,his holy law1 and 
with due regard to ,his character as a  
,god of truth4 ,he had said1 ,the soul  
that sinneth shall die2 nor could peace 
be restored between ,him and man but on 
such terms as maintained ,his truth4 ,a 
father or mother punishes one child1 and
 allows another1 guilty of the same     
offence1 to go free4 ,but had ,god cast 
fallen angels into hell1 and1 without   
any regard to ,his word1 admitted fallen
 men to heaven1 what had angels1 what   
had devils1 what had men themselves     
thought of a ,god who conducted his     
government with such caprice--playing   
fast and loose with ,his most solemn    
words8 ,the way of the ,lord1 said      
ancient ,israel1 is not equal2 and in   
such a case there had been ground for   
the charge1 and none for the indignation
 with which ,he repels it1 saying1 ,hear
 now1 ,o ,israel1 is not my way equal8  
are not yours unequal8  ,there was only 

one way of restoring peace2 but it      
involved a sacrifice on ,god's part     
which the most sanguine had never dared 
to hope for4 ,if the ,lord of heaven and
 earth1 veiling ,his glory1 would assume
 our nature1 would take the form of a   
servant1 would stoop to the work of a   
subject1 would die the death of a       
sinner1 we might be saved--not          
otherwise2 if ,he would leave heaven1 we
 might enter it--not otherwise2 if ,he  
would die1 we might live--not otherwise2
 if ,he would enter the grave its       
captor1 we might leave it its           
conquerors--not otherwise2 if ,he1 as   
our substitute1 would fulfil the        
requirements of the law1 both in doing  
our work and discharging our debt1 both 
obeying and suffering in our stead1     
peace could be restored--not otherwise4 
,for these ends ,god did not spare ,his 
,son1 but gave ,him up to death1 that   
whosoever believeth in him might not    
perish1 but have everlasting life2 and  
the set time having come at length1     

,jesus descended on our world1 to make  
peace through the blood of ,his         
cross--,his angel-train1 ere they       
returned to heaven1 holding a concert in
 the skies4  ,dying1 the just for the   
unjust1 ,he has made peace2 and these   
are the easy terms1 ,believe on the     
,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and thou shalt be 
saved4 ,how gladly should we accept     
them8 ,if men reject peace1 what chance 
for them in war8 ,hast thou an arm like 
,god8 ,canst thou thunder with a voice  
like him8 ,let the potsherds strive with
 the potsherds of the earth2 but woe to 
the man who striveth with his ,maker6   
,he has proclaimed a truce--granting a  
suspension of arms1 and offering most   
generous proposals of peace4 ,how should
 men improve the pause1 and accept the  
overtures6--as eagerly seizing salvation
 through the cross of ,christ as a      
drowning man life through the rope some 
kind hand flings within his reach4 ,in  
warfare patriots have stood up gallantly
 against overwhelming odds1 and1 closing

 their broken ranks1 have said1 ,better 
fall on the field1 better lose life than
 honour2 but when sinners1 dropping the 
weapons of rebellion1 yield themselves  
up to ,god1 honour is not lost1 but won1
 in a crown that fadeth not away4 ,brave
 men have said1 ,better fight to the    
last1 die with our swords in our hands1 
than become captives to pine away a     
weary1 ignoble life within the walls of 
a prison2 but when the sinner gives     
himself up to ,god1 he goes not to exile
 but home2 not to chains and a dungeon1 
but to glorious freedom1 a palace1 and a
 throne4 ,god asks you to give up your  
sins that they1 not you1 may be slain4  
,it is of them1 not of you1 ,he says1   
,but those mine enemies which would not 
that ,i should reign over them1 bring   
hither1 and slay them before me6  ,in   
these circumstances1 oh for the wisdom  
of her who showed herself on the city   
walls in the thick of the assault1      
crying to ,joab1 ,hear1 hear1 come near 
hither1 ,i pray you1 that ,i may speak  

with thee6 ,a woman's figure there1 her 
voice sounding above the thunder of the 
captains and the shouting1 suspends the 
attack4 ,assailants and assailed alike  
rest on their arms2 and as one marked as
 a leader by his plume and bearing1     
covered with the dust and blood of      
battle1 steps forward1 she bends over   
the battlements to ask1 ,art thou ,joab8
 ,i am he1 is the reply4 ,then hear the 
words of thy handmaid1 she cries2 ,i am 
one of them that are peaceable and      
faithful in ,israel3 thou seekest to    
destroy a city and a mother in ,israel6 
,he solemnly repudiates the charge4 ,far
 be it from me1 he answers1 that ,i     
should swallow up and destroy4 ,the     
matter is not so3 but a man of ,mount   
,ephraim1 ,sheba1 the son of ,bichri1   
hath lifted up his hand against the     
king1 against ,david3 deliver him only1 
and ,i will depart from the city4 ,she  
accepts the terms2 and saying ,behold1  
his head shall be thrown to thee over   
the wall--vanishes4 ,prompt in action as

 wise in counsel1 she goes to the       
people1 deals with them1 sways the      
multitude to her will2 and ere the last 
hour of the brief truce has closed1 a   
bloody head goes bounding over the wall4
 ,it rolls like a ball to the feet of   
,joab2 and in its grim and ghastly      
features they recognise the face of the 
son of ,bichri4 ,so ,joab blows the     
trumpet1 and the host retires from the  
walls1 every man to his own tent4 ,so   
let men deal with their sins4 ,let them 
die with the son of ,bichri3 they have  
lifted up their hand against the ,king4 
,why should we spare them1 and lose our 
souls8 ,by ,his precious blood ,jesus   
has opened up a way to peace4 ,he has   
come1 but not to swallow up and destroy4
 ,blessed ,lord1 ,he came to save1 not  
to destroy4 ,o earth1 earth1 earth1     
cried the prophet1 hear the word of the 
,lord2 and be it known to the world's   
utmost bounds that ,god willeth not the 
death of the sinner1 but rather that he 
would turn to ,him and live4 ,with her  

flaming sword1 red with the blood of men
 and angels1 ,justice holds to us no    
other language but that of ,joab1       
,deliver up your sins only1 and ,i will 
depart6 and1 inspired of ,god with the  
wisdom that chooseth the better part1   
and maketh wise unto salvation1 let us  
say1 ,better my sins die than ,i2 better
 ,satan be cast1 than ,jesus be kept out
 of it2 better strike off the heads of a
 thousand sins that have lifted up their
 hands against the ,king1 than that ,i  
should fall--sparing my sins to lose my 
soul6     ,,part ,v4   ,ahab and        
,jezebel1 two of the worst characters in
 sacred story1 had a son2 and with such 
blood as theirs in his veins1 no wonder 
that ,joram1 on succeeding to the throne
 of one parent1 exhibited the vices of  
both4 ,his mother does not seem to have 
had a drop of human-kindness in her     
breast4 ,yet he was not altogether dead 
to humanity1 as appears by an incident  
which occurred during the siege that    
reduced his capital to the direst       

extremities4 ,the ghastly aspect of a   
famished woman who throws herself in his
 way with a wild1 impassioned1 wailing  
cry of ,help1 my lord1 ,o king6 touches 
him2 and he asks1 ,what aileth thee8    
,stretching out a skinny arm to one pale
 and haggard as herself1 she replies1   
with hollow voice1 ,this woman said unto
 me1 ,give thy son1 that we may eat him 
to-day1 and we will eat my son          
to-morrow4 ,so we boiled my son1 and did
 eat him3 and ,i said unto her on the   
next day1 ,give thy son1 that we may eat
 him2 and she hath hid her son4 ,struck 
with horror at the story1 ,joram rent   
his clothes4 ,he had pity1 but no piety4
  ,why should ye be stricken any more8  
ye will but revolt more and more4 ,never
 were these words1 never was the fact   
that unsanctified afflictions have the  
same hardening effect on men which fire1
 that melts gold1 has on clay1 more     
strikingly illustrated than on this     
occasion4 ,so far from rending his heart
 with his garment1 and humbling himself 

before the ,lord1 ,joram flares up into 
fiercer rebellion2 and turning from     
these victims of the famine to his      
courtiers1 he grinds his teeth to       
profane ,god's name and vow vengeance on
 his prophet1 saying1 ,god do so and    
more also to me1 if the head of ,elisha 
the son of ,shaphat shall stand on him  
this day4 ,impotent rage against the    
only man who could have weathered the   
storm1 and saved the state6 ,the        
prophet's head stood on his shoulders   
when that of this son of a murderer--as 
,elisha called him--lay low in death in 
the dust of ,naboth's vineyard4 ,the day
 arrives which sees the cup of ,joram's 
iniquity full1 and that of ,god's       
patience empty--drained to the last     
drop4 ,the chief officers of the army   
are sitting outside their barrack1 when 
one wearing a prophet's livery          
approaches them4 ,singling out ,jehu    
from the group1 he says1 ,i have an     
errand to thee1 ,o captain6 ,the captain
 rises2 they pass in alone2 the door is 

shut2 and now this strange1 unknown man1
 drawing a horn of oil from his shaggy  
cloak1 pours it on ,jehu's head4 ,as if 
it had fallen on fire1 it kindled up his
 smouldering ambition--so soon at least 
as this speech interpreted the act1     
,thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel1  
,i have anointed thee king over the     
people of this land4 ,thou shall smite  
the house of ,ahab thy master2 dogs     
shall eat ,jezebel in the portion of    
,jezreel1 and there shall be none to    
bury her4 ,having spoken so1 the        
stranger opens the door1 and flies4 ,but
 faster flies ,god's vengeance4 ,ere his
 feet have borne the servant to         
,elisha's door1 the banner of revolt is 
up1 unfurled2 troops are gathering to   
the sound of trumpets2 and soldiers1    
eager for change and plunder1 are making
 the air ring to the cry1 ,jehu is king6
  ,launched like a thunderbolt at the   
house of ,ahab1 ,jehu makes right for   
,jezreel with impetuous1 impatient      
speed4 ,a watchman on the palace tower  

catches afar the dust of the advancing  
cavalcade1 and cries1 ,i see a company6 
,guilt1 which sleeps uneasy even on     
downy pillows1 awakens1 on the          
circumstance being reported to him1 the 
monarch's fears4 ,a horseman is quickly 
despatched with the question1 ,is it    
peace8 ,thus1 pulling up his steed1 he  
accosts the leader of the company1 who1 
drawing no rein1 replies1 in a tone     
neither to be challenged nor disobeyed1 
,what hast thou to do with peace8 ,get  
thee behind me6 ,failing the first's    
return1 a second horseman gallops forth 
to carry the same question and meet the 
same reception4 ,sweeping on like a     
hurricane1 the band is now near enough  
for the watchman to tell1 ,he came near 
unto them1 and cometh not again2 and    
also to add1 as he marks how their      
leader is shaking the reins and lashing 
the steeds of his bounding chariot1 ,the
 driving is like the driving of ,jehu1  
the son of ,nimshi2 for he driveth      
furiously4 ,displaying a courage that   

seemed his only redeeming quality1 or   
bereaved of sense1 according to the     
saying1 ,whom ,god intends to destroy   
,he first makes mad1 ,joram instantly   
throws himself into his chariot1        
advances to meet the band1 and demands  
of its leader1 ,is it peace1 ,jehu8     
,what peace1 is the other's answer1 so  
long as the whoredoms of thy mother and 
her witchcrafts are so many8 ,with the  
words that leave his lips an arrow      
leaves his bow to transfix the flying   
king--entering in at his back and       
passing out at his breast2 and when he  
is cast1 a bloody corpse1 into ,naboth's
 vineyard1 and dogs are crunching his   
mother's bones1 and ,jehu has climbed   
the throne1 and ,elisha walks abroad    
with his head safe on his shoulders1 and
 the curtain falls on the stage of these
 tragic and righteous scenes1 it was a  
time for the few pious men of that      
guilty land to sing1 ,lo thine enemies1 
,o ,lord1 lo thine enemies shall perish2
 but the righteous shall flourish like  

the palm-tree3 they shall grow like a   
cedar of ,lebanon4  ,such was the       
mission of ,jehu1 the son of ,nimshi4   
,how different that of ,jesus1 the ,son 
of ,god6 ,they might have been          
identical2 presented at least grounds of
 comparison rather than grounds of      
striking contrast4 ,yet so remarkable is
 the contrast that ,jehu's mission--and 
therefore have we related the           
story--forms as effective a background  
to ,christ's1 as the black rain-cloud to
 the bright bow which spans it4 ,the    
cause of the difference lies in ,god's  
free1 gracious1 sovereign mercy--in     
nothing else2 for had mankind1 at the   
tidings that the ,son of ,god1 attended 
by a train of holy angels1 was          
approaching1 met ,him on the confines of
 our world with ,joram's question1 ,is  
it peace8 that question might justly    
have met with ,jehu's answer1 ,what hast
 thou to do with peace8--what have you  
done to obtain it1 or to deserve it8    
,yet1 glory be to ,god in the highest1  

it is peace--peace more plainly and     
fully announced in these most gracious  
words1 ,it pleased the ,father that in  
him should all fulness dwell2 and1      
having made peace through the blood of  
his cross1 by him to reconcile all      
things to himself1 whether they be      
things on earth1 or things in heaven4   
,,ix4  ,,jesus ,,brings ,,peace ,,to    
,,the ,,soul4   ,having reconciled us to
 ,god by the blood of ,his cross1       
,christ is our ,peace1 as the apostle   
says4 ,he is called so1 first1 because  
,he restores us to a state of friendship
 with ,god2 and1 secondly1 because a    
sense of that fills the whole soul with 
a peace which passeth understanding4    
,so1 speaking of the righteousness which
 ,christ wrought out for us1 the prophet
 says1 ,the work of righteousness is    
peace--,his righteousness being the     
root1 and our peace the fruit--that the 
spring1 and this the stream4 ,to        
describe for the comfort of the ,church 
the constancy of the last and the       

fulness of the first1 another prophet   
borrows two of nature's grandest images1
 ,thy peace shall be like a river1 and  
thy righteousness like the waves of the 
sea--the believer's peace flowing like a
 broad1 deep stream1 with life in its   
waters and smiling verdure on its banks2
 and a ,saviour's righteousness covering
 all his sins1 as the waves do the      
countless sands of their shore1 when1   
burying them out of sight1 the tide     
converts the whole reach of dull1 dreary
 sand into a broad liquid mirror1 to    
reflect the light of the sky and the    
beams of the sun4  ,christ's imputed    
righteousness is bestowed equally on all
 believers--none1 the least any more    
than the greatest sinner1 being more    
justified than another4 ,feeling assured
 or not of their salvation1 all ,his are
 equally safe--those whom ,thou hast    
given me ,i have kept1 and none of them 
are lost4 ,there is no such equal       
enjoyment among believers of peace in   
believing2 some walking all their days  

under a cloud1 and some who walk in     
darkness and have no light1 only        
reaching heaven1 like a blind man guided
 homewards by the hand of his child1 by 
their hold of the promise1 ,who is he   
that feareth the ,lord and obeyeth the  
voice of ,his servant1 that walketh in  
darkness and hath no light2 let him     
trust in the name of the ,lord1 and stay
 himself in his ,god4 ,but where there  
is peace springing from a sense of      
forgiveness1 of all the fruits of the   
,spirit that grow in ,christ's fair     
garden1 this is sweetest4 ,among the    
blessings enjoyed on earth1 it has no   
superior1 or rival even4 ,it passeth    
understanding1 says an apostle4 ,nor did
 ,david regard any as happy but those   
who enjoyed it--pronouncing blessed1 not
 the great1 or rich1 or noble1 or       
famous1 but the man1 whatever his       
condition1 whose transgression is       
forgiven1 whose sin is covered4 ,and so 
he might4 ,with this peace the believer 
regards death as the gate of life3      

enters the grave as a quiet anchorage   
from seas and storms2 and looks forward 
to the scene of final judgment as a     
prince to his coronation1 or a happy    
bride to her marriage day4 ,a sense of  
forgiveness lays the sick head on a     
pillow softer than downs2 lightens      
sorrow's heaviest burdens2 makes poverty
 rich beyond the wealth of banks2 spoils
 death of his sting2 arms the child of  
,god against the ills of life2 and1     
lifting him up above its trials1 makes  
him like some lofty mountain1 at whose  
feet the lake may be lashed into foaming
 billows1 and adown whose seamed and    
rugged sides clouds may fall in gloomy  
folds1 but whose head1 shooting up into 
the calm blue heavens1 reposes in       
unbroken peace1 rejoices in perpetual   
sunshine4  ,happy such as obtain a firm 
hold of ,christ1 and1 having made their 
calling and election sure1 enjoy        
unclouded peace6 ,feeling that there is 
now no more condemnation for them1      
because they believe in ,jesus1 and walk

 not after the flesh but after the      
spirit1 they see a change come on       
objects such as imparts pleasure and    
surprise in what are called dissolving  
views4 ,where death1 with grim and      
grisly aspect1 stood by the mouth of an 
open grave1 shaking his fatal dart1 we  
see an angel form opening with one hand 
the gate of heaven1 and holding in the  
other a shining crown--from the face of 
,god we see the features of an angry1   
stern1 inexorable judge melt all away1  
and in room of an object of terror we   
behold the face and form of a kind1     
loving1 forgiving ,father1 with open    
arms hastening to embrace us4 ,the ,god 
of hope give you joy and peace in       
believing1 is the prayer of the         
apostle--a prayer in many cases so fully
 answered that the dying saint has been 
borne away from all his earthly         
moorings2 and1 ready to part from wife  
and children1 has exclaimed with ,simeon
 when he held the infant ,saviour in his
 joyful arms1 ,now1 ,lord1 lettest thou 

thy servant depart in peace1 for mine   
eyes have seen thy salvation4  ,be at   
peace among yourselves1 is a blessed    
injunction which an apostle lays on     
families1 on friends1 and on churches4  
,in happy contrast to the storm which1  
hurtling through the troubled air1 and  
shaking doors and windows1 goes raving  
round every corner of the house1 let    
peace reign on the domestic hearth1 and 
also within the church1 when1 like the  
ark of old1 she drifts on the billows of
 a shoreless sea--,god only at the helm4
  ,it is good to be at peace with our   
brethren1 but to be at peace with       
one's-self is better4 ,at peace with    
conscience1 one can afford1 if ,god will
 have it so1 to be at war with all men4 
,it is painful1 when we cannot be at    
peace with all men--to have enemies     
without2 but his case is infinitely     
worse who lodges an enemy in his own    
breast--in a guilty1 uneasy conscience1 
in self-reproaches1 in terror of death1 
in the knowledge that ,god and he are   

not friends1 nor can be so1 so long as  
he cherishes his sins4 ,there is no     
peace1 saith my ,god1 to the wicked4    
,there cannot be4 ,drugged with         
narcotics1 you may sleep as quietly on a
 bed of thorns as of roses4 ,drugged    
with narcotics1 you may lie down on the 
cold pavement1 and fancy as you throw   
your arms around the curbstone that it  
is the wife of your bosom4 ,drugged with
 narcotics1 you may go to sleep in a    
cell with visions of home playing round 
the head that shall be capped for       
hanging to-morrow4 ,but no more than ,i 
call these peaceful sights1 can ,i apply
 the name of peace to the insensibility 
of a conscience seared by sin2 to the   
calmness1 or rather callousness of one  
who has allowed the devil to persuade   
him that ,god is too merciful to reckon 
with us for our transgressions4 ,the    
peace we are to seek1 and1 seeking to   
pursue1 is not that of death1 but       
life1--not that the lake presents in    
winter1 when no life appears on its     

shores1 nor sound breaks the silence of 
its frozen waters2 but that of a lake   
which1 protected from tempests by lofty 
mountains1 carries life in its waters1  
beauty on its banks1 and heaven mirrored
 in its unruffled bosom4 ,being         
justified by faith we have peace with   
,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4  
,such is the peace which we are to      
seek--a peace which1 springing from a   
sense of reconciliation through the     
blood of the ,lamb and wrought within   
the soul by the in-dwelling of the ,holy
 ,spirit1 has so raised the saint above 
all fears of death1 and shed such a     
flood of glory around his dying head1   
that wicked men have turned from the    
scene to exclaim1 ,may ,i die the death 
of the righteous1 and may my last end be
 like his6     ,x4  ,,jesus ,,shall     
,,bring ,,peace ,,to ,,the ,,world4     
,how many pages of history are written  
with the point of the sword--not with   
ink1 but tears and blood8 ,it is chiefly
 taken up with the recital of wars4     

,what age has not been the era1 what    
country the scene of bloody strifes8    
,what soil does not hold the dust of    
thousands that have fallen by brothers' 
hands8 ,our glebes have been fattened   
with the bodies of the slain8 ,on those 
fields where1 with the lark carolling   
overhead1 the peasant drives his        
ploughshare1 other steel than the sickle
 has glanced1 and other shouts have     
risen than those of happy reapers       
bearing some blushing1 sun-browned maid 
on their broad shoulders at the ,harvest
 ,home4 ,the tall gray stones1 the hoary
 cairns1 tell how on other days these   
quiet scenes were disturbed by the roar 
of battle1 and lay red with another dye 
than that of heath or purple wild       
flowers4 ,go wherever our foot may      
wander1 we find tokens of war2 and      
select what age soever we may1 since    
,abel fell beneath a brother's hand1 we 
find in man's first death1 and the      
earth's first lone grave1 a bloody omen 
of future and frequent crimes4 ,what a  

commentary is human history on these    
words of ,holy ,scripture1 ,the whole   
creation groaneth1 and travaileth in    
pain till now6--nor shall it cease to   
groan1 or hail the day of its           
redemption1 till the ,prince of ,peace  
is enthroned in the heart of all        
nations1 and the labours of missionaries
 have extended that kingdom to the ends 
of the earth1 whose triumphs are        
bloodless--whose walls are ,salvation   
and her gates ,praise4  ,without        
disparagement to the happy influence of 
education1 the extension of commerce1   
and the efforts of benevolent men1 the  
real ,peace ,society is the ,church of  
,god2 the olive branch which the        
,spirit1 dove-like1 is bearing on       
blessed wing to a troubled world1 is the
 ,word of ,god2 and the gospel's is the 
voice which1 like ,christ's on          
,galilee's waves1 shall speak peace to a
 distracted earth1 and change its       
wildest passions into a holy calm4 ,till
 all nations receive the ,bible in its  

integrity and own it as their only rule 
of policy1 till kings reign for ,christ 
and lay their crowns at ,his feet1 a    
lasting peace is an idle dream4         
,treaties will no more bind nations that
 lie under the influence of unsanctified
 passions1 that chains him who dwelt    
among the tombs1 and within whom dwelt a
 legion of devils4 ,till other and      
better days come1 the best cemented     
peace is only a pause--a truce--an      
armistice2 the breathing-time of        
exhausted combatants4 ,alas1 that it    
should be so3 yet true it is1 that that 
nation dooms itself to disaster1 if not 
destruction1 which1 pursuing only the   
arts of peace1 leaves its swords to     
rust1 and its navies to rot1 and forts  
with empty embrasures to moulder into   
ruins4 ,the trumpet of the world's      
,jubilee has not yet sounded1 nor have  
all the vials of the ,apocalypse been   
emptied of the wrath of ,god4 ,and so1  
till the nations have emerged from      
spiritual darkness2 till ,god's ,word is

 an open book1 and duly honoured in all 
lands2 till immorality has ceased to    
weaken the bonds of social happiness1   
discontent to rankle in the bosom of the
 people1 and ambition to fire the       
breasts of kings1 the world may expect  
ever and anon to hear the voice of ,joel
 sounding out this trumpet call1        
,prepare ye war2 wake up the mighty men2
 let all the men of war draw near--beat 
your ploughshares into swords and your  
pruning-hooks into spears--put ye in the
 sickle1 for the harvest is ripe4       
,better days are coming--some think near
 at hand4 ,turning a seer's eye on      
futurity1 ,isaiah descried them in the  
far distance--saw the reign of the      
,prince of ,peace--,jesus crowned ,king 
of kings and ,lord of lords--swords     
beaten into ploughshares and spears into
 pruning-hooks--every man1 whether at   
hall or cottage door1 sitting under the 
shade of his vine and fig-tree--the     
whole earth quiet1 and at rest4 ,and    
glad is the ,church1 as1 weary of strife

 and sin and sorrow1 she looks up into  
the darksome sky1 and cries1 ,watchman1 
what of the night8 to get a hopeful     
response1--to catch any sign1 in break1 
or blush1 or gray gleam however feeble1 
that seems to reply1 ,the morning       
cometh6 ,come blessed morn1 come ,prince
 of ,peace--come ,lord ,jesus--come     
quickly6 ,let wars cease unto the ends  
of the earth6 ,scatter ,thou the people 
that delight in war4  ,the vision       
tarries1 but come it shall4 ,in answer  
to the cry of blood that rises to heaven
 with a different voice from that of    
,abel's1 peace shall reign and wars     
shall cease4 ,by the hands that men     
nailed to a cross ,god will break the   
bow1 the battle1 and the spear--burning 
the chariot in the fire4 ,and though any
 peace which our age may enjoy should be
 only a breathing-time1 but a pause in  
the roar of the bloody tempest1 let us  
improve it to remedy all wrongs at home2
 to educate our ignorant and neglected  
masses2 to eradicate the vices that     

disgrace and degrade our nation2 to     
build up the ,church wherever it lies in
 ruins2 to extend not so much ,britain's
 empire as ,christ's kingdom abroad1 and
 so hasten forward the happy time when  
the ,song of the ,angels shall be echoed
 from every land1 and the voices of the 
skies of ,bethlehem shall be lost in the
 grander1 fuller1 nobler chorus of all  
nations1 singing1 ,glory to ,god in the 
highest1 peace on earth1 good will      
toward men6     ,,part ,,vi4   ,though  
the last to be dropped into its place1  
the keystone is of all the stones of an 
arch the first in importance2 the others
 span no flood1 carry no weight1 are of 
no value1 without it4 ,it gives unity to
 the separate parts1 and locking all    
together1 makes them one4 ,of such      
consequence to the other parts of the   
,angels' ,song is its last clause4 ,it  
was not simply ,glory to ,god1 nor peace
 on earth1 but good will toward men1    
which made the angels messengers of     
mercy1 and the news they brought tidings

 of great joy4 ,glory to ,god6 ,amid the
 rush of the waters that drowned the    
world1 and the roar of the flames that  
laid ,sodom in ashes1 they sang glory to
 ,god4 ,god is glorious in acts of      
judgment as well as in acts of          
mercy--the ,god of ,glory thundereth4   
,so on shores strewn with the corpses of
 the dead1 beside a sea which opened its
 gates for the escape of ,israel and    
closed them on ,egypt1 burying king and 
bannered host beneath its whirling      
waves1 ,moses and ,miriam cried1 ,sing  
ye to the ,lord1 for ,he hath triumphed 
gloriously2 the horse and his rider hath
 ,he cast into the sea6 ,then the deep  
lifted up its voice1 and all the waves  
of the sea sang ,glory to ,god6 as1     
bearing the dead in on their foaming    
crests1 they laid them at ,moses' feet4 
,and when that judgment comes to which  
these are but as the big drops that     
prepare us for a burst of thunder and   
the rushing rain1 when the great white  
throne is set1 and the books are opened1

 and the ,judge rises in awful majesty  
to pronounce words of doom1 the voices  
of ten times ten thousand saints shall  
add1 ,amen2 and in an outburst of praise
 that drowns the wail of the lost1 the  
whole host of angels shall sing1 ,glory 
to ,god6 ,with such ascription of praise
 ,christ's heralds would have announced 
,his advent1 had ,he come not to save1  
but to destroy4  ,glory to ,god1 the    
first clause of this song1 does not1    
therefore1 necessarily involve good will
 towards men2 and no more does the      
second1 peace on earth4 ,peace6 ,peace  
was in the valley where the prophet     
stood with the grim wrecks of war around
 him1--friend and foe sleeping side by  
side1 skeletons silently turning to     
dust1 and swords to rust4 ,peace is in  
the battle-field when the last gun is   
fired1 and1 the last of the dying having
 groaned out his soul in a gush of      
blood1 the heaving mass is still4 ,peace
 was on the sea and the storm suddenly  
became a calm1 when the waves leaping up

 against the flying ship obtained their 
prey1 and from the deck where he stood  
summoned by the voice1 ,arise1 ,o thou  
that sleepest1 and call upon thy ,god1  
,jonah was flung into the jaws of death4
 ,peace was in that land he had ravaged 
of whom men said1 ,he made a solitude1  
and called it peace1--all its homesteads
 lay in ashes1 and its cities stood in  
silent ruins4 ,peace was in ,israel1    
when1 provoked by their sins1 ,god cast 
,his people out3 swept them all into    
captivity4 ,the land had its ,sabbaths  
then4 ,the ,angels' ,song might have    
announced a similar1 but greater1       
judgment--that1 as a landlord clears his
 estate of turbulent1 lawless1 bankrupt 
tenants1 ,god1 who had repented long ago
 that ,he had made man1 was at length   
coming to clear the earth of his guilty 
presence1 and make room for better      
tenants2 a purer1 holier race4 ,it is   
the last clause of this hymn1 therefore1
 that gives it an aspect of mercy--the  
revenue of glory which ,god was to      

receive1 and the peace which earth was  
to enjoy1 flowing from that fountain of 
redeeming love which had its spring in  
,god's good will4 ,of this ,christ was  
the divine expression1 and angels were  
the happy messengers4  ,happy messengers
 indeed6 ,no wonder they hastened their 
flight to earth1 and having announced   
the good tidings1 lingered over the     
fields of ,bethlehem1 singing as they   
hovered on the wing4 ,to announce bad   
news is the unenviable office often     
imposed on ministers of the gospel2 and 
recollecting with what slow1 reluctant  
steps my feet approached the house where
 ,i had to break to a mother the tidings
 of the wreck1 and how her sailor boy   
with all hands had perished2 or1 in the 
news of a husband's sudden death1 ,i had
 to plant a dagger in the heart of a    
young1 bright1 happy wife4 ,i never have
 read the story of ,absalom's tragic    
end1 without wondering at the race      
between ,ahimaaz and ,cushi who should  
first carry the tidings to ,david4 ,it  

had been easier1 ,i think1 to look the  
foe in the face and hear the roar of    
battle than see the old man's grief1 and
 hear that heart-broken cry1 ,o         
,absalom1 my son1 my son ,absalom1 would
 ,god ,i had died for thee1 ,o ,absalom1
 my son1 my son6 ,i can enter into the  
feelings of the two ,marys1 when1 to    
quote the words of ,holy ,scripture1    
they departed quickly from the sepulchre
 with fear and great joy1 and did run to
 bring the disciples word4 ,i see them1 
as1 regardless of appearances1 and      
saluting no one1 they press on1 along   
the road1 through the streets1 with     
panting breath and gleaming eye and     
streaming hair and flying feet1 striving
 who shall be first to proclaim the     
resurrection1 and burst in on the       
disciples with the glad tidings1 crying1
 ,the ,lord is risen6 ,teaching the     
,churches how to strive1 their only     
rivalry who shall first carry the       
tidings of salvation to heathen lands1  
,i dare to say those holy women never   

took such bounding steps1 nor sped on   
their way with such haste before4 ,and  
never1 ,i fancy1 did angels leave the   
gates of heaven so fast behind them1    
pass suns and stars in downward flight  
on such rapid wing1 as when they hasted 
to earth with the tidings of great joy4 
,may we be as eager to accept salvation 
as they were to announce it6 ,may the   
love of ,god find a responsive echo     
within our bosoms6 ,would that our      
wishes for ,his glory corresponded to   
,his for our good1 and that ,his good   
will toward us awoke a corresponding    
good will toward ,him--felt in hearts   
glowing with zeal for ,christ's cause1  
and expressed in lives wholly           
consecrated to ,his service4  ,in       
studying this1 we shall now consider the
 persons to whom good will is expressed4
     ,,xi4  ,,the ,,persons ,,to ,,whom 
,,good ,,will ,,is ,,expressed4   ,it is
 expressed to men--to all men2 so that  
if we are finally lost1 the blame as    
well as the bane is ours4 ,god has no   

ill will to us1 or to any4 ,he has no   
pleasure in the death of the wicked2 nor
 is ,he willing that any should perish1 
but that all should come to ,him1 and   
live4 ,his good will embraces the world4
  ,when ,i consider thy heavens1 the    
work of thy fingers1 the moon and the   
stars which thou hast ordained2 what is 
man1 that thou art mindful of him8 and  
the ,son of man1 that thou visitest him8
 ,so said the royal psalmist4 ,and1 in a
 sense1 time should only have deepened  
the astonishment which this question    
expresses4 ,for man's ideas of the      
magnificence of the heavens have grown  
with the course of ages2 and though the 
stars in the transparent atmosphere of  
,palestine shone with a brilliancy      
unknown to us1 our conceptions of the   
heavens are grander and more true than  
,david's--thanks to the discoveries of  
modern science4 ,as navigators1 so soon 
as by help of the mariner's compass they
 could push their bold prows into       
untravelled seas1 were ever adding new  

continents to the land and new islands  
to the ocean1 so1 since the invention of
 the telescope1 science has been        
discovering new stars in the heavens2   
filling up their empty spaces with      
stellar systems1 and vastly enlarging   
the limits of creation4 ,and since every
 new orb has added to the lustre of     
,jehovah's glory1 another world to ,his 
kingdom1 another jewel to ,his crown1   
these discoveries1 by exalting ,god     
still higher1 have added point and power
 to the old question1 ,what is man1 that
 thou art mindful of him8 and the ,son  
of man1 that thou visitest him8  ,yet1  
apart from man's sinfulness1 ,i cannot  
feel that he is beneath the regards of  
the ,maker and ,monarch of the starry   
heavens4 ,i can fancy that an earthly   
sovereign who1 dwelling apart from his  
people1 is jealous of their intrusion   
within his palace gates1 and sits       
enthroned amid an exclusive though      
brilliant circle of proud and powerful  
barons1 may neither know nor care about 

the fortunes of lowly cottagers2 but    
there could be no greater mistake than  
out of such a man's character to weave  
our conceptions of ,god1 or fancy that  
because we are infinitely beneath ,his  
rank1 we are therefore beneath ,his     
notice4 ,a glance at the meanest of ,his
 creatures refutes and rebukes the      
unworthy thought4 ,it needs no angels   
from heaven to inform us that ,god      
cherishes good will to all the creatures
 of ,his hand1 nor deems the least of   
them beneath ,his kind regards4 ,look at
 bird1 or butterfly1 or beetle6 ,observe
 the lavish beauty that adorns ,his     
creatures1 the bounty that supplies     
their wants1 the care taken of their    
lives1 the happiness1 expressed in songs
 or merry gambols or mazy dances1 which 
,he has poured into their hearts4 ,the  
whole earth is full of the glory of     
,god's infinite benignity and good will4
 ,insignificant as ,i--a speck on earth1
 and earth itself but a speck in        
creation--seem to myself when1 standing 

below the starry vault1 ,i look up into 
the heavens1 yet1 apart from the thought
 that ,i am a sinner1 ,i cannot say1    
,what is man1 that thou art mindful of  
him8 ,how can ,i1 when ,i see ,him      
mindful of the brood that sleep in their
 rocking nest1 of the moth that flits by
 my face on muffled wing1 of the fox    
that howls on the hill1 of the owl that 
hoots to the pale moon from ivy tower or
 hollow tree8 ,are you not of more value
 than many sparrows8 said our ,lord4    
,fashioned originally after the divine  
image1 with a soul outweighing in value 
the rude matter of a thousand worlds1   
able to rise on the wings of            
contemplation above the highest stars   
and hold communion with ,god himself1   
man1 apart from his sinfulness1 was     
every way worthy of divine good will2   
that ,god should be mindful of him4     
,but we are sinners--sinners by nature  
as well as practice2 polluted2 unholy2  
so unclean that our emblem is that      
hideous form which1 from the crown of   

the head to the soles of the feet1 is   
wounds and bruises and putrifying sores2
 and the news that ,god cherishes good  
will to such guilty creatures may well  
evoke the old1 wondering cry1 ,hear1 ,o 
heavens2 be astonished1 ,o earth6 ,on   
recalling the happy days of early life1 
when1 a child1 he lay in his father's   
arms2 a boy1 he sat on his knee2 a      
youth1 he walked by his side--the tears 
that at parting streamed over the old   
man's cheeks--his kind counsels1 his    
tender warnings1 his warm kisses1 and   
how he had stood and watched his        
departing steps till the brow of a hill 
or a turn of the road hid him from view1
 the poor prodigal ventured to hope that
 his father would not turn him from his 
door2 for the sake of the past and of   
his mother in the grave1 would grant him
 at least a servant's place4 ,weighed   
down by a sense of guilt1 his hopes rose
 to no higher flight--expected nothing  
beyond a menial's office4 ,to be        
received with open arms1 to be welcomed 

back again like some youth who has gone 
abroad to win a fortune or be crowned   
with laurels--that his should be the    
fairest robe1 the finest ring1 the      
fatted calf--that instead of stealing in
 under the cloud of night to be         
concealed from strangers' eyes1 the old 
house on his return should ring to the  
sound of music1 and floors should shake 
to the dancers' feet1 and the whole     
neighbourhood should be called to       
rejoice with a father whose shame and   
sorrow he had been1 was a turn of       
fortune he never dreamt of2 never dared 
to hope for4 ,on the part of that       
loving1 forgiving father1 what amazing  
good will6 ,but how much more amazing   
this which ,god proclaimed by the lips  
of angels1 and proved by the death of   
,his beloved ,son6  ,i have known       
fathers and mothers who were sorely     
tried by wayward1 wicked children--,i   
have seen their gray hairs go down with 
sorrow to the grave4 ,with hearts       
bleeding under wounds from the hands of 

one they loved1 ,i have seen them       
welcome the grave2 saying as they       
descended into its quiet rest1 the days 
of my mourning are ended4 ,it is a      
horrid crime to wring tears from such   
eyes1 to crush such hearts3 but was ever
 patient1 hoping1 loving parent tried as
 we have tried our ,father in heaven8   
,not without reason does ,he ask1 ,if ,i
 be a father1 where is mine honour8 if  
,i be a master1 where is my fear8 ,and  
who that thinks of his sins1 their      
guilt1 their number1 and1 as committed  
against infinite love and tender mercy1 
their unspeakable atrocity1 but will    
acknowledge the truth of these words1   
,because ,i am ,god1 and not man1       
therefore the children of men are not   
consumed--just as it is because the ship
 rides by a cable1 and not a cobweb1    
that1 when sails are rent1 and yards are
 gone1 and breakers are foaming on the  
reef1 she mounts the billows and        
survives the storm4 ,that we are not    
suffering the pains of hell1 that we    

have hopes of heaven and ever shall be  
there1 we owe not to our good works1 but
 to ,god's good will2 to that only4     
,till converted1 man does not desire    
this good will2 and never deserves it4  
,we have no claim to it whatever4 ,it is
 not by works of righteousness which we 
have done1 but according to his mercy   
,god saves us1 by the washing of        
regeneration and the renewing of the    
,holy ,ghost--therefore ,his good will  
has no root in any good works of ours4  
,a sacred mystery1 we may apply to it   
the words which ,job1 contemplating the 
grand mysteries of nature1 applied to   
our earth when1 seeing this great globe 
floating in ethereal space1 sustained by
 no pillars1 nor suspended by any chain 
that linked it to the skies1 he said1   
,thou hast hung it upon nothing6        
,,xii4  ,,the ,,person ,,who ,,expresses
 ,,good ,,will4   ,the person is        
,god--,he who spake by holy men of old1 
speaking here by the lips of angels4    
,where there is a will1 there is a way1 

is a brave and admirable proverb4 ,yet1 
though comparatively true in most cases1
 to some it is altogether inapplicable4 
,look1 for example1 at the women who1   
when the men had turned cowards1 boldly 
follow our ,lord to ,calvary1 bewailing 
and lamenting ,him6 ,what tears they    
shed1 what a wail they raise1 when the  
door opens1 and1 surrounded by armed    
guards1 ,jesus comes forth from the     
,judgment ,hall1 bleeding1 bound1       
crowned with thorns4 ,when ,he sank down
 on the street under the weight of the  
cross1 and ,his blessed head lay low in 
the dust1 had there been a chance of    
saving ,him1 how had they rushed to ,his
 help2 and1 giving their naked breasts  
to the ,roman spears1 burst through the 
circle to rescue ,him2 to die with ,him 
rather than desert ,him4 ,but they were 
helpless4 ,their good will availed the  
loved object nothing--beyond this1 that 
the sympathy flowing in their tears and 
expressed in their looks1 somewhat      
soothed the sorrows of ,his heart1 and  

fell like balm drops on ,his smarting   
wounds4  ,again1 what good will did     
,david bear to ,jonathan6 ,did ,jonathan
 love ,david as his own soul8 and under 
circumstances calculated to dissolve all
 common friendships1 and work such      
change on the heart as wine suffers when
 it turns into vinegar1 did ,jonathan's 
sentiments continue unchanged1 his      
affection unabated to the last8 ,his    
love was strong as death2 many waters   
could not quench it4 ,but it was amply  
requited4 ,david proved that with his   
harp2 had he been present on that fatal 
field where the bow of ,jonathan was    
broken1 he had proved it with his sword4
 ,with what a lion spring had he        
answered ,jonathan's cry for help2 how  
had he bestrode his fallen friend1      
covering him with his battered shield2  
mowing a way through the ranks of the   
,philistines1 how had he borne him off  
to a place of safety1 or falling in the 
attempt1 left others to compose their   
elegy1 and sing1 ,they were pleasant in 

their lives1 and in death they were not 
divided6 ,god is a very present help in 
time of trouble2 but there was no help  
for ,jonathan in ,david4 ,far away from 
that bloody field1 his good will availed
 ,jonathan nothing--beyond embalming his
 rare virtues in immortal song1 and in  
an imperishable lament raising an       
imperishable monument to the memory of a
 man whose love to him was wonderful1   
passing the love of women4  ,again1 what
 good will in his father's heart to     
,esau8 ,but the old man's hands are     
tied4 ,fresh from the chase1 and        
ignorant of what has happened in his    
absence1 ,esau approaches ,isaac1       
saying1 ,let my father arise and eat of 
his son's venison1 that thy soul may    
bless me6 ,who art thou8 says the blind 
old man--astonished that any should ask 
what he has already given away4         
,recognising the beloved voice which    
replied1 ,i am thy son1 thy first-born  
,esau1 and dreading some dire calamity1 
,isaac trembled exceedingly1 crying1    

,who8 where is he that hath taken       
venison and brought it me2 and ,i have  
eaten of all before thou camest1 and    
have blessed him8 yea1 and he shall be  
blessed4 ,by the basest1 cruelest fraud1
 ,jacob has possessed himself of the    
blessing2 and if their mother1 his own  
partner in guilt1 was watching the issue
 of this perfidious plot1 how had it    
pierced her heart to hear ,esau1 when   
the truth flashed on his mind and he saw
 the treasure stolen1 cry1 with a great 
and exceeding bitter cry1 ,bless me1    
even me also1 ,o my father6 ,the strong 
man1 the bold hardy hunter1 lifted up   
his voice and wept2 seeking repentance1 
as the apostle says--to get ,isaac to   
undo the deed--with tears but found it  
not4 ,what availed his father's good    
will to him1 his favourite son8 ,what   
was done must stand4 ,the blessing was  
gone2 and ,isaac1 though he had the     
will1 had no way to recall it4  ,but    
what need to ransack old history for    
examples8 ,how often have our hearts    

overflowed with good will1 yet we could 
only weep with them that wept--pity     
sorrows we could not soothe1 wants we   
were powerless to relieve8 ,tears we    
might give1 but they could not clothe   
the naked1 or feed the hungry1 or save  
the dying1 or recall the dead1 or close 
the wounds which death had made4 ,in    
dying chambers how are we made          
painfully1 bitterly to feel that man's  
power is not commensurate with his will8
 ,what good will1 what tender affection 
toward some dear1 beloved object6 yet1  
as we hung over the dying couch1 all we 
could do was to moisten the speechless  
lips1 to wipe the clammy sweat from     
death's cold brow and watch the sinking 
pulses of life's ebbing tide4 ,what     
would we not have done to meet the      
wishes of the eye that1 when speech was 
gone1 turned on us imploring1           
never-to-be-forgotten looks6 ,alas1 our 
good will availed them nothing6  ,such  
recollections1 by the contrast which    
they present to ,god's good will1       

greatly enhance its preciousness4 ,his  
favour is life1 his loving-kindness is  
better than life4 ,where ,god has a     
will1 ,god always has a way4 ,at the    
throne of divine grace1 none had ever to
 shed ,esau's tears1 or cry with him1   
,hast thou but one blessing1 ,o my      
father8 ,our father in heaven is        
affluent in blessings1 plenteous in     
redemption1 abundant in goodness and in 
truth4 ,who ever turned an imploring eye
 on ,god1 and brought to prayer the     
earnestness of him that bends the knee  
to yon blind old man1 but became in time
 the happy object of ,god's loving1     
saving mercy4 ,let men trust in the     
,lord4 ,in the name of ,christ let them 
throw themselves on ,his mercy4 ,what   
though they cannot see it8 ,it is around
 them1 like the invisible but ambient   
air on which the eagle1 with an awful   
gulf below1 throws herself from her     
rocky nest in fearless freedom1 and with
 expanded wings4 ,so let men1 trusting  
in ,god's faithful word1 spread out the 

wings of faith1 and cast them on ,his   
good will4 ,wrapping the world round in 
an atmosphere of mercy1 it shall sustain
 their weight1 and bear them aloft1     
till1 ascending into the calm regions of
 ,christian hope1 they bathe their eyes 
in the beams of the ,sun of             
,righteousness1 and feel their feet     
firmly planted on the ,rock of ,ages4   
,but let one thing be remembered1 this1 
namely1 that ,god will not save any     
against their will4 ,let us therefore   
seek1 and seek till we obtain1 a change 
of heart4 ,he draws1 not drives--will   
not force any into heaven--nor be served
 by the hands of a slave4 ,if ,i would  
not have a sullen1 crouching slave wait 
at my table1 work in my house1 stand in 
my poor presence1 much less ,he who     
says1 ,give me thy heart1 my son6 ,he   
makes ,his people willing in the day of 
,his power4 ,softened in the flames of  
,divine love1 their stubborn wills yield
 to ,his1 and1 under the hand of ,his   
,holy ,spirit and the hammer of ,his    

mighty word1 take the fashion and form  
of ,his own4 ,thus1 ,his will and their 
wills being brought into perfect        
harmony1 ,his people feel their duty to 
be their delight1 and regard ,his holy  
service as no irksome bondage1 but the  
truest liberty and highest honour4      
,,the ,,end4   ,ballantyne1 ,roberts1   
,co41 ,printers1 ,edinburgh4            
,transcriber's ,note3  ,minor printer   
errors 7omitted letters or punctuation7 
have been corrected without note4 ,any  
variations in spelling or hyphenation   
have been left as they appeared in the  
original4