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middle of the congregation, was the tabernacle and ark where was Moses, the captain and leader of the whole host, with his rod which was used from time to time as the banner or ensign of the congregation, as it was especially at the time when it was held up over Israel while they were fighting with Amalek, and obtained a signal victory under that ensign, on which occasion Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-Nissi, The Lord my Banner, or Ensign, (the word is the same in the original as here in this place, in Isaiah,) and both the rod and altar were types of Christ, who is Jehovah, who then was the ensign of his church, and would more especially and gloriously be exhibited as such in the days of the gospel, as is here foretold in Isaiah; and then it was a rod that was held up as an ensign of the people; so here, in this xi. of Isaiah, Christ is spoken of as a rod, as in the first verse; "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots;" so in this x. verse. "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for an Ensign ;” i. e. plainly, a Rod or plant from a root of Jesse, (though something further may be aimed at in using the phrase, Root of Jesse.)

As the rod of Moses was occasionally used as an ensign of the people, so more constantly the Tabernacle and Ark. These were placed in the midst of the congregation, and the whole was to pitch in exact order round about it, at due distance from it, all having equal respect to it. And the ark is represented as going before the people in their marches; Numb. x. 33; because that, however it was in the middle of the army, yet they had respect to it as their Guide, their Banner, that all whose motions they were to attend; and when they went through the Jordan into Canaan, their Rest, the ark was remarkably made use of as the ensign of the people; it was to be carried before them at such a distance that it might be well seen by all the leaders of the people, and they were to take heed to its motions, with the greatest care and exactness, and to follow where that went. Josh. iii. 3, 4.

But more especially was the Pillar of cloud and fire, the ensign of that congregation in their marches from Egypt to Canaan, their Rest. A banner or ensign was lifted up on high that it might be seen by the whole company. The ark and tabernacle could not be seen by the whole congregation, but the pillar of cloud and fire which abode on the tabernacle, and departed not from it, were lifted up to open sight, and displayed to the view of every individual person. That was the banner the people were listed under, that they were always to cleave to most strictly, and diligently to observe, steadfastly to follow, and never to depart from, and were to be directed by it in every step they took. When that moved, they were to move; when that rested, they must rest: See Numb. ix. 15, to the end. This pillar of cloud and fire was the

special symbol of Christ's presence, and in that standing as an ensign, Christ stood as an ensign of the people. And it is moreover manifest that that pillar of cloud and fire was a remarkable type of Christ incarnate, or the Son of God in the human nature, concerning whom it is here prophesied that he should stand as an Ensign of the people.

When it is said, "his rest shall be glory," there is doubtless an allusion to Canaan, the promised Rest to which the ark and pillar of cloud and fire led the children of Israel, and the thing ultimately intended is heaven. It is said, Numb. x. 33, that the ark of the covenant of the Lord (over which was the pillar of cloud, as in the following verse) went before the people to search out a resting-place for them. That was the use of these ensigns under which that people were gathered together. They were to lead them to their Rest. The rest spoken of in the text under consideration, is called Christ's rest, which is agreeable to the style used concerning the rest to which God was leading the congregation in the wilderness; Ps. xcv. 11; " To whom he swear in his wrath that they should never enter into my Rest."

Here the rest to which Jesus Christ, God man, should bring the Gentiles, as well as Jews, after his incarnation, is spoken of as another rest, a different rest from that which God brought the Jews to of old, agreeably to the observation of the apostle, Heb. iv. 8, 9, 10, "For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterwards have spoken of another day: there remaineth therefore a Rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Here it is remarkable, that take these words of the apostle with the foregoing context, he seems to signify that what is called God's rest, or Christ's rest in the promises of the Old Testament, is so called, not only because it was a rest of God's providing and promising, but because it was his, personally. So here the rest which remains for the people of God, which Christ gives his people, is spoken of as Christ's own rest and happiness that he has entered into and so the land of Canaan of old was represented as God's own dwelling-place, his inheritance, &c. his mountain in the field, &c. And therefore, when God brought the people out of Egypt to Canaan, he is represented as having brought them to himself. But especially was that particular part of Canaan which God chose to place his name there, represented as God's or Christ's rest, namely, Jerusalem, mount Zion, and the temple. Ps. cxxxii. 8. "Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength." Ver. 13, 14. "The Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest

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for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it." 1 Chron. xxviii. 2. "It was in my heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord." The temple that Solomon built was the rest of the ark, and the rest of the cloud of glory that abode over the ark; which had before that wandered long in the wilderness, and had walked in a tent and in a tabernacle, 2 Sam. vii. 6. But when the temple was built in the place which God chose, then the glory of the Lord had rest, and took up its settled abode there as the place it delighted in ; and mount Zion and the temple are in scripture often represented as the dwelling-place and quiet and delightful abode which they long after, and never can be at rest until they come to dwell in, and which shall be their settled dwelling-place. How often does the psalmist, speaking not only in his own name, but the name of the church, express his longings and pantings after God's courts, his amiable tabernacles, his altars, &c., and desire to make this place his rest, as the swallow and sparrow their nest! And how often do the prophets foretell a future redemption of God's people, and their coming from places of captivity and bondage, and from under the hand of their enemies, to dwell in mount Zion, and in God's holy mountain! &c.

But yet sometimes the prophets speak of no temple built by men as God's true rest, but represent heaven as God's true rest. Isai. lxvi. 1. "Thus saith the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; where is the house that ye build unto me, and where is the place of my rest?" And chap. Ivii. 15. "For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place," &c.

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The Rest of that Root of Jesse, that should stand for an Ensign, is said to be Glory; so the land of Canaan, Zion, and the temple are said to be the rest of him, who, as an ensign to the people, is represented in the pillar of cloud and fire. land of Canaan is called the glory of all lands, Ezek. xx. 5. 16, and the glorious land, Dan. xi. 16, and the glorious holy mountain; ver. 45, mount Zion is said to be beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth; and in another place, to be the perfection of beauty. So concerning the temple, it is spoken of as exceedingly magnificent of fame and of glory throughout all lands, 1 Chron. xxii. 5. So in Psalm xxix. 2, as the words might have been (and probably better) translated, it is said, "Worship the Lord in his glorious sanctuary." Ps. xcvi. 6. "Honour and majesty are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." Jer. xvii. 12. "A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary." The

temple was truly glorious in Solomon's time, when the people first began fully to enjoy the promised rest in Canaan; David having fully subdued the inhabitants of the land and their enemies round about; and then indeed the land was happy and glorious.

All these things show plainly that here is an allusion to God's salvation of Israel of old, when they were brought out of Egypt, and led through the wilderness to Canaan under Christ as their Ensign, manifested by these types and symbols of his presence, Moses's rod, the tabernacle, the ark, and especially the cloud of glory above them; and that the Rod of Jesse here spoken of is that person there exhibited in these types and symbols. And they also manifestly show that the Messiah was to work out another redemption far greater than that of Egypt, of both Jews and Gentiles, and gather them both into one great congregation, and lead them to another and far more glorious rest than that of Canaan, Jerusalem, and the temple, even in their greatest glory in Solomon's time, and a rest which should be his own land, and his own dwelling-place, and temple, where his people should partake with him in his rest, happiness, and glory. And so that, as the apostle says, there remaineth a rest to the people of God, besides that which Joshua brought Israel into; and that heaven is that rest. Some description is given of the comfort and happiness of the rest to which this Ensign guides God's people, in No. 504, on Eph. ii. 7.

[175] Isai. xiii. 20, 21, 22. “It shall never be inhabited. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures, and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces." Vide chap. xxxiv. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Babylon represents the whole church or congregation of the wicked; by her being to be destroyed, never to be built or inhabited again, is represented the eternal destruction of the congregation of the wicked; by those doleful creatures here mentioned, as possessing of Babylon, are represented devils which the church of the wicked shall be left to the possession of for ever. Babylon, after its destruction, full of these creatures, represents the church of the wicked in its state of punishment; therefore the apostle John, when speaking of the destruction of mystical Babylon, and alluding to this that is said of old Babylon, says expressly, "She is become the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." Rev. xviii. 2.

[87] Isai. xxv. 11. "And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth bis hands to swim ;" which was the posture in which Christ was crusified in.

[218] Isai. xxx. 27, to the end, and xxxi. 9. Mr. Bedford supposes (Scripture Chronology, p. 671,) that what is here said respects the time when Rabshakeh came against Jerusalem, and God did so wonderfully appear for the defence of the city, and miraculously slew such a multitude of their enemies in one night. Chap. xxx. 28. It is said that his breath as an overflowing stream should reach to the midst of the neck, i. e. should reduce them to the utmost extremity. This is very agreeable to the manner in which Dr. Prideaux very probably supposes that Rabshakeh's army was destroyed, viz. by God's bringing on them an hot pestilential wind; vide Connect. p. 34, 35; and where it is said here that there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err, this is agreeable to what is said concerning Rabshakeh and his army. chap. xxxvii. 29. It is here said, verse 29, that they should have a song, as in the night, when an holy assembly is kept, and gladness of heart; as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord; to the Mighty One of Israel; and God wrought this great deliverance by slaying Sennacherib's army in the night,'as before he had done in Egypt, by slaying the first born in the night, and thereby gave occasion to keep the night of the passover with joy, in a joyful manner, and with songs of praise, which probably was the holy solemnity that the prophet had a special respect to, as Bedford supposes what is said in the 30th verse, together with the 32d, of battles, of shaking, renders it probable that there was an earthquake accompanying that judgment, and also thunder, and lightning, and hail, as was common when God miraculously fought against the enemies of his people, as it was when he fought against Pharaoh and the Egyptians at the Red sea. Ps. lxxvii., at the latter end. "So God fought against the Amorites in Joshua's time, not only with hail, but thunder and lightning." Hab. iii. 11. So God seems to have fought against Sisera and his host. (See Notes on Judges v. 20.) So God fought against the Philistines in Samuel's time. So God seems to have fought sometimes for David, against his enemies, and particularly at Baal-Perazim. Vide Note on Psalm xviii. 7, &c. So Hannah prophesied that God would appear against the enemies of his people. 1 Sam. ii. 10. Thunder, lightning, bail and rain, is God's artillery, that he was wont to make use of when he appeared in battle. Job xxxviii. 22, 23. "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow; or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of

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