Isaiah's vision of christ.
Isai. vi. 5 — 7. Then said I, Woe is me ! for I am undone ; be- cause I am a man of unclean lips, and I dioell in the midst of a people of unclean lips : for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar ; and he laid it upon my mouth, and said. La, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is tahen away, and thy sin purged.
PREVIOUS to the full revelation of himself in the Gospel, God was pleased to communicate his mind and will to men by dreams and visions, which, since the completion of the sacred canon, are no longer to be expected. But we must not therefore imagine that the revelations so made are less interesting to us, than those which proceeded more immediately from the enlightening influence of the Holv Ghost. The same
866.]] Isaiah's vision of curist. .505
importance must be attached to every thing which God has spoken, so far at least as the instruction whicli is intended to be conveyed is itself important. For instance, the vision of Isaiah seems to have been a peculiar favour vouchsafed to him : but still it con- tains many instructive lessons for us : and in this two-fold view we will consider it,
I. As a peculiar favour vouchsafed to him —
That we may have a more distinct view of it, we
shall notice in succession,
1. The vision given —
[The place where the prophet was supposed to be, was the outer court of the temple ; from whence, the veil which separated it from the sanctuary being drawn aside, he behekl Jehovah seated on his throne, and liis train, like that of eastern monarchs, filling the temple. Had no additional light been cast on this vision in the New Testament, we should not have thought of inquiring more minutely about the glorious object whom he saw, and who is here so repeatedly designated by titles peculiar to the one supreme God: but we are autho- rized to declare, that the person whom he saw, was the Lord Jesus Christ, even our " Immanuel, God with us^"
Around the throne were " the seraphim," the holy angels, like flames of fire'^, in a posture of devout adoration. Each of them had six wings ; with two of which he covered his face, as unworthy to behold the Deity; and with other two, his feet, as unworthy to serve him ; whilst with the remaining two he flew with all possible activity to fulfil his will. In themselves they were perfect and spotless creatures : yet, conscious of being as nothing in the sight of a pure and holy God, they were filled with profoundest awe, and served him with re- verential fear.
In their worship of him they celebrated, in alternate and responsive songs, the holiness of his nature, and the iconders of his grace. Whether, in the repetition of the word "holy," there be any reference, as some have thought, to the Three Persons of the Godhead, we undertake not to determine : but they evidently regarded the holiness of the Deity as that attribute, which constitutes the glory and perfection of all the rest : and indeed it is that attribute in wliich he is more especially glorious'^, and at the remembrance of which the whole universe should give thanks'^. Together with this glorious subject they evidently combined the wonders of redeeming
a John xii. 41 , ' Ps. civ. 4. ^ Exod. xv. 11. <^ Ps. xxx. 4.