Isai. lx. 13. — The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee ; the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary : and I will make the place of my feel glorious.
WHILST we admire, as of necessity we must, the richness and diversity of the imagery which is em- ployed to depict the beauty of the Christian Church, we must be careful to seize the truths which are so exhibited : for in this the sublime descriptions of the prophets differ materially from the poetic flights of other authors ; they declare what actually exists ; whereas the poetical representations of uninspired men are for the most part either mere fictions, or truth rendered fictitious by the high colouring that is given to it. The description here given of the glory of the latter day is exceeding grand. The whole creation, rational and irrational, animate and inanimate, contribute to it according to their several ability. Not men only, but even flocks and herds, are spoken of as coming voluntarily to consecrate themselves to the Lord ; and in my text, the woods of Lebanon yield their produce, to adorn the Church, and to glorify their God.
The particular expressions in my text lead me to set before you,
I. The constitution of the Church of Christ —
From Lebanon the wood was brought for the erec- tion of Solomon's temple a: and all the glory of Leba- non shall be brought to our Zion also, to build an habitation for our incarnate God. By " the fir-tree and the pine," I understand the great and mighty of the earth ; whilst " the box" represents the poor and humble, whether in respect of civil rank, or intellec- tual capacity. Both the one and the other of these shall be employed as constituent parts of God's spiri- tual temple. For each a suitable place shall be found, and for each an appropriate use.
The high and mighty shall be brought on a level with the lowest —
[Christianity does not at all interfere with distinctions in civil life : they are the appointment of God himself; and are necessary to the well-being of mankind. But in a spiritual view, the greatest monarch upon earth must be brought on a
a 2 Chron. ii. 16.