307 WORSHIPPING GOD IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. But Is there not something in holiness itself which is exceeding beautiful? Holiness is doubtless excellent, and pure, truthful, great, enduring, and so forth. It has these and other qualities. But has it not also the quality of beauty? If we think of holiness, is there not something in it which attracts our minds, not because it is better, or more lasting than other things, but also because it is really and deeply beautiful? Is not humility beautiful? Are not reverence, faith, love, gentleness also beautiful? May we not say the same of the other Christian graces? Or take a Christian and another man. The latter one shall be an upright, straightforward, respectable man. compare him with a true Christian who loves GOD; and to the other qualities of steadiness, add also the graces of devotion, reverence, and charity. Now is there not in this person something which the man of the world has not-something above all his-something purer, more spiritual, and so, more beautiful? For it is the work* of the HOLY SPIRIT, and we know that His ministrations are glorious above all other ministrations. Surely there is nothing in nature which is so excellent and enchanting, as to see His operations in the lives of the blest. For they are brought down from Heaven into the midst of us—they are amongst us, though not of us-they are above our own power, and so are causes of astonishment, wonder, and admiration. Or still further, we may see this especially shown in the Person of the One Perfect Man, our Blessed LORD and SAVIOUR. Though there was no beauty in Him, that we shall desire Him-that is, no earthly pomp, earthly magnificence, and outward beauty as the world judgeth; though His bodily comeliness was turned into corruption, still was there not in the very sorrows which He bore, in His very grief wherewith He was acquainted, in His self-denials, His devotion, His extreme love, was there not a character of beauty, nay even almost beyond what beauty will impress? And this was the exhibition of the Godhead in our human form. Surely then, if we may trace our steps upward to the Divine and Everblessed TRINITY, to Almighty God Himself, in Him also is shown beauty in all its parts, entire and perfect beauty. "Our GoD shall come in perfect beauty." Now brightness and brilliancy are some of the most beautiful things in nature. The diamond derives much of its beauty from its shining light. What then, if we may thus raise our conception of GOD-what must be His beauty, the sight of Whose Hinder Parts was such as to leave a * 2 Cor. iii. 8. radiance on Moses who saw it, so that he was obliged to vail it away from the eyes of the children of Israel? And what must be the splendour of His Face, which no man can see, and live? All the beautiful things of this lower world, whether they be in man, or in the rest of nature-whether they be beautiful forms, or the beauties of holiness-are but dim reflections, dark shadows of Him, from Whom all beauty flows, and in Whom all beauty resides. And if there be, as there is, any beauty in holiness, what must be the perfection of that beauty, which is shown in perfect holiness, where there is no spot or stain, nothing in the smallest degree approaching to the smallest speck, to mar or disfigure its completeness! Surely it is this quality in Him, which, amongst others, attracts with wonderful power of attraction both angels and men, and all creation to bow down before Him, and to praise Him for ever and ever. And as Almighty God is, so in its measure, is that world of existence which is around Him. The descriptions of Heaven point it out as the most beautiful of created places. Read through the Revelation of S. John, and mark the words in which it speaks of Jerusalem which is above.* “And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from GOD, having the glory of GoD: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal." And afterward,† "The foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass." The first thought, perhaps, which rises up in our minds on reading this is, How exceedingly beautiful the city must be! what a brilliant light must issue from it! Nor will the beauty of holiness be less shown by the inhabitants of this bright city. It exhibits itself in the perfection of their glorified state, in their order, in their obedience and reverence, in their mutual love, and in the musical songs which they continually hymu before GoD and the Lamb. It is shown in the perfectness of their state, because in them the purifying process of GOD the HOLY GHOST will be then completed. They will have been sifted, purged, cleansed, strengthened Rev. xxi. 10, 11. + Rev. xxi. 19-21. during this life. The gift bestowed at Baptism will have grown in them to the extent of its growth. They will not be the mixed and motley group of men as in this life, where the corn and the tares grow together, and the chaff is mixed with the pure grain. No: His fan will have purged the floor, and then the evil will have been picked out and thrown away, and the good grain will have been stowed away in a place by itself. And by that time it will have undergone the whole of its preparation. It will have had its treatment during this life; and all, whatsoever there be, that succeeds this life, to make it fit for that glorious abode, and for such a nearness to GOD. The fire will then have tried* every man's work, of what sort it is. They will have been made incorruptible out of corruption, immortal out of mortality. Their material body will have become spiritual, and they will be glorified together with their Lord. Again, the beauty of holiness will be shown in their order. Though this multitude will be countless, as the sands of the sea shore, yet as sin will be away, so will all discord, and disorder. Together will they praise GOD. Their object will be one. And their pursuit of this object one. No band of men on earth, no company of soldiers, however well trained, will be as they. For they will of their own accord act together, in their natural and simple following out of GOD's holy Will. Thus, when S. John speaks of their praising GOD, he says that he "heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of many thunderings, saying, Alleluia; for the LORD GOD omnipotent reigneth." Though they were such a multitude, yet their utterance was not as several voices, but as one voice, and all uttered one intelligible speech, "Alleluia; for the LORD GOD omnipotent reigneth." Here, then, is the beauty of order. Again, the beauty of them is shown in their obedience, reverence, and love of GOD and of His CHRIST. Their work is to set forth the praises of "Him Who hath called them out of darkness into His marvellous light," and who is in Himself worthy to be praised on account of His unspeakable Greatness, Goodness, and Love. Now one of the most beautiful sights which we have on earth, is that of a Christian immersed in devotion to GOD, and rapt into reverential love and awe. How much more then are they to be admired, who are absorbed in the adoration of Him Whom they see face to face, who are in an eternal trance of devotion, and are pierced through and through with reverence and love! Or again, we may turn to their mutual love and charity, as an instance of the beauty of holiness which is displayed in them. There are no bickerings or strife. They are all in CHRIST, and one with Him; and in Him they are one * 1 Cor. iii. 13. + Rev: xiv. 2, 3. with each other. The Apostle's words, "There is neither barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but CHRIST is all, and in all," will then find its entire fulfilment. No sin will disturb their unity, and, consequently, their mutual love. And then their holy beauty shines out in their worship of GOD. There is no discordance among them, of one crying on one note, and one upon another. They do not speak at different times, or one a little before the other, but all at once. And the manner of their crying out is shown in places where it is said, "They sangt a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book." And, "I heard a voice from Heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders and no man could learn that song but the one hundred and forty and four thousand, which were the redeemed from the earth." And again : "They sing the song of Moses the servant of GoD, and the song of the Lamb." So that the way in which they praise God is in singing and with music after the manner of holy David, who every where bids us to sing praises to GOD. And their music! how exquisitely beautiful must it be! how grand must be those harmonies which proclaim the wondrous glories of GOD and the Lamb! how fine must be the melody which will proceed from that heavenly choir, when, clothed in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints, they shall in one bold, clear, pure, and earnest voice sing the song, "Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honour and power, for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created;" or that other one, "Worthy is the Lamb which was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!" Thus, then, the beauty of holiness is shown by the saints above in the outward beauty of the temple in which they praise the LORD, in the inward beauty of their own perfected holiness and pure devotion, and lastly, in the expressed beauty of their harmonious voices singing their song of praise. Now-to bring down the subject to ourselves-what time of our life most resembles heaven? Doubtless we should copy these pure creatures at all times; but, frail as we are, we are soon wearied, and can only imitate them to any degree at long intervals. What part, then, of our life, what place, what circumstances are most like heaven? The habit of attendance at GOD's altar will suggest at once the time of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; and so without doubt it is. There is no tRev. xv. 3. * Col. iii. 2. + Rev. v. 9. other time when we are brought so near to GOD in CHRIST; there is no other time when faith is so firm, or love so warm, as at those blessed periods. But we will take a wider view. To all of us, then, the Church is the place most like heaven, and service is the time when we most resemble the inhabitants of that place, who day and night, without intermission, sing their glad hymns of joyful praise. Let us now see, then, how, after the pattern of the angels and glorified saints above mentioned, we should (according to the holy Psalmist) "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." 1. First, then, with regard to the place where we worship Him. We saw how in heaven is shown a marvellous beauty, such as befits the Presence of Him Who cometh in Perfect Beauty. So surely should be our Churches. They should be beautiful above all other buildings, because they are more like heaven than all others. It will be remembered how GoD, when He ordered Moses to make the tabernacle, and in later times, Solomon the temple, after the pattern of heavenly things, bid them make it as beautiful as possible. They stinted no expense; they laid out all their skill upon it. And God blessed the work; He even inspired the workmen. See what importance He attached to it! And so surely should we do. As far as our skill, and care, and power will admit, these buildings should resemble the eternal and heavenly building of GOD; each part of them should remind us of that. The nave, with all its body of worshippers; the chancel, with its choir, imitating the heavenly choir, and with its inmost part or sacrarium, where the Holy Eucharist is celebrated, pointing to the Presence of Him Who died and was slain, should all set forth the heavenly place. Again, the beauty of the building, beginning at the nave, and increasing at the chancel, and finding its full completion at the altar, should follow heaven, which is indeed all of it beautiful, but which must increase in beauty as it comes nearer Him, from Whom all its beauty is derived. In general, these sacred Presence-chambers of the LORD of Hosts,-these houses of GOD,-should so bear about them the likeness of heaven, as far as man's skill will allow, that when we enter them we may feel that we are in a place more like those mansions of bliss than before, and that in them we are outwardly worshipping GOD in the beauty of holiness. They should be first-fruits of beauty offered to Him, Whose is all the beauty over all the earth. 2. Secondly, we should express this "beauty of holiness" in our voices. Think, reader, how those heavenly hymns must sound above! Think how all discord is kept away from them! Think how holy David, the author of most of the Psalms which we continually use, composed also music for them, and ordained |