eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you ; nor can the head say to the feet, I have no need of you." Every member has its proper place, and its proper office : and, if one were wanting, the whole body would be defective, and deformed. But in Christ's body not one member is wanting: every place is occupied ; God having assigned to every member the situation adapted for it : and in the perfect adaptation of each to its proper ends, and the harmonious exercise of all for the general good, the beauty of the whole consists8. In truth, it is " for the beautifying of the place of God's sanctuary" that this assemblage of the high and low, " the pine and the box, is ordained : and we cannot but acknowledge, that in this view " Zion is beautiful for situation, and the joy of the whole earth V]
2. As honourable to God —
[To this point God himself calls our particular attention. " I will plant," says he, " in the wilderness, the cedar, the shittah-tree, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree; I will set in the desert the fir-tree, and the pine, and the box-tree together ; that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it1." Now why, I would ask, does he lay such peculiar stress upon this, but because it reflects peculiar lustre on his character, and displays in a most en- dearing point of view his glorious perfections? Truly " this does make the place of his feet glorious ; " because it shews, that, whilst he is " Lord of all, he is equally rich in mercy to all who call upon himk." In his regards, there is no difference between one and another : " there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ, that is, the image of Christ upon the soul, is all, and in all1."
Let us suppose for a moment that there were the same kind of partiality in him as he complains of in many of his profess- ing people : " If there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool ; are ye not then partial in yourselves, and be- come judges who reason illm?" I say, let us suppose such a partiality in God; and how unamiable would he appear! But " there is no such respect of persons with himn : " the humblest
g See 1 Cor. xii. 12—22. h Ps. xlviii. 1, 2.
> Isai. xli. 19, 20. k Rom. x. 12. > Col. hi. 11.
m Jam. ii. 2 — 4. n Acts x. 34.