in heaven, by those who never fell. Heaven has been always the
when He who has been the minister of the Church's prayer and intercession shall become the leader of her praise!
Seeing, then, that we profess to belong to that saved multitude of praising ones, would it not be well for us to cultivate a more praising spirit? "In every thing let us give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us." By our praises let us shew what a good report we have to bring of that God who has loved us and made us his sons—what a good report we have to bring up of that goodly land, that incorruptible inheritance of which we have the assured hope, and of whose excellencies faith daily speaks to us. By our praises let us give a good report of God to men around us, that from us they may learn his love, and, in learning it, become partakers of the same sonship and hope; for what more does the most worthless man of earth need for his forgiveness and his peace, than just to learn that free love of God which our hallelujahs make known—that free love of God, in believing which we become his sons and daughters?
3. Where this hallelujah is to be sung.—It is sung, and has been sung in heaven, by those who never fell. Heaven has been always the region of hallelujahs. No discord has checked or marred these. There is no voice there untuned or untunable. And these hallelujahs have, age after age, been loudening and deepening, as more of Jehovah has been manifested, as principalities and powers have been learning from the Church more and more of the manifold wisdom of God.
It was meant to be sung on earth; but scarcely had the first song floated up from the groves of paradise, carrying up a good report of the glorious Being that had made all things very good, than the voice faltered and the notes died away. Sin silenced the song, and broke the lyre from whose strings it came. There arose no second hallelujah in Eden. But still God's purpose is that on earth it shall be sung, and sung more loudly and clearly than if it had never been silenced. Out of the broken lyre God is to construct one far sweeter and mightier— wider in its compass, and richer in its music—one which no second intruder will be able to destroy. Snatches or specimens of this
hallelujah we have in many ways. Each sinner that is delivered from a present evil world, forthwith commences his song; poor at first and lean, but increasing in its compass, and clearness, and richness, as he learns more of that free love which began it, and more of that Being of beings whom it celebrates. In the tabernacle we see God gathering his people together in the wilderness, and teaching them to sing hallelujah in his courts. In the temple we see him doing this more expressly, as we read in 2 Chron. 5:13, "It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah, and when they lifted up their voice," &c. Age after age Israel was especially taught this hallelujah; and now it has passed over into the Church, and she takes up this song in the various lands of her strangership and exile. Hallelujah is the voice ascending from each ransomed lip. Hallelujah is the voice ascending each Sabbath from her innumerable congregations.
But there are various places and scenes in the midst of which hallelujahs are heard ascending. It is the burden of the song making mention of the Lord's mercies at all times (Ps. 111 and 136), but it is especially introduced into the scenes of the latter day. It ascends as the song of triumph over Babylon's downfal (Is. 25:1, 2); as Israel's song of pardon in the latter day (Is. 12:1); as Israel's song of praise in the land of Judah for their rebuilded city (Is. 26:1). It is the song of the redeemed company that are seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion (Rev. 14:1). It is the song of the victorious multitude on the sea of glass (Rev. 15:3). It is the song of the heavenly multitude over the ruin of the mother of harlots (19:1). It is the burden of the song at the out-pouring of the last trumpet in anticipation of millennial days (11:17). It is the song sung in expectation of the Lord's appearing (Ps. 96 and 98.) It is the song to be sung upon the new earth (Ps. 150.) Wherever Jehovah is seen manifesting Himself, shewing that he is Jah, Jehovah—and especially amid the scenes that usher in millennial days, or amid millennial scenes themselves, there the song arises, Hallelujah!