distress, it hath to undergo; he is this branch and fruit, and he is placed in the head here, as the great fountain-mercy, from whence all others do flow. In those that follow, the persons to whom those promises are made, and the matter or substance of them are observable; the persons have various appellations and descriptions in this chapter. They are called (first) the escaping of Israel; ver. 2. They that are left in Sion; ver. 3. Jerusalem itself; ver. 4. The dwelling-places and assemblies of mount Sion; ver. 5. That the same individual persons, are intended in all these several appellations, is not questionable. It is but in reference to the several acts of God's dwelling with them, and outgoing of his love and good-will, both eternal and temporal, towards them, that they come under this variety of names and descriptions. First, In respect of his eternal designation of them to life and salvation, they are said to bea 'written among the living, or unto life in Jerusalem; their names are in the Lamb's book of life, from the foundation of the world,' and they are recorded in the purpose of God from all eternity. Secondly, In respect of their deliverance, and actual redemption from the bondage of death and Satan, which for ever prevail upon the greatest number of the sons of men, shadowed out by their deliverance from the Babylonish captivity (pointed at in this place), they are said to be a remnant, an escaping, such as are left, and remain in Jerusalem;' from the perishing lump of mankind, God doth by Christ, snatch à remnant (whom he will preserve) like a brand out of the fire. Thirdly, In respect of their enjoyment of God's ordinances and word, and his presence with them, therein, they are called, the daughter of Sion, and the dwelling-places thereof. There did God make known his mind and will, and walked with his people in those beauties of holiness; these are they to whom these promises are made, the elect, redeemed, and called of God; or those who being elected and redeemed, shall in their several generations be called, according to his purpose, who worketh all things, according to the counsel of his own will.

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For the matter of these promises, they may be reduced

a Rev. iii. 12. xiii. 8. Luke x. 20.

b Rev. v. 9. Eph. v. 25, 26. Zech. iii. 2. John xvii. 9. Rom. viii. 38.

c Psal. xlviii. 11-14. xvi. 1-3, &c. Jer. 1. 5. Zech. viii. 2. John xii. 17. Psal.

x. 3. Isa. xlix. 14.

to these three heads. First, Of justification; ver. 2. Secondly, Of sanctification; ver. 3, 4. Thirdly, Of perseverance; ver. 5, 6. First, Of justification; Christ is made to them, or given unto them, for beauty and glory; which how it is done, the Holy Ghost tells us, Isa.lxi. 10. 'I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garment of salvation, he hath covered me with the robes of righteousness,' saith the church. He puts upon poor deformed creatures, the glorious robe of his own righteouspess, to make us comely in his presence, and the presence of his Father; Zech. xiii. 3,4. Through him, his being given unto us, made unto us of God, righteousness;' becoming 'the Lord our righteousness,' do we find free acceptation, as beautiful and glorious in the eyes of God. But this is not all: He doth not only adorn us without, but also wash us within: the apostle acquaints us, that that was his design; Eph. v. 25, 26. and therefore you have (secondly) the promise of sanctification added, ver. 3, 4. Ver. 3. you have the thing itself; they shall be called holy, made so, called so by him, who calleth things that are not as though they were, and by that call, gives them to be that which he calls them; he said, Let there be light, and there was light.' And then the manner how it becomes to be so; ver. 4. first setting out the efficient cause ;f the Spirit of judgment and burning';' that is of holiness and light: and, secondly, the way of his producing this great effect; washing away filth, and purging away blood; spiritual filth and blood, is the defilement of sin; the Scripture, to set out it s abomination, comparing it to the things of the greatest abhorrency to our nature, even as that is to the nature of God. And this is the second promise, that, in and by the Branch of the Lord, is here made to them, 'who are written unto life in Jerusalem.' But now, lest that both these are for a season should any suppose only, that they are dying privileges, perishing mercies, jewels that may be lost, so that, though the persons to whom those promises are made, are once made glorious and comely, being in Christ freely accepted, yet they may again become

e 6

d 1 Cor. i. 20. liv. 17. Isa. xlv. 24, 25. Jer. xxiii. 6. Rom. v. 1. viii. 1. Col. ii. 10.

e 2 Cor. iv. 6.

Rom. viii. 2. John xvi..9-11.
xiv. 6. Ezek. xvi. 4, 5. xxiv. 6.

f Ezek. xi. 19. John iii. 5. Prov. xiii. 5, 6. Isa. i. 5, 6. xiii. 1. Rom iii. 13. 2 Pet. ii. 22.

Psal. xxxviii. 5. 7. Hos. viii. 8. Zech.

odious in the sight of God, and be utterly rejected; that being once washed, purged, cleansed, they should yet return to wallow in their mire, and so become wholly defiled and abominable; in the third place, he gives a promise of perseverance, in the two last verses, and that expressed with allusion to the protection afforded unto the people of the Jews in the wilderness by a cloud and pillar of fire; which as they were created and instituted signs of the presence of God, so they gave assured protection, preservation, and direction to the people in all their ways. The sum of the whole intendment of the Holy Ghost in these two verses, seeming to be comprised in the last words of the fifth, and they being a suitable bottom unto the ensuing discourse, comprising, as they stand in relation to the verses foregoing, the whole of my aim, with the way, or method, wherein it may conveniently be delivered, I shall a little insist upon them: Upon all the glory shall be a defence.'

The words are a gospel promise, expressed in law terms, or a New Testament mercy, in Old Testament clothes; the subject of itis, 'all the glory,' and the thing promised, is' a defence over it, or upon it.' By' the glory,' some take the people themselves to be intended, who are the glory of God;' Isa. xlvi. 13. In whom he will be glorified; and who are said to be made glorious; ver. 2. But the pillar of fire, and the cloud lead us another way. As the protection here promised, must answer the protection given by them of old; so the glory here mentioned, must answer that which was the glory of that people, when they had their preservation and direction from those signs of the presence of God in the midst of them. It is very true the sign of God's presence among them itself, and the protection received thereby, is sometimes called his glory; Ezek. x. 10. But here it is plainly differenced from it, that being afterward called a defence. That which most frequently was called the glory in the ancient dispensation of God to his people, was the ark; when this was taken by the Philistines, the wife of Phineas calls her son Ichabod, and says, 'The glory is departed from Israel;' 1 Sam. iv. 2. 22. Which the Holy Ghost mentions again, Psal. lxxviii. 61. And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into his enemies' hand.' The tabernacle, or the tent wherein it was placed is mentioned,

ver. 60. He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he had placed among them.' And the people to whom it was given, ver. 62. He gave the people over also to the sword.' That ark being the glory and strength which went into captivity, when he forsook the tabernacle, and gave his people to the sword. That this ark, the glory of old, was a type of Jesus Christ (besides the end and aim of its institution, with its use and place of its abode), appears from the mercy-seat or plate of gold that was laid upon it, which Jesus Christ is expressly said to be, Rom. iii. 25, 26. compared with Heb. x. 5. It is he who is the glory here mentioned, not considered absolutely and in his own person, but as he is made beauty and glory unto his people, as he is made unto them righteousness and holiness, according to the tenor of the promises insisted on before; and this is indeed, all the glory of the elect of God, even the presence of Christ with them, as their justification and sanctification, their righteousness and holiness.

The matter of the promise made in reference to his glory and them upon whom it doth abide, is, that they shall be a defence upon it; the word translated here a defence' comes from a root, that is but once read in Scripture; Deut. xxxiii. 12. Where it is rendered to cover: The Lord shall cover him all the day long.' So it properly signifies. From a covering, to a protection, or a defence, is an easy metaphor; a covering being given for that end and purpose. And this is the native signification of the word protego,' 'to defend by covering;' as Abimelech called Abraham the covering of Sarah's eyes, or a protection to her; Gen. xx. 16. The allusion also of a shade, which in Scripture is so often taken for a defence, ariseth from hence. This word itself is used twice more, and in both places signifies a bride-chamber; Psal. xix. 6. Joel ii. 16. From the peace, covert, and protection of such a place. The name of the mercy-seat, is also of the same root with this. In this place it is by common consent rendered, a defence or protection, being so used, either by allusion to that refreshment, that the Lord Christ, the great bridegroom, gives to his bride in his banqueting-house, or rather in pursuit of the former

g Isa. xlv. 25.

h Psal. xvii. 8. xxxvi. 7. lvii. 1. lxiii. 7. cxxi. 5. Isa. xxx. 2. xlix. 9. Ezek. xxxi. 6, &c. i Cant. ii. 4.

similitude of the cloud, that was over the tabernacle and the ark, which represented the glory of that people. Thus this defence or covering is said to be upon or above the glory, as the cloud was over the tabernacle, and as the mercyseat lay upon the ark. Add only thus much to what hath been spoken (which is also affirmed in the beginning of the verse), viz. That this defence is created, or is an immediate product of the mighty power of God, not requiring unto it the least concurrence of creature power, and the whole will manifest the intendment of the Lord everlastingly to safeguard the spiritual glories of his saints in Christ.

As there was before shewn, there are two parts of our spiritual glory: the one purely extrinsical; to wit, the love and favour of God unto us, his free and gracious acceptation of us in Christ; on this part of our glory, there is this defence created, it shall abide for ever, it shall never be removed. His own glory and excellencies are engaged for the preservation of this excellency and glory of his people. This sun though it may be for a while eclipsed, yet shall never set, nor give place to an evening, that shall make long the shade thereof; whom God once freely accepts in Christ, he will never turn away his love from them, nor cast them utterly out of his favour. The other is within us, and that is our sanctification; our portion from God by the Spirit of holiness, and the fruits thereof, in our faith, love, and obedience unto him, and on this part of our glory, there is this defence, that this Spirit shall never utterly be dislodged from that soul, wherein he makes his residence, nor resign his habitation to the spirit of the world; that his fruit shall never so decay, as that the fruits of Sodom, and the grapes of Gomorrah, should grow in their room; nor they, wherein they are, everlastingly, utterly, and wickedly grow barren, in departing from the living God; these two make up their perseverance, whereof we speak whom God accepts in Christ, he will continue to do so for ever: whom he quickens to walk with him, they shall do it to the end. And these three things, acceptance with God, holiness from God, and a defence upon them, both unto the end, all free and in Christ, are that threefold cord of the covenant of grace, which cannot be broken.

In the handling, then, of the doctrine proposed unto consideration, I shall (the Lord assisting) shew,