the cloven tongues, like as of fire, which fat upon them, were inftructive emblems; or to his continued influence upon mens hearts, whereby he confumes their corruptions, purifies their fouls unto obedience, warming them with divine love, and ardent zeal for good works. Deeply impreffed with a fenfe of the impurity of our natures, now ftripped of their original beauty, and of the finfulness of our actions, now taint ed by pollution, let us earnestly apply to God, that he may wash us thoroughly from our iniquity; whilft we diligently improve the means he hath appointed, and often bleffed, for accomplishing this falutary purpose.

5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her affemblies a cloud, and smoke by day, and the fhining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory fhall be a defence.

This, and the following verfe, represent the external happy condition of the fubjects of the Meffiah's kingdom, with fome of the glorious prerogatives they were to enjoy, under the favour of divine providence.The Lord, the self-existent and all-fufficient Jehovah, who is infinitely poffeffed of every divine perfection, the giver of all good, who cleanfeth from all unrighteousnefs, afferts himself to be the author of the ineftimable privileges here mentioned. Thefe, he declares, he will convey by his creating power, whereby he calleth the things which are not as though they were, and forms them for his fervice, to difplay his glory. The fubjects to whom these important bleffings are promiled, are, Every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and her affemblies. Mount Zion here, as in many other prophecies, denotes the church of God, that he himself hath planted and established, which, like that mountain of old, is indeed beautiful, the joy of the whole earth; concerning which God hath faid, This is my reft: here will Ï dwell, for I

• have

have defired it *? By the dwelling-places of Zion, may be meant the habitations of the juft, on which the bleffing of God doth reft; the dwellings of the righteous, wherein are heard the voice of rejoicing and falvation. By their affemblies, may be intended the folemn meetings of her inhabitants, convened for the facred purposes of divine worship, in which the name of God is recorded with honour, the word of God is preached with benefit, the prefence of God is experienced with joy, his loving-kindness is thought of with delight, and his praifes celebrated with gratitude. They are no other than the congregations of the faints, profeffing reverence and love for God, faith in Chrift, and union with one another, affembled where with most convenience they may do homage to the one true God, through the one Mediator, by the one Spirit, in which they find their duty, honour, and happiness to confift. At the period referred to in this prophecy, they convened daily in the temple; they affociated in an upper chamber, and went from houfe to houfe as circumftances required. And in after-times, the multitude of them that believed, and profeffed to believe, having greatly increat ed, they wifely provided places wherein they might affemble, for the focial worship of the one common Lord and Saviour.We, my brethren, compofe one of these affemblies, to which the reviving promifes in this, and the following verfe, are given. Ever folicitous to enjoy the inestimable bleffings they contain, let us frequently and devoutly affociate ourselves, to give honour and glory to him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, in the firm perfuasion, that the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her affemblies,

A cloud, and fmoke by day, and the fhining of a flaming fire by night. As an eminent writer hath remarked, Thefe words contain a gofpel-promife, expressed

* Pfal. cxxxii. 14.

in law-terms; a New-Teftament mercy, in OldTeftament drefs. They bear a manifeft reference to what is written in the conclufion of the book of Exodus, where we are told: That a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.' Prior to the erection of that structure, the pillar of cloud conducted the children of Ifrael in their journeys by day, and by night a pillar of fire gave them light. After the tabernacle was finished, the cloud covered the tent of the congregation; and when the tabernacle was fet afide, and the temple was dedicated, the cloud of the divine prefence filled that magnificent house. And now under the gospel, the temple being fet afide, and long ago buried in ruins, the Lord hath promised to create upon the affemblies of his faints a cloud, from which they derive all the important advantages which the people of God anciently enjoyed from the pillar of cloud and fire. The cloud and fmoke by day, afforded the Ifraelites an inftructive fymbol of the divine presence which attended them it conducted them in all their journeys, interpofing between them and their enemies; it confounded the latter, whilst it conveyed direction to the former. By day, it ferved for a shadow, to screen them from the fultry heat of that warm climate. By night, it rendered the air healthy and agreeable: it proved a defence from numerous dangerous enemies, and yielded light for travelling, and preferving order and decency in the camp. In these, and other respects, the pillar of cloud and fire was an eminent type of the fpiritual privileges comprehended in the promise under our confideration, made to the affemblies of Zion. They fhall enjoy the prefence of God; of which they are affured by the faithful and true Witness, who hath declared, That wherever two or three are gathered ' together in his name, there he is in the midst of them. They fhall be favoured with direction from

Matth. xviii. 20.

the

the wonderful Counsellor, who will guide them in the ways of truth, and conduct them by his good Spirit into the land of uprightnefs. They fhall have protection from all their enemies, from their Redeemer, who is mighty; who will fafely preferve them through the various conditions they have to pafs, in the lightfome days of profperity, and in the dark nights of adverfity. Though the affemblies of Zion may not enjoy a light fufficiently strong, to enable them to fee to the end of their journey, God will fhew them their way, one step after another. Though he may not defend them from the attacks of their enemies, he will not allow them to fall a prey into their hands; and, by gradual conquefts, he will carry them forward to complete victory. Though they may not always poffefs the confolations of the Holy Spirit, he will not leave or forfake them in any cafe. Such feems to be the import of the promifes here made to the affemblies of the people of God, and fuch is the fubftance of thofe glorious privileges his peculiar people were favoured with under the former difpenfation. All these are continued with us, whilst the bondage, to which, for wife purposes, they were fubjected, is happily removed. Our condition, in many refpects, is greatly preferable to theirs: we have better promises, greater liberty, and more grace; and therefore let us highly value, and diligently improve our advantages, whilft we earnestly plead with God for the accomplishment of the promises he hath given for our encouragment.

For upon all the glory fhall be a defence. Befide the pillar of cloud and fire, which attended the children. of Ifrael in their journeys through the wilderness, a bright fenfible display of the divine prefence became visible to them on fome occafions. When the tabernacle was erected, we are told, That a cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord filled it; and thus the

cloud above the tabernacle formed a covering, or de fence, to the glory wherewith it was filled. To this there feems to be an allufion in the expreffion now before us. Or it may refer to the ark of the teftimony, which was called the glory of Ifrael; for we read, that when it was taken by the Philiftines, la mentation was made in these words; The glory is departed from Ifrael *. With great propriety was this name given to the ark, as it contained the two tables whereon the law of God was written, which was intended to conduct men to Jefus Chrift, who had that law written upon his heart;-the pot of manna, preferved by divine command, as a memorial of God having fed his people with bread from heaven, and a figure of the true bread of life, which giveth life unto the world;-and Aaron's rod, which budded, in teftimony of the divine difpleasure against Korah and his company, who contended for the priesthood, fignifying the order and government which ought to be maintained in the church of God. These things were depofited in the ark, which had for a covering the mercy-feat; typical of Jefus Christ, whofe mediation ferves as a covering to his people, and proves their fure defence. Such was the glory of the church under the Old Teftament, which may aflift us in afcertaining what is the glory under the New Testament here intended. Jefus Chrift, who is the Alpha and Omega, under this difpenfation, forms its highest glory: the God of glory refides in it as his habitation; the Spirit of glory refteth upon it, as his highly favoured dwelling-place; the law of God is preferved in her affemblies; the glorious gofpel of the Son of God is their treafure and charter; and faithful minifters, the glory of Christ, are their meffengers. All the genuine members of these affemblies are glorious within: they are clothed with the garments of falvation, and fhine forth in the beauties of holi

Sam. iv, 22.

nefs,