The Marriage

The Marriage

Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. (Psalm 85:10)
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Truth looks down at the sons of men,
and righteousness it cannot find,
for when it looks at the human race
as they live before God's face,
and judges them by God's own mind
as they rebel, deny, rebel again
against the One who made them all,
and fully desired them never to fall,
yet watched them defy His will and then
flee from His presence, newly blind,
flee from the garden, once their place,
to wander a world that's bitter as gall,
........condemned
........by truth
........they are.
--
Mercy melts at the thought of pain
and wishes only that it might be eased,
the symptoms hid by a soothing balm,
while underneath there is no calm,
and a righteous God is far from pleased,
while fallen man falls yet again,
and by his sin from rightness turns,
and the will of holy God he spurns,
and in his pride attempts to reign
a life that has by evil been seized,
and shielded by "mercy" from God's alarm
until it becomes too late to learn
........that mercy alone
........leaves him
........condemned.
--
Righteousness demands a price,
a price no human soul is able to pay,
until it takes its final breath,
and enters into eternal death,
eternal darkness with never a day,
and lasting suffering that won't suffice
to pay the debt the sinner owes,
or ransom him from the place he goes,
for to be righteous in God's eyes,
can only be done if he find the Way,
the Truth and the Life,
as the Scripture saith,
for otherwise, as rightness knows,
........he stands
........condemned
........and lost.
--
Peace, shalom, wholeness, health,
contentment, sureness, comfort, life,
these were the plan in paradise,
until they thought themselves so wise,
that peace with God was replaced by strife,
and openness was turned to stealth,
and holiness grievously turned to sin,
and fallen mankind now had to begin,
to strive and sweat for a little wealth,
in a fallen world with problems rife,
where what is living without fail dies,
and, striving for peace we never win,
........but know
........that we are
........condemned.
--
But on the cross hangs Mercy in sight,
the mercy that caused the Son of light
to die at the hands of wicked men,
that they might know the truth again.
--
And on the cross hangs Truth on high,
the truth that sin has got to die,
and that the price must ever be paid,
and righteousness in the tomb be laid.
--
And on the cross Righteousness reigns,
as the Pure One suffers my pains,
and there for my sin remission buys,
dying my death before my eyes.
--
And on the cross Peace is proclaimed,
wholeness and health and holiness named,
for there at the cross all evil is felled,
and there at the cross in love I am held.
--
And now in joy let the wedding begin,
and now in joy let the bride come in,
for mercy and truth now are met,
in them eternal union is set,
and righteousness plants a kiss with love,
and in peace at last takes her above.
--
And they live happily ever after.
--
Amen.

.........................ed pacht