Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.
I. THE CALL OF THE CHURCH TO ALMIGHTY GOD FOR HELP (Isaiah 51:9).
This call implies,
1. That the Church felt itself to be in a very unsatisfactory state. The Church was in captivity, was subdued by a powerful and victorious foe. The enemy from which the Church is in danger now, triumphs not by force, but by subtlety. It is lamentable to see in how many instances the Church, instead of conquering the world, is conquered by it, and is held firmly in its soft but unrelaxing grasp. The Church seems now to be throwing open its gates to admit the enemy, mistaking him for a friend. The spirit of the world seems to be establishing itself in the Church. Oh! what slumber, what torpor, what a diminished power of prayer, what a practical underrating of the value of prayer, &c.
2. That whenever it became conscious of its unsatisfactory condition, there rises from it a call to the Lord of the Church for His gracious help for the renewal and quickening of life which comes from Him alone.
II. THE RESPONSIVE CALL OF THE CHURCH’S LORD (Isaiah 52:1). Whilst the Church is slumbering and inconsistent there is no beauty of character, no generous, earnest activity; but the effect of God’s answering prayer and putting forth His power is to stimulate the activity of the Church. There is a vast amount of latent power not put forth when the Church is slumbering. When God responds to the call of the Church, He calls that latent force into vigorous action, and then the Church arises and puts on again her fair garment, pure and white, which is the righteousness of the saints.
1. “Awake! awake!” When the Church is slumbering and inconsistent, instead of acting, it is acted upon by the world. The Church must be as wakeful as the world.
2. “Put on thy strength.” As if when slumbering the Church had thrown aside its armour and lost even the sinews of its strength. Certain elements of character constitute the Church’s strength; these she is to put on and exhibit in all their force. A man has strength, spiritual and moral, when he has fairly mastered a subject; when he has faith; when he has determination, fixed resolve; when he has sympathy; when he has courage. And now, says the Church’s Lord to her, “Put on your strength; put on these characteristic elements of yours as a Church; put them forth in all their force; and then your enemies will be subdued, and vice, wickedness, immorality, blindness, inconsistency, and worldliness will fall.
3. “Put on thy beautiful garments,” &c. There is an assemblage of excellences which the Church is to exhibit to the gaze of the world, and which, when seen, even the world itself cannot fail to admire. This the apostle puts in another form which is very expressive, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” the life of Christ will be reproduced in the history of His followers, and the beauties of character for which He was distinguished, will shine out in their lives. Our Lord summons us to all this; to awake and put on strength and exhibit lofty consistency, not for our own sakes alone. When there is power combined with beauty of character, then we shall not have to complain of defeat, but shall rejoice in victory, and in our Lord’s glory we shall see our own.—J. C. Harrison: Penny Pulpit, new series, No. 526.
THE WORK AND STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH
(Sermon preached before an Association of Churches.)
Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion.
Isaiah prophesied more than a hundred years before the captivity of Israel. Many of his predictions had to do with its termination. In his inspired anticipation, the period of Israel’s desolation is now coming to a close, and the day of their redemption is drawing nigh. Hence, in these latter Chapter s, he calls upon the exiles, under the figure of a captive female, to arise from the ground on which she has been sitting, to shake herself from the dust with which she has been covered, to lay aside all the emblems of her degradation, and prepare to return to the enjoyment of freedom and prosperity in the land of her fathers. By a figure still bolder, he summons the holy land and the holy city to clothe themselves in their best attire, and get ready for the reception of the liberated captive. Frequently he employs the proper names, Zion and Jerusalem, in their literal sense; but at other times Jerusalem is put for its inhabitants, and Zion represents the worshippers of the true God. In this latter sense I employ the term Zion now. In the preceding chapter we see the chosen people in a suppliant attitude, sending up to heaven the cry—“Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord.” In the text we listen to the responsive command of heaven, addressed to the praying Church,—“A wake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion.”
More than five-and-twenty centuries have passed away since the echo of these words first fell on expecting ears; but there is a sense in which they are as much needed by the Church of our day as by the Zion to and for which Isaiah spoke and wrote.
I. THE WORK WHICH THE CHURCH HAS TO DO.
1. It has millions of heathen yet to evangelise. The kingdom which the Messiah came to set up, was to be bounded only by the globe; its subjects only by the entire race. But before it can reach its destined universality, its gospel must be proclaimed to all men, and the gods many and lords many of idolatry’s empire must be destroyed. That is part of the work which Christ has intrusted to His Church. Glorious harvests have been reaped as the result of the Church’s toil. But large portions of the earth have yet to be won to our Saviour King. From the entire regions of darkness and death that are still under the dominion of false gods, it is computed that forty immortal beings go into eternity every minute, more than 2000 every hour, and more than 50,000 every day. Fifty thousand human beings daily hastening to a tribunal of which they never heard, and ushered into the presence of a God they never knew, because His own Church has hitherto failed to make Him known to the ends of the earth!
2. It has the Mohammedan imposture yet to overthrow. The mosque still stands on the very mount of God’s selection, where once Solomon worshipped, where Isaiah prophesied, where Asaph sung, and where Jesus taught. Nearly one hundred millions of the earth’s population are daily heard uttering the watchword—“There is one God, and Mahommed is His prophet.” Never must we consider the Church’s work done until the crescent be made to give way to the cross, and the followers of the false prophet be brought to worship Jesus as the sent of God and the only Saviour of men.
3. It has multitudes of the Jews yet to convert to the faith of Christ. It is calculated that nearly six millions and a half of the seed of Abraham are, at this time, scattered about in the different nations of the earth. These must be sought, and instructed, and entreated until they are won to Christ.
4. It has the Papal apostasy to oppose. As far from “the truth as it is in Jesus” is it now as when our own Wicklyffe began to protest against its errors. As dishonourable to God, as injurious to society, as corruptive of morals, as dangerous to souls, as when Luther hurled at the whole system the thunders of his righteous indignation.
5. It has a growing infidelity to confront.
6. It has to meet and resist a form of religion which, while it holds fast the name of Christianity, denies and denounces most of its distinctive doctrines. I refer to that system which would pluck the crown of Deity from the Saviour’s brow, and reduce Him to the level of a mere man.
7. It has a vast region of indifference to invade. Wrapped in the slumbers of a spiritual death, multitudes care for none of these things.
8. It has a false liberalism to contend against. The parties that espouse this cause have a creed, and it runs somewhat in this strain—“There is something good in all religions: no church is perfect, nor persons either: it matters not what sect a man belongs to, so that he has charity in his soul, and observes justice in his dealings: it matters not what doctrines a man believes, so that he is honest in his belief, for—this condition complied with—he may be an infidel and yet be saved.” We must not let this evil go unchecked and unopposed. It is wrong in itself, it is dangerous and destructive in its tendency—and hence, as the witnesses for God, we must work to stop its progress and to neutralise its mischiefs.
9. It has certain tendencies of the age to keep in check. Such as the growing worldliness of professors of religion—the growing love of gaiety, amusements, and pleasure, which often leads to dangerous associations and the desecration of the Sabbath—a spirit of daring speculation in trade—the deification of reason, which leads men to treat Gospel doctrines as they would mathematical problems, to question when they ought to believe, and to reject what they cannot comprehend—the rage for novelties, which begets a restless dissatisfaction with old truths however sound, and old ways however safe—the irreverence with which sacred things are treated and spoken of.
10. It has lost ground to regain. The cause of spiritual religion has not kept pace with the progress which has been made in other things. Where, in some cases, the external machinery of religion has been pushed forward, there is reason to fear that the inward life of it has been “sick and ready to die.”
These are some of the claims which the times now passing over us present to the activities of the Church; and if the Church had nothing more to do than what has now been stated, it must be evident at a glance that its work is one of great magnitude and vast responsibility. The requirements of the case cannot be met by feeble resolves, low aims, or weak efforts. A Church asleep will not do for it. A Church reposing on the lap of its own privileges will not do for it. “Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion.”
II. IN WHAT THE STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH CONSISTS: AND HOW IT SHOULD PUT IT ON.
1. The first element of its renewed strength must be sought in its waking up to a sense of its past neglects and its present duties. Misconceptions on these points will be fatal to its power.
2. The Church’s love to Christ must be augmented. What was the secret of Apostolic doing, daring, and suffering? It was love—“the love of Christ constraining us.” Could we but get the same hallowed fire in our hearts—could we but get it to burn on, with a steady, constant, and augmenting flame, no service would be a weariness to us, no sacrifice a hardship, and no labour commanded by our Divine Master would be refused or neglected. If we can but get our hearts filled with the expansive and impulsive energy of Divine love, we shall soon be clad in the mantle of Divine strength.
3. There must be an increase of faith. Our warfare is the fight of faith, and our work is the work of faith. The Master whom we serve is the invisible God; the rewards we expect are unseen and future. The results of our labours are uncertain, except as we anticipate them by faith. Our obstacles are seen, our difficulties are felt. The natural exclamation of conscious weakness is—the work is too great for us. Too great indeed it would be, if we had to do it alone. But Omnipotence is pledged to help us, and success is guaranteed by Divine promise. We must have faith in that promise. Going forth strong in the power of faith, we may expect to see much greater things than we have ever yet beheld.
4. There must be an increase of fervent prayer. First must we become princes with God, and then shall we prevail with men. The Holy Spirit is given in answer to prayer. The special outpouring of that Spirit on the Church in its infancy, was preceded by special prayer. Gifts, zeal, activity, eloquence, fervour, will all be in vain without the Spirit of God. What the steam is to the engine, and what the winds of heaven are to the canvas-clad vessel, the influences of the Spirit are to the plans and activities of the Church. Without these influences there may be much husbandry but no harvest, much work but no progress. The known readiness of the Spirit to help and bless, should not supersede prayer but stimulate it.
5. There must be a deepened sense of personal responsibility. When charged with past neglects and sins, we must not attempt to shift the blame from ourselves and fasten it upon others. “Against Thee, O Lord, have I sinned, and done evil in Thy sight.” With respect to the future and its duties, we must be on our guard against being deluded by what may become to us the fiction of the Church. When we speak of the Church’s work and responsibilities, we must not give the least indulgence to the idea that we are speaking of some imaginary being or body, altogether separate and distinct from ourselves. The Church is composed of individual Christians, and the only responsibility of the Church as a whole is that which is brought into it by the individual responsibility of its separate members. Go daily to the throne of God with the inquiry—“Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” Be willing that God should answer it in any way He sees fit; and then as soon as it is answered, do that thing, whatever it may be, do it willingly, do it diligently, do it well.
6. There must be enlarged liberality. As compared with the givings of some bygone ages, the present scale of contributions to the cause of God may be admitted to be liberal. But what is given now, in a general way, bears but small proportion to what was given by the devout Jew to meet the requirements of the ceremonial law. The givings of both rich and poor to the cause of Popery—the princely sums of English earls, and the hard-earned pennies of Irish labourers—might well shame the stinted offerings of those who profess a purer faith. The sacrifices made by deluded multitudes in the worship of their false gods, make our ordinary rate of giving appear more like an insult than an offering. The servants of sin give incomparably more to the cause of corruption and death, than do the servants of the living God to the cause of religion and salvation. How will rich professors answer for themselves before God, who hoard up wealth for themselves and their heirs, and leave the cause of God to languish and die for want of support? The Church’s work will not be done until those of His servants, whom He makes stewards of His wealth, shall honour Him with something better than “the crumbs” which fall from their own table.
7. There must be more directness of aim in the pulpit. To preach before a congregation is one thing, to preach to it is another. To preach to men in the mass, is the method of some, to preach so as to make each man feel—it is I, was the method of Paul (Colossians 1:28).
8. There must be more of a devout and teachable spirit in the pew. The extravagant and often ridiculous demand for “talent” in the pulpit, must be moderated. When this is made the alpha and omega of ministerial fitness, of course the people take upon themselves to judge whether or not it exists in sufficient measure. Hence many go to the house of God, not to be instructed, edified in the faith, helped on in their way to heaven; but to sit in judgment on the preacher’s intellectual powers, that they may go and pronounce for or against what they have heard. Spiritual growth is the last thing thought of and least cared about. But this must be altered before Christians will advance and churches will work as they ought to do. When our people come to a right state of mind on this subject, they will think that man the best minister whose preaching brings the greatest number of souls to Christ, and is most successful in promoting the knowledge, purity, consistency, and usefulness of his flock. Men who really want to do God’s work, will feel that they have no time to waste in fruitless criticisms; and that human life is far too precious a thing to be frittered away in either compliments or complaints of God’s workmen.
9. The promotion of family piety must be made more a matter of business at home.
10. There must be more of mutual sympathy between Christians and churches. There must be co-operation for mutual support and for aggressive work in the name of Christ.—John Corbin.
THE PERILS AND STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH
Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake, put on thy strength.
The words of the text were addressed by God to His people when in a state of peril. The enemy, like Delilah, about taking advantage of their drowsy condition, to deprive them of their strength.
I. THE COMMAND UTTERED TO THE CHURCH.
“Awake, awake.” The words, though indicating the low condition of the Church, in reference to its moral and spiritual mission, are still consoling; they prove that it was not dead. It was sleeping, and life is an essential condition of sleep. The Church at the time was in the nearest position possible for the living to be to the dead. Sleep resembles death in many respects. But it is not death. Hence the propriety of the command.
Why the Church to-day should obey the command.
1. “Awake, awake,” because the foundations of thy faith are threatened. Threats spring from various sources—from the sceptical teachings of the age, from the oscillation of its own members, and especially from the fact, that so many of its teachers endeavour to persuade men that it matters not what they believe if they live properly. This is an attempt to deprive the Church of the fundamental truths of its creed that have enabled it to stand the storms of persecutions, that inspired its reformers, clothed its martyrs with power to suffer death on its behalf, and form the basis of this grand edifice the Christian Church (1 Corinthians 3:11).
2. “Awake, awake,” because there are elements within thee that rapidly lead to apostasy, decay. The injury received by the Church from without, compared with that done within, is but very little. Joshua and his people had many evils to withstand and powerful enemies to conquer in taking the fortified cities of Canaan; but they had a greater loss and more shame through the action of Achan in their own camp than from all the enemies without. There are things still in the Church that demand that it should listen to the alarm of our text.
(1.) The ritualistic tendencies of a great number of its members. People that think more of the form than the spirit of the service, more of the person that speaks, than what he says; that clothe themselves in the ritual of religion and feel satisfied.
(2.) “Worldliness.” This evil principle manifests itself in various forms in Church life. There are some people that join the Church for mercenary purposes. Religion in our days is considered so respectable a thing, that a profession of it gives a person reputation, and helps him on; but mark this, it is possible to obtain a reputation by a mere profession of Christianity, and at the same time be void of its power (2 Timothy 3:5). It manifests itself also in the lack of liberality, shown by many of its members in sustaining its funds. The poorer classes cannot afford to contribute large sums for this purpose; but when we find people enjoying all the luxuries of life and contributing meagrely towards the funds of the Church of the Most High, we feel it our duty to deal plainly with them. What converted Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt, brought Haman to the gallows, and sent “Demas” out of the Church into the world? Worldliness! And worldliness will again affect its victims in a similar manner, and the presence of such an enemy in the Church is a sufficient reason that it should listen to the voice of its Maker in our text.
(3.) The carelessness of a great number of its members with reference to purity of life. The standard of Christian morality is certainly too low in the minds of thousands of our fellow-Christians. The ripe fruits that adorn the Christian life (Galatians 5:22-23) are unknown to many professing Christians in our day.
In the presence of many enemies, the duty of the Church is clearly defined. “Awake, awake, put on thy strength.” She need not seek power outside her own resources. “Put on thy beautiful garments.” Open thine own wardrobe, clothe thyself in thine own apparel, that thy beauty and power may be perceptible.
II. IN WHAT DOES THE STRENGTH OF THE CHURCH CONSIST?
1. In its devoting itself entirely to the work which it has to perform. The work of consecrating oneself to the moral and spiritual objects of the Church is too often neglected in these days. Remember, it is the men who entirely devoted themselves to the Lord’s service, independent of their own personal interest and safety, or of the sect or party to which they were connected, who have left their mark on the kingdom of evil.
2. In meditation. There is nothing so effectual to inspire the mind, and clothe the soul with courage, as meditation on the Lord’s dealings with His children (Psalms 77:11-20),
3. Prayer. With this the Church on earth is able to command the forces of heaven to the battle-field to fight on its behalf (2 Chronicles 20)
4. The word of God, which is called by Paul “the sword of the Spirit,” and is the offensive weapon of the Church. The Christian armour consists of both defensive and offensive weapons (Ephesians 6), and the Church is commanded to take “the whole armour of God, that it may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”—J. P. Williams.
I. Put on strength by wakefulness. Sleep of the body, up to a certain point, is needful and wholesome; but beyond that it is harmful. The drowsiness of the sluggard is injurious. Still more hurtful is spiritual drowsiness. A slumbering life results in moral death. Sleepy men are the easy prey of false teachers; their moral vision is obscured, and they do not easily discern between the true and the false; their critical faculties are paralysed, and they are not in a condition to “try the spirits,” whether they be of God. These times require men who are awake. The first two words of the text are not to be disconnected from the others, for by wakefulness we do put on strength. Awake from your dreams, open your eyes to behold the realities of life, and address yourselves to the duties to which God calls you.
II. Put on strength by activity. Activity develops strength—of body, of mind, of soul. Slothfulness is the secret and the cause of the spiritual weakness that abounds in our churches. What God requires of us is that by exercise we should develop the strength with which we have been endowed. It is not our possession of only one talent that He condemns; it is our having neglected to make use of it. Remember also, that God’s command to do a thing always implies His promise of help to well-directed endeavour. The Saviour said, “Stretch forth thy hand!” the obedient man obtained his reward, and found that the Divine word of command is a word of promise to the obedient. The prophet says to the weak, “Put on thy strength;” and, obeying, they shall rejoice in a refreshing baptism of Divine energy. Out of weakness, those who have obeyed this command have been made strong by the processes of spiritual development. To the development of the physical powers there are limits; but to the development of moral power there is none. Here there may be constant growth and progress. Eternity will be but an ampler sphere for the enlargement of the soul’s vast powers.
III. Put on thy strength by joyfulness. Joy, and not sadness, should be the characteristic of those whose final destiny is heaven. Joy begets strength, and strength increases joy. Put on thy beautiful garments of holiness and joy, O Zion! remembering always that the truly holy are the solidly and permanently joyful.
IV. Put on thy strength by hopefulness. The despairing are weak, the hopeful are strong. In view of God’s promises made for her encouragement, the Church may well be hopeful. There is one in our text, which we may read, “For henceforth there shall no more come against thee the uncircumcised and unclean.” Though oftentimes we stand on the towers of Zion as timid, fearful watchers, with little faith in the Divine promise of protection, the Church is safe (Zechariah 2:5). Let us, then, be hopeful, let us be strong for the work and the warfare to which we are called.—W.
THE THREEFOLD TRUMPET-BLAST
Isaiah 52:1. Awake, awake, &c.
It is to the Church of Christ sleeping that the threefold trumpet-blast of the text comes.
I. A CALL TO WAKEFULNESS AND WATCHFULNESS. “Awake, awake!” zion never needed this trumpet-call more imperatively than now. Upon her the “spirit of slumber” has fallen. But all are not asleep; and those who are awake should take the trumpet, and with a blast as loud and as long as though life and immortality were at stake (see Ezekiel 33:3) sound the alarm. For,
1. The foundations of our faith are threatened. The sappers and miners are at work inside as well as outside; and they would delight to remove the cornerstones and shake the whole fabric of the temple of truth.
2. “The enemy is coming like a flood”—in the shape of intemperance, vice, greed, infidelity, and horrible wickedness, enough to afflict our souls and affright the world. (See the daily papers.)
3. Is not the visible Church drifting from Christ? We need to be on our guard against both enemies without and subtle traitors within; traitors who, themselves wakeful, are imposing on those who are in a state of unconscious slumber.
(1.) Is not one section of society drifting to Rome? Ritualism is rampant, loud-voiced, defiant. Roman Catholicism walks abroad in the light of day, and flaunts her flags in the eyes of all men. Think of her pilgrimages, her noble perverts, and her persistent policy of aggression, and ask what it all means.
(2.) Is not another section drifting fast into Rationalism? The so-called “men of culture” are almost all of them Rationalists, either covertly or avowed. Men like the late Strauss, in theology; Buckle, in history; our own J. Stuart Mill, in philosophy; with Professors Tyndall and Huxley, in science. These, and men of kindred sympathies and sentiments, are the foremost leaders of thought in our day, and their whole following are being led, some willingly, some unconsciously, into the bleak regions of Rationalism, if not into blank Atheism.
(3.) Is not still another section, by far the largest, too, drifting into utter worldliness? Is not the spirit of the world dominant? Is not indifferentism in relation to religion painfully apparent?—Is there not too much reason to fear that, on these three waves, society in England—including a large section of the visible Church—is drifting from Christ?
II. THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO GIRD HERSELF FOR CONFLICT. “Put on thy strength, O Zion!” She is within reach of strength enough to vanquish every foe. Let all her members, individually and collectively, put on,
1. The strength of personal consecration.
2. The strength of spiritual unity. “Unity is strength.” The powers of evil are united. The Church cannot afford to be split up into contending sects. We must present ourselves as an unbroken phalanx to the foe. See our Lord’s high-priestly prayer (John 17). What might not a united consecrated Church do?
3. The strength of “the arm of the Lord” (Isaiah 51:9). The strength belongs to the Church, and is available by prayer, which moves the arm that moves the world; by faith, which takes hold of the strength of God, and has omnipotence at its command (Isaiah 27:5). “All things are possible to him that believeth.”
III. THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO CLOTHE HERSELF WITH SPIRITUAL BEAUTY. “Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem.” The Church has provided for her a spiritual wardrobe. Put on,
1. The garment of a “meek and quiet spirit.” Rest in God. Calmness and tranquillity of mind are at once evidences and sources of power.
2. The garment of holiness. This is the most beautiful garment of all, while holiness is also the measure of spiritual power.
3. The garment of heavenly zeal. Men of the world and the emissaries of evil are zealous. We must meet them with a zeal greater and more divine.
Let the Church of Christ thus awake, put on her strength, and clothe herself with spiritual beauty, and she need not fear for the future. Victory is sure.
The command of the text comes to individual churches.
(1.) Let each of us take it as the voice of God to himself.
(2.) Let us awake promptly: life is passing, and the evil growing.
(3.) Let us avail ourselves of all available strength and beauty.
(4.) Let us make our consecration in sight of the cross and crown (Hebrews 13:20).—The Study, 1874, p. 723.
The condition of Judea—conquered, degraded, captive, indifferent to Zion, feeble—no courage, temple demolished, &c., byeword and reproach.
I. THE THREEFOLD EXHORTATION OF THE TEXT.
1. “Awake, awake.” Sleep often too accurately describes the condition of God’s Church. Many are at ease in Zion. The prophets prophesy smooth things, and the people love to have it so. They cry, “a little more sleep,” &c. But if the work of life is to be done, we must awake to a sense of our duty. It was whilst men slept that the adversary sowed the tares. During a period of spiritual apathy, what injury has been inflicted! Awake to the work of the soul, the evil of sin, &c. In commerce, &c., how wakeful men are!
2. “Put on thy strength.” The journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, and the expulsion of the enemy from the holy city, required strength. We are called to be strong in the Lord. The times call for a robust piety. Were God’s people to put forth their strength, what success would be achieved, how soon would be ushered in “the new heavens, and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” In embattled array against the Church, are the ten thousand forms of vice and scepticism, of sin and error.
3. “Put on thy beautiful garments.” The Church is to be attractive. The unloveliness of Christians is often apparent. The beauty of the Church is her holiness.
II. THE HAPPY EFFECTS OF OBEDIENCE.
The Church will be the home, 1, of the regenerate; 2, of the entirely sanctified.—Benjamin Browne.
I. AN INVENTORY OF THE BELIEVER’S WARDROBE.
1. The robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10; Psalms 132:9). How beautiful this robe. “Bring forth the best robe.” It covers completely, unlike scanty garments in which men array themselves.
2. The garment of humility (1 Peter 5:5). This is well pleasing in God’s sight. He hates flaunting garments of pride. It is a Christlike virtue (Philippians 2:8).
3. The garment of praise (Isaiah 61:3). This is a beautiful robe. One of the same kind is worn by angels.
4. The garment of gladness (Psalms 30:11; Philippians 4:4).
1. These garments can always be worn; there is a dress reserved—a bridal dress, the wedding garment—to be worn at the marriage supper of the Lamb. White robe of redeemed. Symbol of purity, victory, joy.
2. These soul garments never wear out.
3. They cost us nothing.
4. In addition to dress, some people like to wear ornaments,—harmless weakness, when not carried to excess. The believer is exhorted to adorn himself with the “ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” This can be worn without exciting envy or vanity.
II. THE EXHORTATION CONCERNING THESE GARMENTS.
Wear them. You cannot get better. You dishonour the Giver by not wearing them. You set light store by His gifts.—T. E. R.
JERUSALEM A TYPE OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Isaiah 52:1. Jerusalem the holy city.
Consider the ancient Jerusalem in its typical representation of the Church of Christ.
I. It was the city of the Divine choice (Psalms 132:13-18). The Church is the choice of the Lord; it contains the united congregation of His saints, those who have been called by His Gospel, who have believed in His Son, and who have been the living partakers of His heavenly grace. Over these God rejoiceth. With these He has His delights. Unto these He manifests Himself as He doth not unto the world. (See John 14:23; 1 Peter 1:23-24.)
II. It was the city of Divine rule and authority. Here God made known His laws and judgments; deposited His living oracles, His holy statutes; revealed His will, and recorded His blessed word. And by these the inhabitants of Jerusalem were to be governed. Obedience to these secured the favourable tokens of God’s love and favour. So in the new Jerusalem of His Church. Here He has revealed. His holy will, not by the oracle, or over the material mercy-seat, but by His own Son, and by making His living Church the pillar and ground of truth. By depositing within it the doctrines, and ordinances, and commandments of the Gospel. And the divine presence and favour is only secured by unswerving fidelity to the charge with which God has intrusted her.
III. Jerusalem was the city of Divine services. Here met the tribes of Israel who came to worship before the Lord. Here were presented the sacrifices and offerings of the people. Here God was worshipped and adored. Here the voice of prayer and praise was heard in God’s holy temple. Here the religious festivals were celebrated, and God honoured in His sacred institutions. Such is the Church of Christ, the Jerusalem, &c. Here those who have believed, and are of the saved, are united together in the holy bonds of fellowship and love. Here they meet to observe all things their Divine Head has commanded them (Acts 2:41).
IV. Jerusalem was the city of Divine blessing. His special love and care was directed to it (Psalms 87:2). His providential benignity surrounded it. The Lord was the keeper and protector of the holy city. Within it He poured down the blessings of His grace, and caused His favour to dwell, even life for evermore. (See His gracious engagements and promises, Psalms 132:15, &c.) So God pre-eminently blesses His spiritual Zion. Unto His people He gives exceedingly great and precious promises. They are blessed with the unsearchable blessings of His grace, with all the fulness of His love, with all the blessings of providence. God supplies all their need. Defends from all their enemies, and keeps and saves unto eternal life.
V. Jerusalem was a city of distinguished immunities and privileges. It was an honour to have been born in her. Her sons were freemen of the most favoured city under heaven. Her inhabitants had numerous opportunities of enjoying religious services, they had the presence of the priests and teachers of the law of God. “Happy were the people in such a case,” &c. Still greater and more precious the immunities and privileges of the people of God. They enjoy spiritual liberty, have exalted titles, and possess immunities of the most glorious and heavenly character. Access to God’s gracious throne. The sweet fellowship of His Holy Spirit. Delightful seasons of refreshing from the Divine presence, and experimental overflowings of that peace which passeth all understanding.
APPLICATION.—
1. Are we the citizens of the Jerusalem from above? Have we been born in her? Born from above? &c. Do we possess the spirit of her heavenly inhabitants?
2. How great the responsibility of such. It is theirs to exhibit the glory of divine grace, in calling and saving them, by a conversation which becometh the Gospel of Christ. “To show forth His praises,” &c. To pray for her peace, and to labour for her prosperity. To display the spirit of love and harmony towards all the citizens, and to yield loyal subjection and hearty obedience to Christ the rightful Lord and King.
3. Unlike the earthly Jerusalem, she shall never become a prey to her enemies. Her walls shall never be cast down, nor her streets become waste (Matthew 16:18).—Jabez Burns, D.D.: Types and Metaphors, pp. 83–85.