Church and people : and this it is, which, in the judgment of the angelic host, brings " glory to God in the highest." It is this in which " the exceeding greatness of his power, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead," is pre-eminently displayed0; and this proclaims him, throughout the whole universe to be " King of kings, and Lord of lords."]
2. As a monument of his love —
[Nothing does a monarch behold with more complacency than his crown. And with what delight does God behold his Church and people, whom he accounts " his peculiar trea- sured," his most inestimable "jewelse!" "He has chosen them in Christ from before the foundation of the world, and predestinated them to be to the praise of the glory of his grace f:" and he delights in them in that peculiar view; as says the Prophet Zephaniah : " The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty : he will save : he will rejoice over thee with joy ; he will rest in his love ; he will joy over thee with singing g."]
3. As an object of his peculiar care —
[Were his crown menaced, and a confederacy formed to wrest it from him, a monarch would exert himself to the utter- most to defend it. And what will not Jehovah do for the preservation of his Church and people ? He has declared that " neither the power nor the policy of hell shall ever prevail against them'1;" that " none shall ever pluck them out of his hands1;" but that " they shall be kept by the power of God unto everlasting salvation k." They are in the palm of his hand1, held fast by him, against all the efforts of their enemies. " Lest any should hurt them, he keeps them night and daym;" nor shall the least jewel of his crown be found wanting in it". How determined he is to keep them, may be seen by his own gracious declarations in the Prophet Jeremiah : " I will rejoice over them, to do them good ; and I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole soul0." " They are to him for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory p ;" and he will never suffer so much as one of them to perish q.]
c Eph. i. 19, 20. Perhaps in no book upon earth will there he found more energetic language than this is in the original. d Exod. xix. 5, 6. Ps. cxxxv. 4. e Mai. hi. 17.
f Eph. i. 4—6. e Zeph. hi. 17. h Matt. xvi. 18.
1 John x. 28, 29. k 1 Pet. i. 5. J See Vitringa in loc.
m Isai. xxvii. 3. n Amos ix. 9. ° Jer. xxxii. 41.
P Jer. xiii. 11. i Matt, xviii. 14.
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