shut day nor night; that men may bring unto her the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. Then the nation and kingdom which shall not serve her shall perish ; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto her^ the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, (the meanest slave being as acceptable as the mightiest monarch), to beautify the place of God's sanctuary, and to make the place of his feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted her, shall come bending unto her ; and all that despised her shall bow down themselves at the soles of her feet ; and shall call her. The city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel^." Now then I ask, Should we not long for this glorious period ? Should we not exert ourselves to the uttermost to help it forward ? Should we not search out the benighted Gentiles, and labour to bring back to their God the dispersed of Israel ? Should we not endeavour to bring men from every quarter, *' their sons in our arms, and their daughters in litters upon our shoulders, to glorify the House of his glory ?" Men may pretend to love the Church : but their professions must be brought to this test. If we are at all sensible of the benefit of belonging to Zion, we shall neither rest ourselves, " nor give any rest to our God," till " the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth''."]
3. We should labour to participate in all her pri- vileges—
[Is God indeed revealed there in all his excellency and glory ? Is it the place, the only place, where sinners are born to God? Is it an emblem even of heaven itself? We should determine then to come to her without delay, and to seek ad- mission into her blissful community. In comparison of being numbered amongst her children, all that the world can give should be esteemed by us as dung and dross ; and we should say with David, " I would rather be a door-keeper in the House of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness''." As for hatred, contempt, persecution, or even death itself, they should be accounted rather as an honour, and a happiness, and a pri- vilege, than as objects of fear, if they are brought upon us for Zion's sake. It should be a sufficient recompence to us, that our God is glorified, and that the interests of Zion are advanced"^. If we are children of Zion indeed, we shall be joyful under any circumstances; we shall " be joyful, I say, in our King'':" as it is written ; " They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd ; (that is, for all spiritual consolation and support ;)
and
* Isai. Ix. 1 1—14. " I>ai. Ixii. 1,6,7. " Ps. Ixxxiv. 10*
' 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14. "^ Ps. cxlix. 2,
298 PSALMS, Lxxxviii. 14 — 16. [396;.
and their soul shall be as a watered garden ; and they shall not sorrow any more at all®." Whether they be priests or people, it shall be thus with them : for, *' I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness ; and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord^"]
Application —
[Let us then love Zion, and " prefer her before our chief joys." Let her ordinances be our delight*^; and let us pray for her advancement, saying, " Peace be within thy walls,-and pro- sperity within her palaces." Then shall our own souls most assuredly flourish : for " they shall prosper that love her'."]
* Jer. xxxi, 12. ' ib. ver. 14. ^ Ps. cxxxvii. 3, 6.
' Ps. Ixxxiv. 4, 7' ' Ps. cxxii. 6, 7.