to the completion of their happiness ; " their cup shall be full, and overflow" with joy.]
From the event itself, let us proceed to consider,
II. The vast importance of it —
If we were to contemplate only the happiness of that people, the temporal, spiritual, eternal happiness of millions living, and of millions arising in every successive age, methinks we should need no more to mark the importance of the event that is here pre- dicted. But we are content to wave the contempla- tion of this part of our subject altogether, and to limit our views to the points more especially referred to in our text. Mark,
1. The interest which God himself has in it —
[God says of it, "It shall be to me a name of joy, a praise, and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them." Of course, when we speak of God rejoicing in it, we merely accommodate ourselves to the language of Scripture, in which God conde- scends to speak after the manner of men ; in order that by conveying to our minds such ideas as we are able to compre- hend, he may produce on us such impressions as the subject calls for. Behold, then, to God it will be a source of joy ; and in him will be realized the description of the Father in the Parable, receiving, and rejoicing over, his repentant son. Hear how the prophet represents this matter : " Be ye glad, and rejoice for ever in that which I create : for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people : and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of cryingm. So also, in another place, in yet stronger terms : " Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken ; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate : but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah : for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. For, as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons (thy restorers) marry thee : and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee11." Moreover, this event will greatly tend to the honour of God. His power and goodness are seen by all people, in the works of creation : but in the restor- ation of his outcast people, his glory will shine forth as in its meridian splendour, before all the nations of the earth. It
m Isai. lxv. 18, 19. See also Zeph. iii. 17. n Isai. lxii. 4, 5.