unexpected good, they shall " lay hold of the skirt" of him, who they think can aid them in the attainment of it. Yea, so vast and sudden will be the accession of converts to the church, that the places appropriated to divine worship shall not be able to contain them, and the people of God themselves shall be filled with wonder and astonishment11.]
It will also be universal —
["All the ends of the world are given to Christ as his possession1." And in that day "many and strong nations" shall unite themselves to the Lord; and "men shall fear him from the rising to the setting sunk." "All shall know him, from the least of them even to the greatest1." All shall be righteous"1: even the most ignorant countrymen shall be con- secrated to the Lord". None, or next to none, shall remain in an heathenish unconverted state0. The knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth, as universally as the waters cover the channel of the seap.]
Together with this assurance of the event itself, the text farther sets before us,
II. The way in which it will be manifested —
Conversion, wherever it exists, uniformly produces the effects mentioned in the text :
1. A cordial delight in God's ordinances —
[A proud pharisee will go to the temple as well, and per- haps as often, as a repenting publican: but he never can find delight in the worship of God. Prayer is a task, that he performs either from necessity, or with a view to establish a righteousness of his own. But the true convert rejoices in opportunities of approaching God both in public and in
private q There will indeed be many seasons when he
will find his mind lamentably indisposed for holy exercises : but, when he is in a proper frame, his joy is in God alone r.
Nor will any true Christian be satisfied to serve God alone: when once he has tasted the benefits of communion with God, he will desire to bring all he can to a participation of his bliss s. Nor will he readily be put off with vain excuses: he knows the danger of procrastination ; and therefore says, Come, " let us go speedily, and seek the Lord :" yea, to give more efficacy to
h Isai. xlix. 18—22. * Ps. ii. 8. k Mai. i. 11.
1 Jer. xxxi. 34. m Isai. lx. 21. n Zech. xiv. 20, 21.
0 Zech. xiv. 21. P Hab. ii. 14.
i Ps. cxlviii. 14. Ps. xlii. 1, 2. 1 John i. 3.
r Rom. v. 11. s John i. 41, 42, 45. Cant. u-4.