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In the extremity of evils, Christ's glorious kingdom should appear
to those who are left alive, ver. 1, 2.
They shall be holy, ver. 3.
Purged, ver. 4.
A glory and a defence upon them, ver. 5.
A sanctuary from evils, ver. 6.
1: In that day - In that calamitous time. Seven - Many. A certain
number for an uncertain. One man - Because few men shall survive that
dreadful stroke. Only - Own us for thy wives. Our reproach - Virginity
was esteemed a reproach; children, the usual fruit of marriage, being
both an honour to their parents, and a blessing of God, especially to
that people, from some of whose loins the Messiah was to spring.
2: In that day - About that time: when the Lord shall have washed
away the filth of Zion, by those dreadful judgments now described.
The branch - The Messiah. The earth - The land which for the sins of
the people was made barren, upon their return to Christ shall recover
its fertility. Under this one mercy he includes all temporal blessings,
together with spiritual and eternal. For them - That shall survive all
the forementioned calamities.
3: Holy - Shall be really holy. Jerusalem - Of the people living
in or belonging to Jerusalem.
4: When - This shall be accomplished when God hath throughly cleansed
the Jewish nation from their sins. The blood - The blood - guiltiness,
and especially that of killing the Lord of life. Burning - This is
opposed to the former legal way of purification, which was by water.
The Holy Spirit of old accompanied the preaching of the gospel, and
did this work in part, and will do it fully. This spirit may well be
called a spirit of judgment, because it executes judgment in the church,
and in the consciences of men, separating the precious from the vile,
convincing men of sin, and righteousness, and judgment. And the same
spirit may be fitly called the spirit of burning, because he doth burn
up and consume the dross which is in the church, and in the hearts of
men, and inflames the souls of believers with love to God, and zeal for
his glory.
5: Create - Will in a marvellous manner produce, as it were by a
new creation. A cloud - A pillar of cloud and fire, like that wherewith
he directed the Israelites, when they came out of Egypt: whereby he
implies, that God would be their protector, and their glory.
The glory - Upon all that church and people, which God will make so
glorious; upon all holy assemblies of sincere Christians.
6: And there - Or, he, the Lord, shall be a tabernacle, to
defend them from the heat of the sun, and other injuries of the weather.
