with their heart and be converted, and I should heal them." These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him. Here it must be allowed, either that both Isaiah and John were mistaken, or else, (which is the real state of the case,) that the Prophet had, like the Evangelist who quotes him, an apocalyptic view of the GLORY OF CHRIST as the King Jehovah of hosts. These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him.

It was his glory they all beheld. He was the theme of prophetic communication and of sacred song. He was set forth in all the types and shadows of the old economy. He was

the seed of the woman who should bruise the serpent's head: his merits were declared in the offerings of Abel; and the efficiency of his blessings in the ark that floated on a deluged world: the olive branch of peace was a type of him; and every particular of the Mosaic ritual proclaimed his office. The tempestuous array of Sinai itself was but introductory to the milder scenery of Zion, and the temple in the midst was an image of his body. The smitten rock was Christ, the brazen serpent represented him who is the bright, the durable, the exhibited, and the influential wisdom of God in a mystery: we stumble amidst the profusion of trophies which announce and honour him in every part of Zion's history. Prophets,

pastors, believers, old men and children, kings and rulers, either saw or expected him; he was the desire of all nations, and holy men of God saw his glory and spake of him.

III.

Let these circumstances, and the texts which have originated these reflections, be compared with the resurrection and ascension anthem in Psalm xxiv. verses 7-10. "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle." "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the king of glory shall come in. Who is this king of glory? Jehovah of hosts, he is the king of glory." The same person whom Isaiah beheld, and announced by the same appellation.

Let us pause one moment at this noble anthem of our ascending Lord. Prophet and Priest, Angel and Demon, are supposed to look on. He comes! He comes! glowing with immortality he has borne our load, he ascends to the eternal throne: far distant trumpeters, who had gone before, assault the celestial gates with loud information. Cherubic guards who look down from the barriers of heaven exclaim, "Who is this king of glory?"-" The Lord strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle,

He is the King of glory." Mighty! Almighty! He has slain his own and his church's enemies. The king of terrors himself turned pale when Jesus expired, and the arches of Hell were hung in mourning when he said, It is finished! Sin writhed in agonies under his trampling feet, and the law of God, all pure and holy, acknowledged that he had fulfilled all righteousness. The cradle, the cross, the multitude, the grave, the Jewish council, the enraged heathen, all presented nothing too hard for his love to overcome; he presented his bosom to the sword of vindictive wrath. Eternal justice could not frown him away, and the love of Deity found in his breast an ample field for its widest excursions. He ascended, for it was not possible that he could be holden of death. He guaranteed our ascent by his own, he proved his Father satisfied, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

T IV.

Isaiah viii. 13. " Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread." Certainly higher language than this cannot be used of any person. He is called Jehovah of hosts, and Jehovah of hosts himself, and we are commanded to make him the object of religious worship; even an awful fear and dread.

That we stand here on holy ground no one

LECTURE 11.

*39

can deny, who allows the force of language, and admits that the all-wise God can surely make such a selection of words as are quite conclusive. But I shall prove that this Jehovah of hosts whom we are to sanctify, and to make our fear and our dread, is the Lord Jesus Christ. Observe then the continuation of the verse, Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread," and he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel. The same is called in Isaiah xxviii. 16, "A stone laid in Zion for a foundation, a tried stone; a precious corner stone, a sure foundation ;" and, it is added, "he that believeth shall not make haste." These words can be applied only to Christ, who on account of his lowly appearance, was to the proud Jews a rock of offence, as he is to all who believe a sanctuary the rock of ages cleft for us. But an Apostle has set this question for ever at rest: he takes up both the passages, and informs us that they describe Christ; see 1 Peter ii. 6. "Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believeth in him shall not be confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the

-

។

head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence." These are the very words of Isaiah concerning Jehovah of hosts, our fear and our dread, and which Peter declares belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If any one will in this question deny that one and the same being is here called Jehovah of hosts in the Old Testament, and the Lord Jesus Christ in the New, he is impervious to an argument. He is himself a comment on the very passage. He stumbles at the word, being disobedient, at the clear word of God, and he is left without excuse.

Let us, then, contemplate with humble gratitude our adorable Jesus in this oracle. Again, Jehovah of hosts, the armies of heaven cannot resist him, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. Blessed refuge, the secret place of the Most High, the shelter where we hide; "a glorious high throne from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary." And are men ashamed of Jesus? Did the Jews reject him, they were blinded by the god of this world, or the very circumstances which introduced the Messiah, would at least have challenged reverence. Pomps, plagues, emblems, prophecies, providences, battles, wonders, miracles, sacred visions, fiery elations, odes, hymns, magi, angelic annunciations-surely the Lord of hosts is here; this must be some one whom we shall