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I. THE STATE, CHARACTER, AND CONDITION OF THE SUFFERING CHURCH OF GOD. "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted." Every one of these expressions is pregnant with heavenly meaning.

1. "O thou afflicted." Affliction is one of the marks that God stamps upon His people.

2. "Tossed with tempest." Some are tossed with a tempest of doubts and fears; others with a tempest of lusts and corruptions; others with a tempest of rebellion and fretfulness; others with a storm of guilt and despondency; others with gloomy forebodings and dismal apprehensions. Thus are they driven from their course, their sun and stars all obscured; no clear evidences, no bright manifestations; darkness above and a raging sea beneath; breakers ahead, and no harbour in sight.

3. But the Lord adds another word, "not comforted" — that is, not comforted by, not capable of comfort from, man. This I look upon as a very decisive mark of a work of grace upon the soul. God has received the Church's comfort in His own hands; from His lips alone can consolation be spoken into her soul.

II. THE BLESSED CLUSTER OF GOSPEL PROMISES THAT GOD MAKES TO HIS SUFFERING CHURCH. " Behold," He says, as though He would draw her special attention to the work that He was about to perform. " I will lay thy stones with fair colours." The Lord here seems to take the figure of a building; or rather of a temple, for His people are compared to a temple. His work upon their soul He compares to the work of an architect, or a builder who lays stone upon stone until he puts on the top-stone with shoutings of grace, grace, unto it.

1. The first promise that He makes relative to this building of mercy is — "I will lay her stones with fair colours." This seems to be general description of the work of God in rearing up the spiritual building before Ha fair colouring. But in the words, " I will lay thy stones with fair colours," there seems to be a reference also to the cement in which the stones are laid, as well as to the stones themselves. What is this cement? Is it not blood and love?

2. But the Lord goes on to particularize His work. He speaks of her "foundations," her "windows," her "gates," and "borders," and He tells us how they are all severally formed and made. Beginning at the beginning, He describes the material and laying of her foundations—"I will lay thy foundations with sapphires." Before we can stand firmly in to things of God, we must have a good foundation, something solid for our faith, our hope, our love, our all to rest upon. But what is a sapphire? A precious stone, the distinguishing feature of which is its peculiar clear and beautiful colour — a heavenly blue. I would not press the figure too closely, but may it not fitly represent from its nature and colour a special gift from heaven? What a mercy for you if your faith has such a sapphire for its foundation; when you do not rest upon the bare letter of God's word, but upon the testimony of God laid into your soul.

3. But the Lord also adds — "and I will make thy windows of agates." What is a window for? Chiefly to admit light and air, and also to give us a prospect of the scenery without. But the windows are of "agate." Glass in those days was not used for windows; it was known for various other purposes; for it has been lately found in Nineveh, as well as in the tombs of Egypt; but its use for windows is of comparatively modern date. But why are they made of agate? Though not as clear as glass, it is what is called semi-transparent, that is, sufficiently transparent to admit a considerable amount of light. The sun shining through a window of agate might lose a portion of its brightness, but not much of its light. Upon Zion in her time-state the Sun of Righteousness does not shine in all his brightness. The windows of agate whilst she is in the flesh temper his rays. Her prospects, too, are not fully bright and clear. We have not those clear views which the saints have in glory where they see Jesus face to face.

4. But the Lord speaks also of Zion's "gates." These gates are to give admission to the temple which He is rearing for His own habitation. But of what material are the gates? These, too, like the foundations and windows, are of precious stones. "And thy gates of carbuncles." Now we must not be too fanciful in our interpretation of God's word; yet, doubtless, the Spirit of God chose these jewels with some peculiar meaning. The carbuncle is of a blood-red colour. And why should the Lord have chosen that Zion's gates should be of this peculiar colour? May we not believe that there is some mystic allusion here to the blood of the Lamb? But what are gates for? Entrance and exit. Zion has her gates of exit and entrance. She has her gates of access to God, entrance into the presence of the Most High. And who has opened the door, or rather who has not only opened it, and made it, but Himself is it? "I am the door," saith Jesus; and was not the door opened through His rent flesh? (Hebrews 10:19, 20). But gates not only give admission but exit. Not only do prayers, supplications and tears, rise up with acceptance through the gates of carbuncle, and thus enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, but promises also, tokens, testimonies and visits come down. And as every prayer, to be a prayer, is breathed through the gate of carbuncle, through the blood of the Lamb, so every answer, that is an answer, comes down through the same consecrated channel.

5. But the Lord also speaks of Zion's borders. He tells us He will make "all her borders of pleasant stones." There shall be nothing common about her. No architect pays the same attention to the courts and outbuildings that he pays to the mansion itself. If the mansion be of stone these may be of brick. Not so with God, Zion's Divine Architect. Zion's very borders, courts, outbuildings, are all of the same material with the mansion itself. Thus God's providential dealings, which often form the outward setting of His inward mercies, are of pleasant stones. But for whom are these mercies? The meritorious? the diligent? the industrious? We read not so. "O thou afflicted," etc. What 1 are all these mercies for such as they? They are the only persons who will prize them, or glorify God for them.

(J. C. Philpot.)

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KJV: O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

WEB: "You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with sapphires.