Chapter 3. The Chambers Ix the House of God.

THERE is another reason why the king dom of heaven is called the ' house of the Lord:' it is derived from these words of our Master, " In my Father's house there are many mansions." In earthly dwellings there are dining-rooms, couches to sleep on, and halls or courts for various purposes, which cannot be performed outside the house. Now in the house of the Lord there are many chambers, wherein all the saints not only feast on royal banquets, but what is most wonderful, and not possible to be cre dited, had not the Holy Spirit revealed it to us, the King himself ministers unto them, being girded ! Thus our Lord speaks in St. Luke : " Blessed are those servants, whom when the Lord cometh he shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them." (chap. xii. 37.) What a banquet is this, I ask thee ! Who ever heard of such a feast? The Lord stands, the servant re clines ; the Lord is girded, that He may " minister" without impediment, the ser vant is ungirded, that he may recline more freely ; the Lord passeth bringing food, the servant eateth with pleasure the royal food !

O ! did we but consider and understand these things, how insignificant would all earthly pleasures become ! Our Lord on one occasion girded himself with a towel, that he might wash the feet of his disciples. But Peter was astonished, and could not endure to see his Lord wash the feet of servants. -And with reason was Peter thus astonished, because he beheld ' majesty' humbling itself to give an example of humi lity. ^ But in our celestial house, this 'ministering ' of the Lord is not an humi liation, but a favour; for the servants of God in heaven, where the proud will not enter, stand not in need of an example of humility, for all are confirmed and made perfect in every kind of virtue. Wherefore the ( girding ' of the Lord signifies, that He will as freely and as readily be a Lord unto each ^one of his servants, by loading and re freshing them with every blessing, as if He had nothing else to do, and were alone with each one of them !

O Christian soul! what doth this mean? Would that thou wert wise, and couldst understand with what honour and joy the Lord will fill his servant for ever ! If these truths could descend deeply into thy heart, truly thou wouldst become fervent in spirit; and with thy loins girt, thou wouldst joy fully devote thy whole being to the service of so sweet a Lord. And if any one of his poor brethren met thee, not only wouldst thou not despise him, or look angrily at

him ; but with the bowels of charity enlarged, thou wouldst relieve him and nou rish him, mindful of these words : " Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me." (St. Matthew, xxv. 40.) Where it is said, ' He will make them sit down to meat/ signifies, that the blessed being now admitted into their Father's house, can ' sit down' without the least danger or solicitude, and enjoy all the good things with which the house of the Lord is filled. From hence forth, no one will be able, either by force or by fraud, to hinder them or forbid them enjoying every good most freely. Lastly, where it is said that, "passing he will min ister unto them," this signifies, there is a special banquet for the saints in the Lord himself, for he is the bread of life ; he is the fountain of wisdom ; he is a hidden manna, which no one knoweth of but he that receiveth. Wherefore, He passeth unto all, he giveth unto all ineffable banquets, that satiate without loathsomeness, and fill with out satiety.