him into the Father's presence. All that here has been imperfect,
fragmentary, occasional, interrupted, and marred in our communion with
God, shall one day be complete. And then, oh! then, who can tell what
undreamed-of depths and sweetnesses of renewed communion and of
intercourses begun, for the first time then, between 'those that stand
by,' and have stood there for ages, will then be realised?

'Ye are come'--even here on earth--'to an innumerable company of angels,
to the general assembly and Church of the first-born,' but for us all
there may be the quiet hope that hereafter we shall 'dwell in the house
of the Lord for ever'; and 'in solemn troops and sweet societies' shall
learn what fellowship, and brotherhood, and human love may be.

Lastly, notice, not from my text but from its context, how any life may
become thus privileged.

The promise is preceded by a condition: 'If thou wilt walk in My ways,
and if thou wilt keep My charge, then ... I will give thee access among
those that stand by.' That is to say, you cannot keep the consciousness
of God's presence, nor have any blessedness of communion with Him, if
you are living in disobedience of His commandments or in neglect of
manifest duty. A thin film of vapour in our sky tonight will hide the
moon. Though the vapour itself may be invisible, it will be efficacious
as a veil. And any sin, great or small, fleecy and thin, will suffice to
shut me out from God. If we are keeping His commandments, then, and only
then, shall we have access with free hearts into His presence.

But to lay down that condition seems the same thing as slamming the door
in every man's face. But let us remember what went before my text, the
experience of the priest to whom it was spoken in the vision. His filthy
garments were stripped off him, and the pure white robes worn on the
great Day of Atonement, the sacerdotal dress, were put upon him. It is
the _cleansed_ man that has access among 'those that stand by.' And if
you ask how the cleansing is to be effected, take the great words of the
Epistle to the Hebrews as an all-sufficient answer, coinciding with, but
transcending, what this vision taught Zechariah: 'Having, therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest of all, by the blood of
Jesus, ... and having a High Priest over the house of God; let us draw
near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience.' Cleansed by Chri