Son of God is erected. The kingdom of Jefus Chrift is full of the glory of Jehovah, in which it fhines with the most refulgent fplendour, confounding the implacable enemies of mens falvation, baffling their ftratagems, and counteracting their efforts for our deftruction:-conducting them by the most unlikely means to the end he hath in view; leading them through weaknefs and reproach, temptation and affliction, through innumerable difficulties, and death itfelf, to life, glory, honour,, and eternal felicity:-rendering perfectly confiftent, neceflity and contingency, the freedom of fecond caufes, and the infallible certainty of divine purpofes:-effectuating the greateft events by the feebleft inftruments, that all the glory may redound to himfelf:-making the fame difpenfations produce the most oppofite effects, and by a thousand other ways I ftay not to mention.In this manner, the earth was filled with the glory of the Lord: all the divine perfections were manifefted and exalted after the exaltation of Jefus Chrift, through the miniftry of the gospel which was published over the whole known world, confirmed by the most stupendous miracles, accompanied with the plentiful effufion of the Holy Spirit, and every where attended with the most glorious effects. In another view, this truth was alfo remarkably verified, when the land of Ifrael was fmitten with a curfe, and the miserable remnant of that devoted people were fcattered through the world; and the glory of the Lord, manifested in the righteous judgments inflicted upon them, was made known to all nations. And hereafter it fhall be more eminently accomplished, when all the kingdoms of the earth fhall become the kingdoms of our Lord, and his Chrift.Let us, my brethren, unite our praises with thofe of celeftial fpirits, unto that God who hath filled the earth with his glory, and often make the theme of their adorations the iubject of our prayers; heartily joining with feraphs and faints, in the last fupplication of the man according to God's

Own

own heart,

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and amen *.' To these let us add our utmost efforts, in bringing to pafs what we devoutly with his almighty hand may speedily execute.

4 And the pofts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the houfe was filled with fmoke.

In this verfe, the prophet defcribes the powerful effects which followed the voice which he heard, and the glory which he beheld.The whole fcenery of this vifion is taken from the temple. God is reprefented as feated on his throne above the ark, in the moft holy place, furrounded by his minifters, employed in celebrating his praises. The vail feparating the most holy place from the outer part of the temple, is fuppofed to be removed; and the prophet, to whom the whole is exhibited, feems to have been placed befide the altar of burnt-offering, at the entrance of the temple, which was filled with the divine glory. From this ftation, he faw the whole vifion which he relates; and, on this occafion, he particularly obferved the posts of the door moving at the voice of him that cried. The voice of the feraphims at this time was fo loud and melodious, and the power of their heavenly mufic was fo great, when extolling the holiness and glory of Jehovah, that the posts, with the lintel of the door of the temple, feemed to tremble, to be shaken in the place where they stood, or loofed from their place. This was a very furprifing effect; for thefe pofts were fo large and ftrong, that they supported gates of brafs, which are faid to have required twenty men to fhut them, on account of their prodigious weight. This part of the vifion might prefigure the removal of thefe pillars, and the deftruction of the temple by the Romans, which was the beauty of the

*Pfal. lxxii. 19.

Jewish church, the place of their divine worship, and confequently the abolition of the whole Old-Teftament œconomy. Jofephus records the following circumftance, which, he fays, happened at the deftruction of the temple: Cæfar, seeing that he could not reftrain the fury of the foldiers, and that the fire which had been. thrown into the temple increased, entered with his nobles, the flame not having yet pierced into the inner part of the temple, and entreated the foldiers to extinguish the fire. Notwithstanding, a certain foldier fired the posts of the doors; and prefently the flame appearing within, Cæfar, and the captains, departed. Viewing the temple which our prophet be held in vifion, as a type of the church of Jefus Chrift, in which God manifefts his glory, the moving of the pofts, may fignify the powerful effects which were to be produced by the gracious prefence of God accompanying his worship, particularly the celebration of his praifes. To this purpose two remarkable inftances occur in the New Testament: After the apoftles had 'prayed, the place was fhaken where they were af'fembled together; and they were all filled with the

Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldnefs: When Paul and Silas prayed, and fang 'praises unto God, fuddenly there was a great earthquake, fo that the foundations of the prifon were 'fhaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, ' and every one's bonds were loofed .'Jovah now refides in the Chriftian church as he did in the temple of old; therefore let the people tremble: he fitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

And the houfe was filled with smoke. Smoke is fometimes mentioned in fcripture as an emblem of the wrath of almighty God, and the terrible judgments with which it is attended. In this fenfe it must be understood in the fong which David fpake to the Lord, in the day the Lord delivered him from the

Jofeph. book vii. chap. x.

+ Acts iv. 31. Acts xvi. 25, 26.

X x

hands

hands of all his enemies: There went up a smoke out of his noftrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured *.' As fmoke hurts the eyes, and darkens the air, fo the anger of Jehovah, and the awful calamities which proceed from it, often blinds the eyes of mens minds, and fpreads around them the darkness of error and prejudice, as is exemplified in the following part of this chapter. If we fuppofe, with fome commentators, that the fmoke of which Ifaiah fpeaks, was fignificant of the juft difpleasure of God, and its direful effects, then it prefaged, with the other circumftance mentioned, the deftruction of the Jewish temple, which was accomplished by fire, that always occafions fmoke. By that awful judgment, the most high God revealed his wrath from heaven against a ftubborn and rebellious people, who were feized with aítonishment and terror, when they faw their temple on fire, whilft they remained in a state of spiritual blindness and ftupidity.-Smoke is alfo fometimes mentioned as a fymbol of the glorious prefence and divine majefty of God: Mount Sinai was altogether on a fmoke, because the Lord defcended upon it in fire: and the fioke thereof afcended as the fmoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly †.' The apostle John affirms, That the temple which he beheld was filled with fmoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the templet.' As fire is ufed figuratively, to denote the perfect purity, the conitant activity, and ineffable glory of the Lord, who appeared to Mofes in a flame of fire, and fpake out of the midst of fire to the Ifraelites §; fo a cloud or fmoke, which is the effect and evidence of fire, is spoken of as an emblem of the divine prefence . If, with other expofitors, T. we think, that the fmoke which the prophet beheld in vifion, was an emblem not of wrath, but of the gra

*Pfal. xviii. 8. Exod. ii. 2.

+ Exod. xix. 18. Deut. iv. 33. ¶

Rev. xv. 8.

Kings. viii. 10

cious prefence of God, then it prefigured the high privilege which the church of Jefus Chrift, under the New Teftament, was to enjoy, of being filled with the glory of the Lord. This renders ordinances of divine inftitution defirable and pleafant, and makes them effectual for accomplishing the most falutary purposes: it affords direction and protection, ftrength and confolation, and every blefling neceffary to felicitate the fervants of God. It is therefore the object of their most ardent defires; it is highly prized as their peculiar prerogative, and gratefully acknowledged as the fource of all their felicity and joy. In the enjoyment of this very defirable blefling, they adopt the words of the patriarch Jacob at Bethel, This is the house of God, this is the gate of heaven*: they join with David, faying, One day in thy courts is better than a thoufand t; and with the difciples on the mount, where their Mafter was tranffigured, It is good for us to be here .'-Let us then diligently feek to enjoy the gracious prefence of God, which, according to this last interpretation of the words, was reprefented by the houfe being filled with fmoke. To this important duty, we are encou raged by the happy fuccefs which hath attended the fupplications of the faints for this diftinguishing favour. When king Solomon had ended his prayer, the glory of the Lord filled the house: after the apostles had prayed, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. You are not to expect fuch vifible external fymbols of the divine prefence as were granted to thefe extraordinary perfons, though you may hope to enjoy fuch as are as fatisfying, as comforting, and as ufeful.

5 Then faid I, Wo is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and 1 dwell in the midft of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hofts.

* Gen. xxviii. 17. † Pfal. lxxxiv. 10. Matth. xvii. 4.