eousnessg, they know that " their iniquity is taken away, and their sin covered11." They see that there is a sufficiency in the provision thus made for themg, and they rejoice in it : and, thus habited, they hope to minister before God with increasing pleasure upon earth, and to stand before him with acceptance in his temple above.
Here is their hope ; " The Angel of the Lord stands by." That Angel has said, " Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world : and, with such an Advocate and Intercessor, they defy all the power of their enemy ; assured, that " neither the power nor policy of hell shall ever prevail against them."]
Would we make a suitable improvement of this passage ?
1. Let us not despair of the Church's prosperity, however low or desolate her present condition may be —
[The prophet's word was accomplished : and low as the state of the Jewish Church is, all that is spoken respecting her shall yet be accomplished. She is destined to be the joy and glory of the whole earth. The degradation and dispersion of her members shall not always continue. Glorious days are yet in reserve for her1 ; and, " when she shall turn to the Lord, her Messiah, ungodliness shall be turned away from her, and all Israel shall be saved k."
The Gentiles also, though now so dark, — millions upon mil- lions of them being as ignorant of God and his Christ as the very beasts that perish, — shall one day be joined to the Lord, and, as a royal priesthood, shall offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise continually, throughout the whole earth. Who that sees the state of the Heathen world would suppose that this could ever be? But God has said, that " all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God :" and " he is not a man, that he should lie ; nor the son of man, that he should repent."]
2. Let us commit our own souls altogether to the care of our all-prevailing Advocate and Mediator —
[Jesus lives : and because he lives, we shall live also ; for " he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." If we be his people, we must expect that Satan will use his utmost efforts to destroy us : but he is a vanquished enemy ; and " if we resist him manfully, he will flee from us." When he seems as if he would overpower us, let us call in Omnipotence
s Rev. iii. 18. h Jsai. Ixi. 10.
' Zech. i. 17. and ii. 10 — 12. and viii. 1 — 8. k Rom. xi. 26.