Thus with songs shall we go up on high ; our songs in the night being exchanged for the songs of the morning. They shall be " songs of deliverance," with which we shall then be " compassed about " in that day when we get up into our " hiding- place " to be " preserved from trouble " (Psa. xxxii. 7) ; when we " enter into out
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chambers " and " shut our doors about us," until " the indignation be overpast." (Isa. xxviii. 20.) No longer in a strange land or by the rivers of Babylon shall we sing our songs ; no longer in " the house of our pilgrimage " or in the wilderness shall we make melody ; but in the King's own presence, in the great congregation, in the New Jerusalem which corneth down out of heaven from God. Then " standing upon the sea of glass/' and beholding the "judgments of God made manifest/' (Rev. xv. 2—4,) as Israel did when Pharaoh and his chariots sank like lead in the mighty waters, we sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb.
Thus " caught up " into the cloud, we meet the Lord " in the air," as those do who go forth to meet a friend already on his way to them (Acts xxviii. 15) ; we meet him, in order that, being there acquitted, acknowledged, and confessed by him be- fore his Father and before the angels, we
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may form his retinue, and come with him to execute vengeance, to judge the world, to share his triumphs, to reign ->yith him in his glorious kingdom. (Zech. xiv. 5 ; 1 Thess. iii. 13 ; Jude 14 ; Rev. ii. 26 ; iii. 21.)
Thus " meeting the Lord," we are to he ** ever with him." He with us and we with him for ever. " So shall we ever be with the Lord ; " that is, " as we then shall meet, so we shall never part ; " as is our meeting, so is our eternal communion, our continuance in the presence of his glory. We shall see him face to face, and his name shall be in our foreheads. Sitting upon the same throne, dwelling under the same roof, hearing his voice, having free access to him at all times, doing his will, going forth on his errands, — this shall be the joy of our eternity. No distance ; that is annihilated. No estrangement ; that is among the things that are absolutely im- possible. No cloud between ; that is swept away and cannot re-appear. No coldness ;
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for love is always full. No interruption ; for who can come between the Bridegroom and the bride ? No change ; for he makes us like himself, without variableness. No parting ; for we have reached our home to go out no more. No end ; for the dura- tion of our fellowship is the life of the Ancient of days, of Him who is " from everlasting to everlasting."
" With the Lord ! " It would be much to be with Enoch, or with Abraham, or with Moses, or with Elijah, or with Paul ; much to share their fellowship, to have converse with them on the things of God and the story of their own wondrous lives ; how much more to be " with the Lord !" To be like Peter at his side, like Mary at his feet, like John in his bosom. To have met him in the streets of Jerusalem, or by the sea of Galilee, or at Jacob's well ; to have heard him name your name and salute you, as he passed, with the wish of " peace;" to have dwelt in the next house
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to his at Nazareth, to have been a guest at the table of Lazarus when he was there, to have slept under that roof, it might be in the apartment next the Lord of glory ! How much should we have valued privileges such as these, treasuring them in memory, like gold ! Nay, even to hear the tidings oi his love, to have a message from him, to be told that he was gracious to us and kept us in mind, to be any where beyond the reach of sin and pain, how much ! Oh, what then must it be to be " with the Lord," — with him in his glory ; " with him," as the friend is with the friend : " with him," as the bride is with the bridegroom ; say- ing without fear or check, " Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine ; " and hearing him say in return, " Thou art all fair, my love : there is no spot in thee. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Her m on . o 2
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thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse ; ihou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one turn of thy neck. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse ! how much better is thy love than wine!" (Sol. Song iv. 7—10.)
" Ever wifch the Lord ! " This soothes all sorrow and sums up all joy. If even here we can suy so gladly and so surely, " I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor dep|h, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord," how much more gladly and surely shall we be able to say it then !
For ever to behold him shine, For evermore to call him mine !