July 7

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. —Isaiah 6:2-4.

THESE glorious courtiers, flaming spirits, are light and love, whose very feet are too bright for us, as his face is too bright for them; and they cry holy, holy, holy,—thrice holy THERE, one God—Lord of Hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. This they cry one to another, echoing it and returning it incessantly. They that praise him most, come nearest their life. When we are to pray, or offer any worship to the great God in the sanctuary, especially in solemn worship there, let us think of him as thus on his throne above, and the diffusion of his glory there, of his train filling the upper temple, and so stoop low and fall down before him. Holy, holy, holy. This is the main thing wherein he is glorious, and we are to know and adore him in this view, and abhor ourselves as in his sight.

The whole earth. So many creatures and various works and affairs, fruits and plants, and rich commodities, and so many calamities and miseries that kingdoms and people are afflicted with as by turns, and so many disorders, and such wickedness, of men in public and private matters; and yet, in all these varieties and contrarieties of things, this one is the sum of all, and all is taken up in it, The whole earth is full of his glory. In framing and upholding, in ruling and ordering all, what a depth and power of wisdom!

The posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried. How true must that be, that at his voice the earth quakes and the mountains tremble, when, at the voice of an angel crying or proclaiming his name, the very threshold of the temple—the then holiest part of the earth—moves! This in the vision, was in-

17* tended to represent the dreadfulness of his great name, which vile men dare baffle in vain oaths, and can speak thereof without sense; when his name is proclaimed, or when they mention or think of it, the posts will be moved with an awful trembling.

And the house was filled with smoke. This was here a symbol of the presence and majesty of God. Clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne; not a signal of displeasure, as some take it. He dwells in light that is inaccessible, and round about is thick darkness, shutting out the weak eyes of men, which were not able to abide the brightness of his glory. Much of our knowledge here, lies in this, to know that we know him not: and much of our praise, to confess that we cannot praise him.

"God is in heaven, and men below: Be short our tunes; our words be few: A solemn reverence checks our songs, And praise sits silent on our tongues."