Isaiah 62

FOR Zions viz. The Churches sake, Sion, and Ierusalem being both put for the Church. Heb. 12. 22. sake will I not hold my peace, These seem to be the words of the Prophet strongly resolving, notwithstanding all difficulties, to solicit God for the Churches happiness, and constantly excite to the belief of it by his Preaching, though it were long ere it came, for Isaiah lived near 200 years before this was accomplished, but his Prophecy lived, and the tenour of it was continued by other Prophets, whom the Lord stirred up to be still establishing his people till this Salvation was wrought; his meaning might be, as long as he lived, he would never hold his peace; or he might include himself among those, who should be then alive, as Paul does among the other Saints, 1 Thess. 4. 17. we which are alive. Thus may we also include God speaking these words as some would have it, viz. By the mouth of Isaiah, and other of his holy Prophets, that never held their peace, till they saw this blessed state of the Church appear. and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest, until the righteousness With reference to the Babylonians understand it of the Righteousness of God, who has promised his people deliverance, and he must be Righteous, and so understand Salvation before; or rather, the vindicating of his people's cause in the Eyes of the Nations by the ruin of the Babylonians, he will show that his people have a Righteous cause: or with reference to the Church, till Christ, who is her Righteousness shall appear and be manifested in the Gospel. thereof go forth as brightness Clearing up their miserable, and dark estate which the Church might be supposed to be in before Christ's coming with much joy, and happiness., and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth And to that purpose is set up where it may be seen continually, to signify how eminently conspicuous this prosperous estate of the Church should be among the Nations, and as it may particularly relate to revealing of Christ unto the world..

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness See what is said in the foregoing verse, some read thy Iust One, viz. Jesus Christ., and all kings Those that were wont to scorn thee, shall now be taken with the admiration of thy Glory. thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name Not the seed of Abraham, or the Children of Israel, but of God, that whereas they were by nature the Children of Wrath, now by Grace they shall be the Children of God: Or, another Name, as it is said of Tongues. Compare Mark 16. 17. with Acts 2. 4. Or, a Name, the honour whereof shall make them famous, as Gen. 11. 4. they shall be called Christians. Or, The Church shall be more renowned then ever, both in respect of her condition, and so called Hephzi-bah, and of her Relation, and so called Beulah, and this new name the Lord gives them accordingly, ver. 4..

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory An Expression to set forth the dignity of her state. in the hand of the LORD i. e. Either, as placed upon thee by God's hand, that he will dispose of, or dispense to thee, an usual form of speech in Scripture, as Hag. 1. 1. by the hand of Haggai, so Mal. 1. 1. Or, In the hand of God: He shall so manage thine honourable estate, that thou shalt be a Crown, a Credit and Honour to him, and so the word Crown may be used for any kind of ornament, or matter of Honour: Or, preserved, and defended by Gods Hand, a Phrase that expresseth it to be out of all danger, as to put a Mans Life in his hands is to expose it to dangers, Iudg. 12. 3. 1 Sam. 19. 5. & 28. 21., and a royal diadem The same thing with the former for substance. Or, the royal Priesthood, whereof the Apostle speaks, 1 Pet. 2. 9. in the hand of thy God.

Thou shalt no more be termed, Forsaken As a Woman forsaken by her Husband, contemptible, and of low esteem.; neither shall thy land i. e. The Inhabitants of the Land, a Metonymy of the Subject. any more be termed desolate Though it be now almost void of Inhabitants it shall be impeopled again.: but thou shalt be called i. e. Be as you have frequently had such instances. Hephzi-bah My delight is in her, a new Name agreeing with her new Condition., and thy land Beulah Married, agreeing to her new Relation, she shall be as one well married, to the great improvement of her state. Ier. 3. 14. Hos. 2. 18, 19, 20.: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married Thou shalt see the encrease of thy Children again in thy Land, as the fruit of thy married condition, which by reason of thy being forsaken of thy Husband, were in a manner wasted and decayed: And this refers to the great enlargement of the Church in the Gospel days: Or rather, shall be possessed, as the word ba... l properly signifies, and so it answers to desolate, thou shalt be no more desolate, but possessed, and this helps to solve a difficulty in the next verse, which otherwise may seem an impropriety, That the Sons should marry the Mother..

For as a young man marrieth a virgin This is delivered as a demonstration of what was said in the close of the 4th verse, and it is said Young, and Virgin to note their suitableness, not Old, and Young, but such as may delight each in other, signifying that mutual content that would be in all parties, thus it was at the first preaching of the Gospel, Act. 2. 41, to 47., so shall thy sons Whereas it is improbable that the Spirit of God should carry on so sacred a Prophecy by a similitude so abhorrent... o Nature, the Son should marry the Mother, the scruple is easily satisfied by taking the word in its right signification to possess, as in the foregoing verse, reading it thus, as a young man marrieth or possesseth a Virgin, so shall thy Land be inhabited or possessed by thy Sons, they shall dwell with thee as a man dwells with his Wife, and thus the LXX. And it is said Sons to distinguish them from strangers, by whom she should not any longer be inhabited, but by her own natives, and expressed by marrying to signifie not only their unity of affection in the evenness of their living, but of Faith in their common profession called the Common Faith, Tit. 1. 4. according to which Paul calls him his Son. marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth Taketh delight in her, so shall thy God, viz. Christ, God and Man, in thee; see ver. 4. Christ is often called a Bridegroom, and his Church a Bride, 2 Cor. 11. 2. Rev. 21. 2, 9. over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

I have set watchmen Understand by these, either 1. Angels, as they are called, Dan. 4. 13, 23. Or 2. Magistrates, see chap. 56. 10. Or rather 3. Ministers. When once the Church shall be restored again, God will undertake for its Safety and Protection, partly by Magistracy, and partly by Ministry, whom he here by a Metaphorical Allegory calls Watchmen, but the next words seem principally to intimate Spiritual Watchmen, thy spiritual safety, Heb. 13. 17. and said to be upon the Walls, as being thence able to espy dangers at the greater distance, Cant. 1. 7. upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night There shall be a most vigilant, and industrious Ministry, their constancy being intimated by Day and Night, either in Praying or Teaching, or warning, this being their Office.: ye that make mention i. e. Are his servants; To make mention of one is, according to the Hebrew Phrase, to be servant to him of whom we make mention, ch. 26. 13. And here especially are meant his Servants in ordinary, his Remembrancers, either such as put God in mind of his Promise, like such Officers that great Men have about them on purpose to mind them of the publick affairs; Or, such as make the Lord to be remembred, putting his People in mind of him. of the LORD, keep not silence This seems to be the charge that he gives to his Watchmen, that they never prove remi... s or negligent.;

And give him no rest The same with the foregoing Verse, and very acceptable to God, Luke 11. 8, 9, 10., till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth By sending the Messiah, and those Labourers into his Vineyard, whereby the Church may be established, and settled on sure foundations, and so become matter of Praise to God, All the Nations may praise him for her, Psal. 67. 3, 4. Or, that she may be praised, and become renowned, and famous in the Eyes of the World, see ch. 60. 9. & 61. 9, 11..

The LORD has sworn by his right hand This, and the next Verse are much to the same purpose, wherein the Prophet, to encourage them to their industrious endeavours, tells them that the Lord had sworn to see to the prosperity of Jerusalem; And he names the Hand to signifie his faithfulness, as the giving of our hand notes our Fidelity, and Arm to signifie his Power, the Arm of his strength, i. e. his strong Arm; these being eminently to be engaged, and put forth for his People, he swears by them., and by the arm of his strength, surely Or, I... I give, an usual Aposiopesis, an abrupt form of swearing, implying somthing of an imprecation, as great as can be expressed, q. d. never account me Faithful, or Almighty, if I accomplish not this., I will no more give thy corn t... be meat for thine enemies, and the sons See ch. 61. 5. of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured The meaning is, that Meat, and Drink, and all necessaries, that thou hast laboured for, the Babylonians took away from thee, but now it shall be so no more, he will not give thee up to the Will of thine Enemies.:

But they that have gathered it i. e. The Wine mentioned in the former verse, that have brought it from their several Vineyards, and laid it up in their Cellars, every one shall eat the fruit of his own labours, thou shalt not sow, and another reap, as formerly., shall eat it, and praise the LORD They themselves shall praise him, viz. for his Bounty, and Goodness; and others also, that shall be partakers with them; God will be bountiful, and they shall be thankful.; and they that have brought it together, shall drink it in the courts of my holiness As I have commanded Deut. 14. 23. in my Courts: Holiness being put for God himself by a Metonymy of the Adjunct, alluding to those anniversary Feasts, and Thank-offerings that were to be eaten in those places about the Temple, and perhaps in special to that part which was appropriated to the Priests, implying herein, that they should be all Priests, and, for ought I know, here may be an allusion to the great Gospel-feast, or Thank offering in the Lords Supper, these Promises being not only applicable to, but do point at the Soul-protections, and the Soul-provisions of the Church of Christ..

Go through, go through the gates It is doubled by way of Emphasis, q. d. make hast to your own Land, as if Cyrus should say, get ye out of Captivity as soon as you will, ch. 48. 20. Or, it may intimate an invitation issued out from them at Ierusalem to those that were sca... tered about in the Captivity, therein possibly typifying the going of Christs Disciples into the various parts of the World, to bring those that were scattered up and down into the Church. Or, go meet the Gentiles, whom God purposeth to bring into the Church, that by pure Doctrine, and your holy Lives they may be the sooner won.; prepare-ye the way Let them not have any obstructions in their way, he seems to call upon others to prepare the way for them; Thus Iohn was sent to prepare the way for Christ as was prophecied, ch. 40. 3. accordingly it is ordered to be cast up, see ch. 57. 14. of the people, cast up, cast up the high way, gather out the stones That there be no stumbling stone, or offence in their way: Or, q. d. go to and fro, and remove every scandal that they may boggle at, Rom. 14. 13. The former notes the of their before; this the,... o., lift up a standard A... to Sold... ers, tha... us... up their the Army may know wh... er to from quarters. See.. 22. that it may be more vi... ble,. 11. 10 11, 12. and Christ held in the preaching of the Gospel. for the people Or, over the People..

Behold, the LORD has proclaimed This may be understood of Cyrus his Proclamation being there... by God, see 2. 36. 22, &c unto the end of the world, say ye to the daughter of Zion i. e. To, or the Church, the sum of which Proclamation is in the following words., Behold, thy salvation Either 1. The time of it is come chap 56. 1. & 6.... 1. Or rather 2. The Person that effects it, thy Savior, by a Me... my o... the Efficient, Luk. 2. 30. cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work i. e. the Reward due to the wo... k, the same thing with the former; see of this on ch. 4.... 10. Or, his work is ready cut out for him, which he is to do: Or, he will industriously s... t himself about the work that is before him; I... h. 4. 34. and he is said to bring it with him, viz. the reward, that he will give to his true Worshippers, Or, he brings eternal Salvation with him, or the Reward of Redemption which is the Subject of the next Chapter. before him.

And they shall call them, The holy people Or, they shall be called, or they shall be a peculiar separate People, co. 4. 3., the redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, sought out Or, one sound that was lost, see Ezek. 34. 16. Or, o... t, or... or, as one in great esteem, one that the Gentiles should see... to join themselves withal, so as to be one Church with... er: That reproach should be wiped off from her, that this is S... man seeketh after, Jer. 30. 17. Or, cared for, viz. by God, whom he has out of infinite Love gathered to himself., a city not forsaken See v. 4. The meaning is, that thus they shall esteem the Gospel Church; sh... shall be accosted with such salutations as these are, the Holy People, the R... ned of the Lord, &c..