Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 5.djvu/146

 THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS

Oh! can ye tell the depths of the rivers of praise that flowed hard by the city of God? Can ye imagine to yourselves the sweetness of that harmony that perpetually poured into the ear of Jesus, Messiah, King, Eternal, equal with God his ' Father ? No ; at the thought of the glory of his kingdom, and the riches and majesty of his power, our souls are spent within us; our words fail; we can not utter the tithe of his glories.

Nor was he poor in any other sense. He that hath wealth on earth, and honor, too, is poor if he hath not love. I would rather be the pauper, dependent upon charity, and have love, than I would be the prince, despised and hated, whose death is looked for as a boon. Without love man is poor — give him all the diamonds, and pearls, and gold that mortal hath conceived.

Bat Jesus was not poor in love. When he came to earth, he did not come to get our love be- cause his soul was solitary. Oh, no, his Father hath a full delight in him from all eternity! The heart of Jehovah, the first person of the Sacred Trinity, was divinely, immutably linked to him ; he was beloved of the Father and of the Holy Spirit; the three persons took a sacred complacency and delight in each other. And besides that, how was he loved by those bright spirits who had not fallen! I can not tell what countless orders and creatures there are created who still stand fast in obedience to God. It is not possible for us to know whether there 122

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