The Redeemed Of The Lord Shall Return
“The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing to Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”—lsaiah 51:11
‘A good word maketh the heart glad.’ Prov. 12:25. This is true of the good word of gospel-grace. Unscriptural notions of conditional grace and salvation deject the spirits of sensible sinners. God’s free grace declarations and absolute promises revive the hearts of contrite ones. Man’s ifs, suppositions, and peradventures, tend to counteract God’s shalls and wills, his gracious purposes and loving determinations. Where the word of a king is, there is power: ‘and who may say unto him, what dost thou?’ Eccles. 8:4. In the word of Jehovah there is almighty power: ‘He doth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what dost thou?’ Dan. 4:35.
God’s ‘I will,’ and ‘you shall,’ are the stay, the strength, the food of faith. It is the joy of believing hearts to set their seal to God’s free promises, and say, ‘Amen, so be it.’ The arm of the Lord, the strength of Jehovah, which hath done wonders of old, is not shortened that it cannot save; that is our mercy. It is, it ever will be stretched forth in power; that is our comfort. Every redeemed soul shall return to mount Sion, to the general assembly of the church of the firstborn, which are enrolled in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all; and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling. Heb. 12:23.
All the objects of the Father’s love are the subjects of the Son’s redemption, and shall be partakers of the Spirit’s power and consolation. In returning to Jesus they shall find rest, and peace, and joy. By the sprinkling of his blood, sorrow and mourning flee away from their consciences. Then how sweetly, how joyfully do we sing the song of Moses. Ex. 15:1. ‘The Lord is my strength and my song; he is become my salvation.’ How comfortably do our souls join the triumphant song of the victorious followers of the Lamb. Rev. 1:5. ‘Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.’ What strong consolation, what full assurance is proclaimed from the mouth of the Lord. Every sentence contains a shall; not it may be, but it shall be. Sinners feel the power of grace, which melts hearts of stone into flesh; saints feel the comfort of love, which turns mournful penitents into joyful souls. ‘All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.’ 2 Cor. 5:18.
William Mason (1719-1791) was a High-Calvinist author. For many years he served as a Justice of the Peace, and in 1783 was appointed a Magistrate. He served as editor of the Gospel Magazine before and after the editorship of Augustus Toplady. He is best known for a morning and evening devotional entitled, “A Spiritual Treasury For The Children Of God.”
