ng of the Lamb," which joined
to the "song of Moses," constitutes the whole of the "high praises of
the Lord," leaving no place for the vapid, empty, bombastic, amorous and
heretical effusions, of uninspired men, whether of sound or "corrupt
minds."--The burden of the song is the same as the "Song of Songs" and
the forty-fifth Psalm,--"Christ crucified,"--Christ glorified, "the
praises of him who hath called them from darkness into his marvellous
light." The key-note among them all is the work of redemption. "Thou
hast redeemed us to God by thy blood,"--_us_, and not others in the same
condition. Others may talk of a ransom that does not redeem: but these
dwell with emphasis upon the price and power that brought them "out of
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." This happy and
joyful company never conceived the idea that, in order at once to
vindicate Jehovah's moral government and give the most impressive
demonstration of his opposition to sin, he subjected his beloved Son to
untold sufferings, which should be equally available by all his enemies,
but _specially intended for none in particular_! They never imagined
that their adorable Creator was under a natural necessity of "seeking
the greatest good of the greatest number," that he might thereby escape
the just imputation of _partiality_. Such impious conceptions imply
distributive injustice on the part of God, when he "spared not the
angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell." (2 Pet. ii. 4.) Neither
man's chief end nor God's is the happiness of creatures,--no, neither in
creation nor redemption, as is clear to unsophisticated reason, and
plainly determined by the Spirit of God. (See ch. iv. 11; Isa. xliii. 7,
21; Eph. i. 12.) The manifestation of his own perfections,--his own
glory, is the highest and ultimate end of Jehovah in all his purposes
and works. "The Lord hath made all things for himself." (Prov. xvi. 4;
Rom. xi. 36.) Now, if the Lamb has redeemed the whole human family, as
some affirm; then it will follow that all must be saved, or Christ died
in vain, in reference to them that are lost: and besides, the "Judge of
all the earth" would be chargeable with exercising distributive
injustice, in exacting double payment, first from the Surety, and then
from the sinner! "That be far from God." "He is just and having
salvation,"--"a just God and a Saviour." (Zech. ix. 9; Isa. xlv. 21.) As
there can be no liberty without law, so there can be no m