The Joy of the Church on the Multiplication of Converts to Christ
Isaiah 60:8
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?


I. THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN OF CONVERTS IN EVANGELICAL TIMES.

1. Whence do they fly? These persons are represented as coming from among the Gentiles, the Pagan world.

2. Whither do they fly? They repair to Him, who is designated in the sixteenth verse as "the Lord, the Saviour and Redeemer, the Holy One of Jacob." But this is not the whole. These converts are also represented as repairing to the Church as to their rest and home.

3. What is the mode in which they are represented as flying from their former position, to Christ and to the Church? The images are very beautiful and impressive.

(1) "As the cloud," which overspreads the heavens; intimating the vast numbers who should turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God. As the cloud," with great speed and celerity. "As the cloud," openly and conspicuously; not as though they were desirous of concealment, but in the spirit of those who arc ready to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Christ, or of him who exclaimed, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." "As the cloud," powerfully; so that nothing shall resist their course. "As the cloud," which drops many a shower as it passes along the sky, and which refreshes and fertilizes the earth, so shall these converts be useful in their advancement, like those of whom we read in the history of the Gospels, who as they travelled through the towns and villages and different parts of the country, spread the name of Jesus, and pressed others to become His disciples also.

(2) Look also at the other admirable similitude: "As the doves." This not only expresses some similar ideas, such as that of numbers and of rapidity and of strength — but some others which we must not omit carefully to notice. It denotes, then, general unanimty. They arc all bent on one grand object — "What must I do to be saved?' They have all one Saviour to whom they look — one method of salvation which they embrace. The multitude is, in this respect, of one heart and one soul. It describes their cordial fellowship. In the happy days when the Gospel shall thus win its way among men, not one or two of a family and of a tribe alone, scattered here and there, shall hold communion with each other, but the body of believers shall be joined together in the unity of the spirit and in the bond of peace. And in fine, as the doves repair to their windows, and enter their cote, as their rest and home, when wearied with their long flight; so the subjects of Divine grace take refuge in the Church from the storms without, and there find a repose which is not to be obtained in the world.

II. THE SENTIMENTS AND EMOTIONS WITH WHICH WE SHOULD VIEW THESE ACCESSIONS TO THE CHURCH. "Who are these, that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows?"

1. This is the language of surprise and admiration; for the conversion of a soul to God is in all eases a wonder.

2. It is the language of gratitude and pleasure.

3. It is the language of complacency.

4. This is the language of prospective hope. For, if it be admitted that already many have come and yielded themselves up to Christ, it is a pleasing thought that they are only as the early drops of the copious shower.

(J Clayton. M. A.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

WEB: "Who are these who fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?




The Cloud of Doves
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