Second advent library

'`290 macros: xvm.in a desert land, and in the waste, howling wilderuelhe'led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as theapple of his As an eagle stirreth up her nest, _flutterethover eye. erspreadethyoung;abroad her wings,taketh them, beareth em on her wings, so the Lordalone did lead him, and there was no god withhim." lf the above is a true description shange o God's careand protection of his people in the wildemess, surelythis must be a desirable state for the church.Isaiah, in his vision of the church in the wilderness,says,gxxxv. 1, 2,) " The wilderness and thesolitary placeeglad for them, and the desert shall rejoice andshallblossom as the rose. It shall blossomrejoice abundantlyieandeven with joy and singing; the glory of banonshall be given unto it, the excellency þÿ 0 f C & ! and 1 1 l ¬ lSharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and theexcellency of our God." If e church had been in thecity, instead of beholdin the glory of. God, her eyesmight have been dazzledg with the glory of the world,anof theexcellency of her great men, or with the godsmen of the world; so that, while in this state of trialand temptation, while imperfection is found in thechurch, the wildemess is a lace of greater securityfrom inbred lust and outward Eies.Perhaps we have been in the habit of fixing in ourminds quitea dilferent idea of the wilderness state ofthe church, from what ideas I have or from whatmight be bytheowritings given,gxrrved the prophets _andapostles. amine for ourselves, and see. ,IIL We are to lea.rn the character of theit may be said she is out of the wilderness. .,._Qg.,,_,nf. what does the church en`oy when sbs is ourofthe wilderness? I answer, Slime en'oys possessions,privileges, and laws among the kingdoms and politicalnations of the earth; kingsare her nurs' fathers, andns her nursing mothers. "The shlzil§bow downtoI with their face to the earth, andylick up the dust ofK feet," says Isaiah, xlix. 23. That is, theU an in this situation, receives the courtly smileschurcol?-the great, and the s cophantic cringing of the politicaldemagogue. But let the church remember, although