399.] god's beauty imparted to his people. 315
mass of those who repented in the wilderness : and therefore it may be poured forth by all true penitents amongst ourselves, who may expect that " the beauty of the Lord shall be upon them :"
1. By an outward manifestation of it to our minds —
[To the Corinthian Church was this honour vouchsafed: for ^' God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness at the first creation, shined into their hearts, to give them the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"." Such manifestations therefore may we also expect. The Lord Jesus Christ has expressly promised, that he will ma- nifest himself to us, as he does not unto the world: and with such convincing evidence will he shew us his glory, that we shall differ from those around us, as Paul at his conversion differed from his attendants : they heard a voice as well as he ; but he alone was favoured with a sight of the Lord Jesus Christ him- self" : so that the words which we hear or read may be heard or read by thousands ; but to us only, that is, to those only who are truly penitent and believing, will he " manifest forth his glory," so as to constrain us to cry out, " How great is his goodness 1 how great is his beauty °!"
It is by the public ordinances chiefly that he will make these revelations of himself to us : and hence it was that David so ex- ceedingly delighted in the house of God, saying, ^* One thing have I desired of the Lord, which I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord^J" If only we come up to his house with raised expectations, and a humble mind, he will reveal him- self to us, and lift up the light of his countenance upon us, and shew us " his power and glory so as he is accustomed to display them in his sanctuary 'i."]
2. By an inward communication of it to our souls —
[" God originally made man after his own image "":" and after the same image will he create us anew " in righteousness and true holiness^/' It is for this very end that he so reveals himself in his ordinances ; namely, that, by communing with him there, our faces may be made to shine, as the face of Moses did* ; and that " by beholding his glory we may be changed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of our God"." In this sense the beauty of the Lord our God shall be upon all his chil- dren,
"" 2 Cor. iv. 6. ° Acts ix. 7. 1 Cor. ix. 1. & xv. 8.
° Zech. ix, 17. P Ps. xxvii. 4. 1 Ps. Ixiii. 2,
' Gen. i. 26, 27. ' Eph. iv. 24.. ' Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30.
" 2Cor. iii. 18.
3(1 6- PSALMS, xc. 17* [|399>;
dren, accqrding.as it is written, " He that hath this hope in him, ppriið himself even as he is pure"." No inferior standard will, tHey aim at : they know iheir duty ; and they know their privi- lege : and with no attainments will tliey be satisfied, till they, *' are holy, as God is holy ;" and " perfect, even as their Father that is in heaven is perfect."
This indeed will nut be imparted to any one at once : it is a- pvogressive work : persons must be babes, and young men, before they are fathers : but from the time that they are truly converted unto God, they will *' grow in grace," and " make their profiting to appear," till they have " attained to the full measure of the stature of Christ^." To all of you then I would say. Offer up with devoutest earnestness to God tlie petition in m.y text, " Let the beautv ok thk Lord our God be upon us :" and add to it that prayer of Paul for the Ephesian con- verts, which in import corresponds exactly with it ; " Let me so comprehend the love of Christ, as to be filled by it with all the FULN.Ess OF God."]