on thee. Thou haft (as if the Lord fhould fay) long time lain in Darkness, Blindness, and Ignorance of me; But now thy Light is come, the Light of the Glory of God, that always fhone in the Face of Fefus Chrift, is now come to fine upon thee, in turning thee from Darkness into his marvellous Light. And the Glory of the Lord, the Lord Jefus Chrift, the Glory of his Perfon, the Glory of bis Righteousness, the Glory of bis Life, Death, Blood and Satisfaction; the Glory of his Refurrection, Afcenfion, Interceffion and Exaltation, is now rifen upou thee. Oh when the Glory of Chrift fhall once begin thus to fhine upon the Jews, they then muft arife and fhine forth; not against their Wills, but with a willing Mind will they arise and embrace the Lord Jefus, as their Saviour, Lord and King. Thy People Jhall be a willing People in the Day of thy Power, in the Beauties of Holiness from the Womb of the Morning thou haft the Dew of thy Touth. Pfal. cx. 3. This fhews that though they have been unwilling of a long time, yet no fooner is the Day of God's Power come upon them, but they are made a willing People. Yea thefe Words do further fhew, that there will not be a few made willing in that Day; but there will be Multitudes of them brought over to Chrift, both among the Jews and Gentiles; fignified in thofe Words, From the Womb of the Morning thou haft the Dew of thy Touth. Oh now the will arife, now the can ftay no longer, but up fhe gets and opens to her Beloved, with her whole Mind, yea with her whole Heart and Soul. Now he is made fenfible to the melting and moving of her Bowels, what a long Night Cbrift hath ftood ftood knocking, until his Head is filled with Dew, and his Locks with the Drops of the Night. Verfe 2. For behold the Darknefs fhall cover the Earth, and grofs Darkness the People. Behold, take notice of it, and fee the extraordinary Appearance of God at this time! When the Glory of the Lord fhall arife and fhine upon Zion, then Darkness fhall cover the Earth, and grofs Darknefs the People. This is not fpoke of the Earth in a general Confideration, but of fuch a Part as fhall be found inveterate and implacable Enemies to Cbrift. This is fpoke, I humbly conceive, by way of Allufion unto that grofs Daiknefs that was upon the Egyptians, fuch Darkness as might be felt, when Ifrael had Light in all their Dwellings. Exod.x. 23. So it will be in the Beginning of that Great Day of the Lord: For when God fhall break forth with the glorious Light of his Divine Grace, in the Converfion of a great Multitude both of F.ws and Gentiles; then will there at the fame time be grofs Darkuefs, like Egypt's Darkness, upon the An tichriftian People, or Antichrift's Kingdom; which like Amalek of old, will be doomed to Deftruction. To this agree thofe Words in Rev. xvi. 10. and is very full for the Proof of the Point. And the fifth Angel poured out his Vial upon the Seat of the Beaft, and his Kingdom was full of Darkness, and they gnawed their Tongues for Pain: Which will be the Lot, End, and Portion of all Chriftless and Graceless Souls at this time. But the Lord fhall rise upon thee, and his Glory Shall be feen upon thee. Oh how comfortable will this be unto the Saints, after their Night of Trouble and Sorrow is ended! For then will the Lord Jefus Chrift, that glorious Sun of Righteouf nefs, arife, and fhine forth, with Healing in his Wings, upon his People. Mal. iv. 2. Again, this wonderful Glory, the Glory of the Lord, which at this time shall arife and be feen upon Zion, will not be a hidden or concealed Glory, but fuch as will be vifible and confpicuous. not only in their own, but in the Eyes of all the World. Verfe 3. And the Gentiles fhall come to thy Light, and Kings to the Brightness of thy Rifing. Thefe Words do fhew that the Glory fpoken of before, is in this place promised to the Jewish Church, at the time of their Converfion; as appears from the Distinction which the Spirit of God makes between them and the Gentiles: Yet not a Glory fo peculiar to the Jews, but that the Converted Gentiles fhall be joined with them in the Participation of that Glory; because it is faid, The Gentiles hall come to thy Light, that is, the People of God from among the Gentiles, and all those who (after this Glory is rifen upon her) fhall be converted out of the Gentile Nations. Then it followeth, And Kings to the Brightness of thy Rifing. Here will not only the Poor and Middle Sort, but Kings, yea Great and Noble Perfons fhall be converted in that Day. Now there are but few fuch, according to thofe Words in 1 Cor. i. 26. Not many Wife, not many Noble are called: But shen, at this time, there fhall be many: As in I Ifaiab liii. I will divide him a Portion with the Great, and be fhall divide the Spoil with the Strong. Satan fhall hold them as Captives no longer; for here we read of the Great and Mighty who fhall be bowed and overcome by the Power of Omnipotent Grace; which will make them willingly fubmit to the Government of Christ, and lay their Scepters down at his Feet: This being a Promife of the Father unto Chrift, as a Reward of his Sufferings; because he hath poured out his Soul unto Death, and was numbered with the Tranfgreffors,&c. ver. 12. Well Thefe fhall come flocking unto. Zion, in a more glorious manner than ever they have yet done; when the Nations of all that are faved fhall walk in the Light thereof, and the Kings of the Earth bring their Glory and Honour into it. Rev. xxi. 24. Then they fhall come (a great Multitude of them) being ravifhed with the Light, Beauty, and unfpeakable Brightness, which will fhine forth upon the Saints, from the Glory of the Divine Prefence, which will be feen at that time in midst of them. Verfe 4. Now, Lift up thine Eyes round about, and fee, (for here is fomething more than ufual to be feen) all they gather themselves together, they come to thee, thy Sons fhall come from far, and thy Daughters fhall be nurfed at thy fide. Who are thefe that come Why a Multitude of Converts from amongst the Gentiles. And where do they come? It is unto thee, that is to Zion, the Church and People of God And how many fhall there there come? A great Company, fignified by their gathering together. They fhall not come one or two at a time, though we are glad to fee that in this day: But they fhall come together likeFlocks and Droves, or a great Company fhall come in all at once. The Proof of this appears more fully in Ifa.lxvi.8.Wbo bath heard fuch a thing? Who bath feen Juch things? Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one Day? Or fhall a Nation be born at once? Certainly it fhall, although it seems almoft incredible, therefore we have it further expreffed to fhew the Certainty of it, for as foon as Zion travailled he' brought forth her Children, a numerous Off-Spring. Thefe Words do inform us that there will be not only a great Multitude of Jews and Gentiles brought over to Fefus Chrift; but that their Converfion will be quick and fudden: It will not be in an ordinary, but in a wonderful extraordinary manner: As appears very full in thefe Expreflions, Shall the Earth be made to bring forth in one Day, or a' Nation be born at once? Has there ever been fuch a Time feen or heard of? Surely there has not; Then is this bleffed Time yet to come, when the Spirit of God fhall be poured down upon all Flefh, &c. Foel ii, But to return, They come to thee: Having first come to Chrift, and embraced him by Faith, they now come to Sion, by joining themfelves unto the Saints. Again, By their Sons and Daughters we are to understand fuch as in that day fhall be converted, who are called their Sons and Daughters in a fpiritual relation. Their coming from far is to fhew us, that not only thofe who are near shall be taken with that Glory which fhall then be seen upon the Church; but the Fame of M m Zion's |