for whilst the one are " rejoicing in the Lord always" here be- low °, the other are incessantly engaged in singing praises to him above, even " to Him, who loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and made them kings and priests unto their God ; to him, I say, do they ascribe all glory and dominion for ever and ever p."]
II. The effect which these testimonies should have upon us — Surely, when the Church is so high in the esti- mation of God,
1. We should inquire what place she holds in our esteem —
[Never has she had, at least in a spiritual view, any visible glory. In the days of the Prophets, her limits were contracted, and her members poor, despised, persecuted. In the days of Christ and his Apostles, though her. limits were enlarged, she, like her Lord himself, had " no beauty nor comeliness for which she was to be desired''." She has been in a wilderness state even to this present hour"", an object of hatred and derision to all that were round about her. Yet to the eye of faith she is most beautiful, most glorious. In all that pertains to her, she is " the perfection of beauty ^" Her foundations are of the most pre- cious stones : " her walls are salvation, and her gates praise'." Her laws are all holy, and just, and good : her ordinances are a very heaven upon earth : and her members more highly privi- leged than all other creatures in the universe. Say then. Brethren, whether such be your views of Zion ; and whether to be enrolled amongst her citizens be the highest object of your ambition ? Our blessed Lord told;his Disciples, that even to have "the devils made subject unto them" was no ground of joy in comparison of this": for, if you really belong to Zion, " your names are written in heaven," and all the glory and felicity of heaven are yours. But if you are " aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, you are strangers from the covenants of promise, without God, without Christ, without hope''."]
2. We should seek to advance her glory —
[God has promised, that, in due season, " the mountain of the Lord's House shall be established on the top of the mountains, and that all nations shall flow unto lier^." " Then shall Zion be no more termed desolate, or forsaken : for God Vv'ill delight in her ; and all the kings of the earth shall bring their glory to her.'' " Her gates shall be open continually : they shall not be
shut
" Phil. iv. 4. P Rev. i. 5, 6. 1 1sai. liii. 2. ■" Rev. xii. 6.
' Ps. 1. 2. ' Isai. Ix. 18. " Luke x. 20, =' Eph. ii. 12.
y Isai. ii. 2.