I am now to treat of the fecond part of this vifion, which contains the folemn defignation of Ifaiah to the performance of a very important part of his prophetical office, to which God had appointed him. The first thing which occurs, and is here strongly expreffed, is the confternation and dread which the prophet felt, arising from a consciousness of his unworthinefs and impurity, which he humbly acknowledges. Very great must have been the perturbation of his mind when he uttered thefe words, Wo is me; which exprefs vehement grief and fear, forrow for his unfitnefs to join the feraphims in adoring the moft holy and glorious Lord, and fear arifing from the manifeftations of divine majefty and glory which he contemplated.—I am undone; I am cut off; I am nothing, and of no account. I am fo aftonifhed, that I cannot fpeak; my ftrength is gone, my tongue faulters, my lips quiver, and my heart faints. A difcovery of the majefty, purity, and glory of God, never fails to excite in those who enjoy it, a deep fense of their unworthinefs and pollution, and to fill their minds with dread and aftonifhment. Of this many inftances are recorded in fcripture. When the Lord appeared to Mofes in the burning bush, it is written, Mofes hid

his face, for he was afraid to look upon God*.' When upright Job acknowledged unto God, Now < mine eye feeth thee,' he immediately adds, "Where

fore I abhor myself, and repent in duft and ashes †.' At the time Daniel, a man greatly beloved, was favoured with a glorious vifion, he was greatly aftonifhed, his forrows were turned upon him, and he retained no ftrength, neither was any breath left in him. When Jefus Chrift manifefted his glory, by working a miracle, Simon Peter fell down at Je'fus' knees, faying, Depart from me, for I am a fin, ful man, O Lord :' and the apostle John, behold

*Exod. iii. 6. + Job xlii. 5, 6. Luke v. 8.

Daniel x. 8. 16, 17.

ing Jefus Chrift in his glory, fell at his feet as dead *.? As the deformity of any object feems always greatest, when brought into comparifon with perfect beauty, fo the finfulness and impurity of men muft ever appear in the ftrongeft light, when they enjoy clear views of the holinefs of God, and his intimate prefence with them. A proper fenfe of this difcovery difpofes to exclaim, Wo is me, I am undone. The

temper of mind emphatically expreffed in this abrupt fentence, is highly becoming the moft eminent faints on earth, when contemplating the glory of the Lord. If exalted fpirits around the throne of God, as reprefented in this vifion, are deeply penetrated with an affecting fenfe of the divine glory, what deep humiliation, and self-abasement, is suitable to guilty creatures, who have rendered themselves the juft objects of divine displeasure; and who ought to confider every favour from God, not as a difplay of goodness to the worthy, or of bounty to the indigent, but of mercy to the guilty, who have undone themselves! The majesty and the mercy of God ought deeply to penetrate our hearts, whilft we contemplate the manifeftations of his glory.The prophet fubjoins three reasons why he thus exclaimed.

Because I am a man of unclean lips. This acknowledgment requires to be explained with great caution. We are not to imagine, that Ifaiah charged himself with any habitual impurity in his converfation, which would have been perfectly inconfiftent with his character as a holy man of God, who fpake as he was moved by the Holy Ghoft, and was highly honoured with fingular marks of divine favour. The lips, being the chief inftrument of speech, are here mentioned, I suppose, to denote speech itself, which the prophet confeffes to have been impure, when contrafted with the holy adorations of the feraphims. He hefitates not to own, that, though fanctified in part, and

Rev. i. 17.

devoted

devoted without referve to the fervice of God, there was still to be found in him much remaining impurity, which discovered itself by his lips. He humbly acknowledgeth, that he was not a perfect man, that never offended in word, or spake unadvisedly with his mouth. The first views of the enlightened mind are commonly fixed upon the enormities of the life; whereas, after these are in fome measure subdued, new discoveries of the glory of God bring to light the fecret corruptions of the heart, which pollute the converfation, and produce fuch affecting complaints as that now before us. The prophet, admitted to contemplate the glory of Jehovah, fully fenfible of his comparative impurity, laments the fins of his lips, which proceeded from the remaining corruptions of his heart; with which he was deeply impreffed, as unfitting him for joining the heavenly hofts in their prailes, and performing aright the important fervices to which he was called.If this great prophet, this eminently good man, was thus diftreffed with his impurity, what heart-affecting views ought we to have of our pollution before God, arifing from our oppofition to his holy nature, and perfect law, notwithstanding the external difplays afforded us of his infinite glory, his confummate rectitude, and unparalleled grace! The more we reflect upon our conduct, and compare it with the ftandards of complete excellence, we fhall fee the greater reafon to abhor ourselves, and repent in duft and ashes,

And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. The men of Judah doubtlefs juftly merited the character which Ifaiah here gives them. Recollect what you have already heard refpecting their character, from the foregoing chapters of this prophecy, and you will readily acknowledge the juftice of what is here affirmed. They were a people of impure hearts, whofe hands were defiled with blood, and with bribes; whofe princes were companions of thieves, and lovers of gifts, and oppreffors of the fatherlefs and the wi

dow

dow. Avarice and ambition, pride and injuftice, luxury and intemperance, with a perverfe contempt of the great and everlasting diftinction between good and evil, were fome of the prevailing iniquities which rendered them highly worthy of this defcription. They were become altogether corrupt, and their doings were against the Lord, to provoke the eyes of his glory. There were indeed among them, even at this time, a remnant according to the election of grace, whom God referved to himself, and confccrated to his fervice: thefe, however, were but few, when compared with the bulk of the nation, who were not cleanfed from their filthinefs. The acknowledgment of his living among wicked people, the prophet unites with the confeffion of his own impurity, as contributing in part to unfit him for the facred fervices of God, who is holy. The fervants of the Moft High always confider themselves intimately connected with those among whom they dwell; of which David, Ezra, Daniel, and many others, are instructive examples. The profperity of the nation to which they belong, engroffes a confiderable fhare in their prayers and praifes in its adverfity, they are deeply affected, and greatly depreffed. At the increase of the godly, they heartily rejoice: when iniquity abounds, and the wicked are exalted, their forrows and confeffions are multiplied; they humbly acknowledge before God, the prevalence of fin, and the pollution they may have thereby contracted, which difcourages them from engaging in holy and difficult fervices.From this confeffion, let us learn two useful leffons, which you would do well to derive from it. Let us be excited to the exercife of public fpirit, and a generous concern for the welfare of the fociety to which we belong. Senfible that we are easily tainted with impu rity, let us cautiously avoid the contagion of bad company, which often hath a more powerful influence upon us than we are willing to acknowledge.

For

For mine eyes have feen the King, the Lord of hosts. The object which the prophet contemplated was very great, being no lefs than a fymbolical reprefentation of the King of kings, and Lord of lords, a great King above all gods, who, according to the apoftle John, was no other than Jefus Chrift. In viewing his glorious majefty, and fupreme excellence, he is ftruck with inexpreffible aftonishment. Bright manifeftations of divine glory were too much for a feeble mortal to fuftain: rays of inacceffible light were by far too ftrong for human eyes to behold. No wonder, therefore, that Ifaiah is dazzled, confounded, and deeply humbled. Multitudes of thoughts might, on this occafion, crowd into his mind, all tending to produce thefe effects; among which we may fuppofe the following: The inadequate fentiments he had entertained of that divine glory, which feraphs adored; the difproportionate apprehenfions he had formed of that holiness he now heard highly celebrated; the unequal opinion he had framed of that power, which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. Indeed the faints of the Moft High have always been deeply affected, when admitted to behold the fymbols of the divine prefence and glory; of which the prophet Habakkuk prefents to view a very memorable inftance, in fome refpects fimilar to the one before us. Toward the beginning of the third chapter of his prophecy, he thus fpeaks; O Lord, • I have heard thy voice, and was afraid :' and at the 16th verfe, he reprefents the powerful effects which that divine revelation produced; When I heard, my belly trembled: my lips quivered at thy voice: rottennefs entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might reft in the day of 'trouble.'Though we, my brethren, neither enjoy, nor have any reafon to expect fuch manifestations of divine glory as were afforded to Ifaiah, and the other prophets, fuch rich difplays of the glory of God are notwithstanding exhibited to our view, in the

works