were, for himx: and in due time the union will be perfected in glory. And does not this call for joy and thanksgiving ? See what feelings it will create in heaven, the very instant that the period shall have arrived when the Spouse shall be presented to her Lord, to be happy for ever in more immediate fellowship with him : " A voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him both small and great. And I heard, as it were, the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ! Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready . And to her was granted, that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and ivhite : for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints?" Shall the believer then stay till he arrives in heaven before he begins his joy ? No : the language of his heart and lips should be that of David ; " I will bless the Lord at all times : his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me ; and let us exalt his name together2." Thus will he not be contented with praising God himself: he will stir up all around, to join him in this delightful, this reasonable service.]
2. Most pleasing to God —
[The command of God to every Believer is, " Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice3." "Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him ; and the children of Zion be joyful in their kingV Indeed it is in this way only that we can give him the honour due unto his name. It may appear as if our feeble praises were nothing : and it is true that they can add nothing to the Lord : but still it is true, that they are the tribute which he requires, and by which he considers him- self as honoured : " Whoso offereth me praise, glorifieth me : and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of Godc."]
Application —
1 . Let none put away this honour, as too great for them to expect —
[It is not uncommon for persons of a desponding frame to think that such privileges and blessings are not for them. But can any one be in a more hopeless state than the Jews ? View them in any light, and say whether there is, humanly speaking, any probability of their being brought to the state described in the preceding context, and to the frame expressed
* Hos. iii. 3. y Rev. xix. 5 — 8. z Ps. xxxiv. 1 — 3.
a Phil. iv. 4. * Ps. cxlix. 2. « Ps. 1. 23.