The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 277

Ver. 1.-The beauty of the Church. We are more apt to thank God for the bounty than for the beauty of the earth ; but if one is the more necessary, the other is the higher gift of the two; if the one satisfies the cravings of the body, the other ministers to the hunger and the thirst of the· soul. With what lavish hand has God supplied it I What colour, what variety, what elegance, what symmetry, what loveliness, and what grandeur on the surface of the earth, in hill and mountain, in sea and sky I And if we appreciate the beauty of his handiwork, does not he delight in the beauty of our service? does not he say to us," Put on thy beautiful garments"? What are the beautiful garments of the Church of Christ'.; what is it that makes it attractive and comely in his pure sight? I. SPmITUALITY IN ITS WORSHIP. It is better to worship God in a beautiful structure then in a barn; in skilful, artistic song than with unregulated voice; in becoming language than in distracted exclamations. It is better, because (1) we ought t0 give to a Divine Saviour the very best we can bring, and therefore our taste and culture rather than our crudeness and our vulgarity; and because (2) we should seek to attract by excellency to the house of the Lord, and not repel by unsightliness and discord. But this is not the beauty for which Christ looks: the beauty of the Church's worship is in its genuineness, its spirituality, its inward and intrinsic worth (see Ps. I. 14; John iv. 23, 24; Heb. xiii. 15). 'fbe reverent thought, tbo hallowe<l feeling, the solemn vow, the consecrated spirit, the song which comes from a grateful heart, the attitude of earnest docility that longs to learn that it may hasten to obey,-these are the beautiful gar- monts of devotion. IL ExcELLENCY OF LIFE. A good profession is a good thing, but integrity of cha- racter and blamelessness of life is a better thing. The uprightness which would rather suffer than sin; thefaithfulnef6 thai keeps the unremunerative engagement; the purity that repels the ugly thought as well as the filthy word and the foul action; thti truthful- ness which prefers to offend man rather than to grieve the Spirit of God; the generosity which loses all sight of self in the needs and cries of weakness or so1Tow ;-these are the beautiful garments in which t\:ie Divine Lord would sec his servants clothed. III. DEVOTEDNESS OF LABOUR. Much more, in quantity, is now done in Christ's name than heretofore. But wheth11r the life of the Church is 80 much the fairer in its Master's view depends chiefly on the spirit of ite aervicc, If our work in the 11anctnary, OH. LII. 1-15.] THE BOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHET ISAIAH. 287