Chii.yo—1r, ZECHARIA GA.
appears from his being fént in the next claufe: after the glory; which is promifed, ¥. 5. fo the Targum and Kimchi; or, afterwards thall be the glory '; ora glorious time and ftate; that is, after God’s people are brought out of myftical Babylon, when the ‘ews fhall be converted, and the fulnefs of the Gentilés thall be brought in, then will be the latter day-glory; and at the fame time will be the fall and deftruction of antichrift, and of the antichriftian ftates, as follows: hath he fent me unto the nations which fpoiled you; the Chaldeans and Babylonians, who {poiled and carried captive the Jews; or the antichriftian nations, which perfecuted and wafted the people of God, the followers of the Lamb; but now Chrift will be fent, and will come in a fpiritual manner, and take vengeance on them; he will deftroy antichrift with the breath of his mouth, and with the brightnefs of his coming; with the fharp fword going out of his mouth, Rev. xix. 15: for be that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of bis eye; either his own eye, he hurts himfelf; or the eye of the Lord of hofts; of mine eye, as fome read it ™, as the Vu/- gate Latin verfion; which fhows how near and dear the Lord’s people are to him, The pupil or apple of thedeye is a little aperture or perforation in the middle of the tunic or coat of the eye, called the uvea and*iris, about which the iris forms a ring; and thro’ this little opening the rays of light pafs to the cryftalline humour, to be formed on the retina or net, at the bottom of the eye. It is a very weak and tender part, and eafily-hurt with the leaft thing; and fitly defcribes the feeble ftate of Chrift’s people; and how foon and eafily they may be difturbed, diftreffed, and hurt by their enemies: and as this is a principal part, of the eye, and a part of a man’s felf, dear and valuable to him; {fo are the Lord’s people parts, as it were, of himfelf; they are members of his body, clofely united to him; and whatever injury is done to them, he reckons as done to himfelf: Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? Ads ix. 5. and being highly efteemed by him, and having the ftrongeft affection for them, he refents every affront given.them, and will punifh all that-hurt them; and exceeding careful is he of them, to keep and preferve them from being hurt: 4e kept him as the apple of his éye, Deut. xxxii. 10, which, being fuch.anufeful and tender: part as it is, it is wonderfully provided for by nature againft allevents; befides the. orbit in -which_it is placed;,and the.eye-brows,. which prevent. many, nufances, and the eye-lids, which cover and defend it in fleep;.and the fringes. of hair on them, which break the too violent. impreffions of light, and keep off moats and flies; there are no lefs than, fix tunics or coats, about it ", as fo many prefervatives ‘of it: now, as the God of nature has taken fo much care of this. ufeful ‘member of the human body, how much more careful, and. tender muit we fuppofe the God of
‘grace, and our merciful Redeemer and high -prieft to be over his dear people, parts of himfelf, redeemed by his blood, and defigned and prepared for eternal glory and happinefs; and how daring muft fuch be, who offer the leaft violence unto them; nor muft they expeét:to efcape his wrath and vengeance, that feek their hurt, and give them ' difturbance; fee P/- xvii..8..and as this. may refpect the Fews called out of Babylon in the two pre- DWAD AN tandem erif gloria; aut Cathol. Verick toc. 8. ofid 1312048 nexion, Par. i, B, 3. p. 188,189. ~ ceding verfes, it may be concluded that they were obedient to the divine call, tho’ it is not recorded: it being not likely that God, who had fo great 4 regard for them, would fuffer them to continue there to their deftruction; for it was about two years after this prophecy, in the fourth year of Darius; or the beginning of the fifth, that Babylon revolted from him, and was befieged twenty months by him, before he took it; and which he did at laft by the ftratagem of Zopyrus, one of his generals, when he beat down its walls and gates, and put to death three thoufand of the inhabitants that were moft guilty °; but before this, it is reafonable to fuppofe, that the people of God, fo dear unto him as is expreffed, were called out from hence; as thofe of his people, equally dear to him, will be called out of myttical Babylon before its deftruction; fee Rev. xviii. 4.
¥. 9. Hor bebold, Iwill fhake mine hand upon them, &c.] The nations; either the Babylonian; or the antichriftian ftates; meaning, that he would exert his power, and inflict punifhment on them, and utterly deftroy them; which would be done by the bare fhaking of his hand: and they fhall be a fpoil to their fervants;, as the Babylonians were to the Perfians; not thro’ Cyrus, which had been done; but thro’ Darius, who took Babylon, after a fiege of twenty months, and put great nunibers to death; and all became a fpoil to the Perfians, who had been their fervants: or the ten kings, that gave their kingdoms to the beaft, and were fubject to him; but now fhall hate the whore, and eat her flefh; and all her riches and revenues fhall be a fpoil unto them, and be divided among them, Rev. xvii. 12, 16: and ye fhall know that the Lord of bhofts hath fent me, either the prophet Zechariah, that he was a true prophet, and had his miffion from the Lord of hofts, as will appear by the accomplifhment of thefe prophecies; or rather, Chrift, fent by God the Father; and who will. be known and owned by the Yews, as well as by the Gentiles, to be the fent of God, when they fhall be con-~ verted, and antichrift fhall be deftroyed. Kimchi refers this, and the following verfe, to the times of the Meffiah.
¥. 10. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, &c.] Or, congregation of Zion, as the Targum paraphrafes it; the Fewi/h church, great numbers of that people being converted, and in a church-ftate; or the whole chriftian church at this time, confifting of Fews and Gentiles, who are called upon to rejoice and fing at the deftruétion of antichrift; fee Rev. -Xviii, 20. and xix,.1, 2. and becaufe.of the prefence of God in the midft of them, as follows:
for lo, I come, not in the flefh: this.is not. to be underftood of the incarnation of Chrift; or of his coming in human nature to dwell in the Jand of Judea, but of his f{piritual, coming in the latter day, to fet up his kingdom in the world, in ‘a more vifible and glorious manner: and I will dwell in the midft of thee, faith the Lord; the-prefence of Chrift in his churches, and with his people, in attendance on his word and ordinances, will be very manifeft and conftant in the latter day, ¥..11. And many nations fhail be joined to the Lord in that day, &c.| ‘The gofpel will be preached in all nations, and multitudes will be converted, and embrace and profefs the chriftian religion, and join themfelves to the churches of Crab which, which, in the New Teftament, is expreffed by being joined to the Lord, Aés v. 13, 14. fee Fer. }. 5. and J. lvi. 3, 6: and fhall be my people; fhall appear to be fo, who before were not the people of God; did not profefs themfelves, and were not known to be the people of God, tho’ they fecretly were in the counfel and covenant of God; but now being called by grace, they become openly and manifeftatively his people, 1 Pet. ii. 10: and I will dwell in the midft of thee; in the church, confifting of people of many nations, as well as of Hews: and thou foalt know that the Lord of hofts hath fent me unto thee, to the Jews, as well as to the Gentiles; fee the note on y. 9.
y. 12. And the Lord fhall inherit Fudab his portion in the boly land, &c.] The Lord’s people is his portion, and the lot of his inheritance; whom he has chofen, and calls as fuch, whether they be Yews or Gentiles; but here it feems to mean the believing ‘Fews; who, it is very likely, upon their converfion, will be returned to their own land, here called the holy land; becaufe formerly here the Lord’s holy people dwelt; his holy fanctuary was, and his holy worfhip and ordinances were attended on; and where now he will poffefs and enjoy his people, and favour them with communion with himfelf: and fhall chufe Ferufalem again after long trodden down of the Gentiles; as it formerly was a place of divine worfhip, fo it fhall be
N this chapter, under the type of Fo/bua the high-prieft, is fhewed the ftate and condition of the priefthood, and of thé church of God in his times; and in it are feveral promifes concerning the true high-prieft, Chrift, and of the efficacy and permanency of his priefthood. ‘The vifion of Fofoua is in the form of a judicial procefs: Fo/bua is the perfon accufed, and is defcribed by his fitua~ tion, ftanding before the angel of the Lord; and by the filthy garments he had on, which’ were the ground of the charge againft him, ¥. 1, 3.- The accufer of hini is fatan, who ftood at his ‘righthand; and his judge is the angel of the Lord, before whom he was, ¥. 3. The fentence given againft his accufer is by way of rebuke, enforced by the Lord’s choice of Ferufalem, and merciful deliverance of this perfon; and as given in his favour, is an order to take his filthy garments from him, and clothe him with change of: raiment, and to put a fair mitre on his head; which were accordingly done, ¥. 2, 4. 5. and a promife is made’ him, by way of proteftation, that if he would walk in his ways, arid keep his charge, he thould judge his houfe, and keep his courts, and fhould have a walking plate among thofe that itood by, ¥. 6, 7. and next’Yo/bua, and thofe that were with him, are addrefied as men wondered at; and are called upon to hearkén to a promife of the and under that of a ftone with feven’eyes“on it, and ‘engravings in it, by whom the iniquity of God’s people is removed, ¥. 9, andthe chapter is ¢lofed with an account of the profperity, peace, and fafety of the faints under the gofpél-difpenfation, ¥. 10.;:
y. 1. And he foewed me Fofbua the bigh-prieft, &c.] Who was.one that cameup out ofthe cap- again; and which will be performed in it ina more fpiritual and evangelical manner than ever; or it may refpect the people of the ews, who, being called by grace, this will be a kind of a re-. novation of their election, and an evidence of it fee Rom. xi. 26, 27, 28. “|
Be filled with fear, awe, and aftonifhment at the wonderful work of God; the deftruction of antichrift; the converfion of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles: let them not open their mouths, or dare to fay one word againft it. The Targum mterprets the words of the wicked, and paraphrafes them thus, “ let all the wicked be con- ** fumed before the Lord;” fee Pf civ. 35. and it feems to defign the reft of the people, who will not be converted; called fle/b, being not only frail and mortal, but corrupt and finful; and fo not able to contend with God, who is: mighty in ftrength, and glorious in holinefs, and a God:
doing wonders. A like phrafe is in Hab. ii. 20: for be is raifed up out of bis holy habitation; which is heaven, Jf Ixiii. 15. where he feemed to have been ‘as it were afleep for many hundreds of years, even during the reign of antichrift; but now he will be as 2 man awaked out of his fleep, and will arife to take vengeance on his and his churches enemies, and to help them, and make them happy and glorious. iD | a P, Til.
tivity, and was principally concerned See the temple, and had many enemies to’ obftru him in ‘it; and who falling into fin, or his fons, in marrying ftrange wives, Ezra x. 18. which he might connive at, fatan was ready to catch’ it up, and accufe him before God; tho’ rather Fo/bua is to be confidered, not perfonally, but typically, reprefénting the ftate’ and condition of the priefthood, in which office he was; and which was very low, mean and abject, under the fecond’ temple; or the church of God, which the priefts, -efpecially
| the high-prieft, were reprefentatives of: and indeed ‘this vifion may be accommodated to the cafe of any fingle believer, fallen into fin, and accufed by fatan, and whofe advocate Chrift' is: Panding before the angel of the Lord; not any created angel, but Chrift the angel of God’s prefence, who is called Jehovah, y. 2. is the rebuker of fatan, and the advocate of his‘ people; and who takes away ~ their fins, and clothes them with ‘his rig¢hteoufnefs: and ftanding before him, does not.mean barely being in his fight and “prefence, but as’miniftring to him; this being the pofture both of angels and men, the fervants of the Lord, “Daz. vii. 10. PY. CxXXxiv. I. and cxxxv.1, 2. either he was Seog facrifice for the people, or afking counfel of God for them; or rather ‘giving thanks for his and thei deliverance from captivity, being’ as brands take:
out of ‘the fire; and. BAbing to be ftript of his filthy garments, and to be ‘clothed with others more decent, ‘and becoming’ his office; and for help ba affiftance in the building of the temple, and again se es obftryéted © ate “i he was’ broug and’ placed here as'a’ guilty perfon, ¢ fin, ta to be cried before bin. alan his right-hand to refit him; either to hinder him in his,.work of. building. the temples: by- ftirring up Sanballat, and other enemies; or rather to oo cufe him of fin, and bring a charge againft him, and get fentence paffed upon him; fo the accufer ufed to ftand at the right-hand of the accufed. The Targum paraphrafes it, “* and fin ftanding at his “* right-hand. to refift him: when the people of God fall into fin, fatan the accufer of the brethren, their avowed enemy, obferves it, and ac- cufes them before the Lord, and feeks their condemnation. © Maimonides » underitands this, of -his ftanding at the right-hand of the angel; but it was not ufual for the profecutor, accufer, or pleader, whether for or againft a perfon arraigned, to ftand at the right-hand of the judge: indeed, in the Fewifh Sanbedrim, or grand court of judicature, there were two fcribes ftood before the judges the'one-on the right-hand, the other on the left; who took down in writing the pleadings- in court, and the fentences of thofe that were acquitted, and of thofe that were condemned; he on the righthand the former, and the other on the left-hand the latter *> The prince or chief judge of the court fat in the middle; and his deputy, called 44 Beth Din, or fatherof the court, fat at his right-hand, and-a wife man, a principal one, at his left"; but it was ufual forthe pleader,: who was called 5y5 n> Baal Rib, to ftand on the right-hand of the party cited into the court, whether he pleaded for, or again{ft hint *: and to this cuftom is the allufion here, and in P/. cix.-6, 31. where fatan, who is the accufer of men, and pleads againft them, is placed at the right-hand, as here; and God, who ‘pleads the caufe of his poor people, is alfo repreented as ftanding on their right-hand. The bufinefs of fatan here was to accufe, to bring charges, to plead for condemnation, and endeavour to get |.
the fentence of it pafled againit Fo/bua; for he was at his right-hand, to be an adverfary to him, as his name (/fatan) fignifies, which he has from the word here ufed; being an enemy to mankind in general, and efpecially to the people of God, and more efpecially to perfons in facred public offices; to whom he is avlidinG @ court-adverfary, as the apoftle Peter calls him, 1 Pet. v. 8. who appears in open court againft them, and charges them in a moft fpiteful aud malicious manner; and is a moft implacable, obftinate, and impudent one, as his
_name fignifies, and| the word, from whence it is derived; tho’ Maimonides * thinks the name is derived from pu, which fignifies to decline, or go back from any thing; fince he, without doubt, makes men. to decline-from the way of truth, to the way of falfhood and error.
y¥. 2. And the Lord faid unto fatan, &c.] The fame with the angel of the Lord, ¥. 1. having heard the charge brought by him againft Fo/fua, here called Jehovah, being the fon of ‘God, and properly God: the Lord rebuke thee, O fatan, thefe words may be confidered, either as the interceffion of Jehovah the Son, with Jehovah the Father, for Yofoua and his church, and againft fatan; that he would reprove him for his malice and wickednefs;
ftop his mouth, and filence him, that he might not go on to accufe; that he would confound his
‘fchemes, and reftrain him from doing mifchief;
tread him down, and bruxfe him under the feet of
’ his people, and pour out his wrath upon him: or as a declaration of what fhould be done to him, or what he himfelf would do; for it may be rendered, the Lord will rebuke thee“; as the following claufe is by fome, who take this to be a wifh, and the following a pofitive declaration, that! Jehovah the Father would certainly rebuke fatan; as might be concluded from the reafons and arguments ufed by the angel, taken from ‘God’s choice of eru- felem the building of which fatan endeavoured to hinder, tho’ God had chofen it for his habitation and worfhip; and from the deliverance of Jofoua out of the fire for that purpofe: and this reproof of him’ on the behalf of his people, is founded on their election of God; even the Lord that hath chofen Ferufalem rebuke thee; which aé is eternal; {prings from the love and grace of God towards them; antecedes all works, good or bad, done by them; ftands firm, fure, and unalterable; fuch who are interefted in it, are called, juftified, and fhall be glorified; nor has fatan any thing to do with them; nor will any charge of his be of any avail againft them, Rom. viii. 33: is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire 2? which is to be underftood of Fo/bua; not of his being delivered out of that fire, into which the Yews * fay he was caft, along with Abab and Zedekiah, whom the king of Babylon roafted in it, ‘Fer. xxix. 22. when he marvelloufly efcaped; others fay, 8000 young priefts fied to the temple, and were burnt in it, and only
“Fofoua was preferved; but of his deliverance out of the Babylonifo captivity, and alfo of the priefthood, which, during the captivity, when the temple was deftroyed, and temple-fervice ceafed, was like a brand in the fire; and tho” Yo/bua the highprieft was returned, and the priefthood in fome meafure reftored, yet not to its former glory, the temple not being yet built; and therefore was but like a fmoking fire-brand; likewife the people of God may be meant; fee Amos iv. 11. who are by nature like a bitch cut off,-a dry ftick caft into the fire, and heii burnt; they are in a ftate of feparation from God, Father, Son, and Spirit; and they are unprofitable and unfruitful, and in danger in themfelves of being confumed in the fire of divine wrath, of which they are as deferving as others, and are under the fentence of it; and when convinced, have dreadful apprehenfions of being confumed by it; but thro’ the grace,{mercy, love, and power of God, they are plucked out of this {tate in effeétual vocation, and are fecured from everlafting deftruétion; wherefore fatan is rebuked for attempting to bring any who are inftances of fuch grace and goodnefs into condemnation; it being wicked and malicious, bold and daring, vain and fruitlefs; fince fuch are fecured by the grace and power of God, and are preferved for everlafting glory and happinefs.
¥. 3. Now Fohua was clothed with filthy: garments, &c.] Having fallen into fin. The Fewifh writers * interpret this of the fin of his children in marrying -ftrange wives, Ezra x. 18. or he had married one himfelf, as ferom from the Fews, on the place; or a whore, as Fu/tin Martyr * fuggetts’; or had been flothful and fluggifh in rebuilding the temple; and be it what it will, fatan had aggravated it, and reprefented him as a moft filthy crea-;; ture, ture, covered with fin, and as it were clothed with it: fins may well be called filthy garments, fince righteoufneiles are as filthy rags, // lxiv. 6. It may alfo denote the imperfection of the Levitical priefthood, and the pollutions in it, at leaf in thofe who officiated therein, and efpecially under the fecond temple; as well as may reprefent the defilements of the Lord’s people by fins they fall into: and ficod before the angel, as an accufed perfon, charged with fin, and waiting the iffue of the procefs againft him: he ftood under an humble fenfe of his iniquities, looking to the blood and righteoufnels of Chrift for pardon and juftification; praying and intreating that, thefe filthy garments might be took away from him, and he be clothed with fine linen, fuitable to his character as_a_prieft. Such a fordid drefs was the habit of perfons. arraigned for crimes. It was ufual, efpecially among the -Komaus, when a man was accufed of, and charged with, capital crimes, and during his arraignment, to let down his hair, fuffer. his beard to grow long, to wear filthy ragged garments, and appear in a-very dirty and fordid habit; hence uch were called fordidati»: nay, it was not only cuftomary for the accufed perfon, when he was brought into court before the people to be tried, to be in fuch a filthy drefs; but even his near relations, friends and acquaintance, before the court went to voting, ufed to appear in like manner, with their hair difhevelled, and clothed with gar- -ments foul and out of fafhion, weeping and cry- Ing, and deprecating punifhment; thinking by fuch a filthy and deformed habit, to move the pity of the people *. It is faid of the embaffadors of the ARhodians at Rome, upon a certain victory obtained, that they appeared at firft in white garments, fuit- fe to. a congratulation; but when they were told that the Rbodians had not fo well deferved to be reckoned among the friends and allies of the Romans, they immediately put, on fordid garments, and went about to the houfes of the principal men,,with. prayers and tears intreating that cognizance might firtt be taken of their caufe, before they ‘ were condemned *: tho’, on the contrary, fome, when arraigned, as defying their accufers, and as a token of their innocence, and to fhew the fortitude of their minds, ‘and even if they could ‘to terrify the court itfelf, would drefs out in the moft {plendid manner; or however, would not follow the above cuftom. It is reported of Scipio Africanus, that when he was arraigned in court, he would not omit fhaving his beard, nor put off his white garments, nor appear in the common drefs of arraigned perfons *: and when Manlius Capitolinus was arraigned in court, none of his relations would change their cloaths; and Appius Claudius, when he was tried by the Tribunes of the common people, behaved. with fuch fpirit, and put on fuch a bold countenance, as thinking that by his ferocity he might {trike terror into the Tribunes; and fo Herod, when he was accufed before Ayrcanus, went into the court clothed in purple, and attended with a guard of armed men‘: whether the above cuftom obtained-in Fudea, -and fo early as the times of this propnet, is not fo evident; tho’ Fofepbus ben Gorion ays, it was a cuftom for a guilty perfon to ftand before the judges clothed in: black, ‘and his head covered with duft *; however it is certain,
Ch. tu, that with the Yews a diftin&tion was made in the drefs of priefts, who, by the Sanbedrim, were found faulty or not; fuch as were, were clothed and veiled in d/ack; and fuch as were not, but were found right and perfect, were clothed in white; and went in, and miniftred with.their brethren the priefts ». gee!
¥. 4. And be. anfwered, and fpake,:8c.]. That’ is, the angel of the Lord, before whom Fofbua ftood, anfwered to the accufations of fatan, and the intreaties of Fofoua: and fpake unto thofe that flood before him, not the fellows that fat before Jofoua, ¥. 8. for the priefts, who were Foeua’s fellows, could not take away fin; nor indeed can minifters of the gofpel, only minifterially or, declay ratively, as inftruments, in bringing the good news of pardon to the comfort of diftrefled minds; whom the miniftring angels may here reprefent, that ftood before Chrift the archangel, the head‘of all principalities and powers, and who are miniftring {pirits to him; and fo the Z argum paraphrafes it, ‘* and ‘he faid to them who miniftred before. him.;”? who, tho’ they can’t expiate fin, or make, atonement for it, may bring the tidings. of pardon 'toa poor fallen believer: faying, take. away, the filthy Sarments from him, it may be obferved, that the garments of the priefts were to be. new and fair, according to the Feewi/h canon!; and if they became filthy, they did not whiten them, nor wath them, but left them for threads (or wicks of candles) and put on.-new; and fo. orders are here | given, not to wafh the filthy garments, of Fofoua, but to take them away; it is not, take him, fatan, the addrefs is not to him; nor angels, who are fpoken to, take away this filthy creature from me, I can’t bear the fight of him; but take away his fins, not the being, power, or fenfe. of: them; nor does it fignify making atonement for them, or removing them out of the fight of juftice; but a taking theni away out of Fo/bua’s fight, and giving him a fenfe of pardon, a comfortable view. of. it;. in which angels and minifters of the word may be affifting; fee J/. vi. 6, 7. and xl. 2. and is. effec tually done, when Chrift, who has power to for-’ give fin, makes an application of forgiving grace himfelf, as follows: and unto bim he faid; that is, the angel of the Lord faid to Fofbua: behold, I have caufed thine iniquity 10 pals from thee; which fhows that he had finned, and interprets the filthy garments he was clothed with: Chrift took his iniquity upon himfelf, bore and made fatisfaction for it, and removed it as far from him as the eaft.. from the weft; and now caufed the guilt of it to pafs from his confcience, and gave him a. comtortable view of the free and full pardon of it, The word, bebold! is prefixed to this declaration of pardon, to afcertain the truth of it, to fix his attention to it, and raife his admiration at it: end. I will clothe thee with change of raiment; garments. to put on and off; for in thofe hot countries, the ufed to fhift their garments often; and thefe do not defign prieftly garments, fuch as the highprieft put on on the day of. atonement, when he | put off his common garments, and having one his work, fhifted again, Lev. xvi. 23, 24. done; change of garments the high-prieft indeed had,. and fo had the common priefts; for they did not wear the fame garments when out of fervice, as
Ch. ii. Y.g. when. in ‘it; fee Ezek. xlii. 14. and xliv. Ig. and the notes'there; but prieftly garments feem rather to be intended in the’ following verfes, which were put on along with the mitre: change of raiment here rather fignify, fuch as. ufed to be wore on feftivals and holy days, rich, valuable, precious -garments; fuch as men wore when they went abroad, and appeared in company, and upon return home put off again; and efpecially clean, neat garments, as fome render the word *, in oppofition to filthy ones Fo/bua was clothed with: when arraigned perfons put on fordid garments, they were faid- mutare veftem, to change their apparel; but here ‘clean; ‘inftead of filthy, garments, are called change’ of ‘raiment with great propriety; and a -happy exchange is this indeed! The word is in the: plural number, and may point at more garments than’ one, different fuits of apparel, with which changes might be frequently made, both for delight and refrefthment; ‘and may have regard to the feveral garments of believers in Chrift, of all good men, partakers of the grace of God: they have the garment of an outward holy converfation, which they are to watch and keep, left they walk naked; and which, as it is often {potted with fin, they wafh and make white in the blood of the Lamb:. and there is the integrity: and faithfulnefs of the*faints in the performance of their duty, in their feveral. ftations of life; and efpecially of thofé in public office, in the difcharge of that; who, as Yod, put on righteoufnefs, and it clothes them, and judgment is as a robe and diadem to'them, ch. xxix. 14. and there is the garment of internal holinefs, the new man, confifting of the feveral graces of the Spirit, which is put on asa garment, and makes believers all glorious within; as well as their clothing is of wrought gold, the righteoufnefs of Chrift; the principal garment, called the robe of righteoufnefs, and garments of falvation; the beft robe, and wedding garment, fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteoufnefs or righteoufnefles of the faints, Rev. xix. 8. and fo the Zargum renders the word here, with righteoufueffes; tho’, as one change of raiment, or fuit of apparel, may be meant, fo one fort of righteoufnefs only may be pointed at, even the one obedience of Chrift, or his juftifying righteoufnefs; which may be fo called, to denote the excellency and fulnefs of it, being fufficient to clothe and juftify all the ele& of God; like raiment, this is not in the faints, but put upon them, and covers them, and keeps them warm; protects from injuries, and beautifies and adorns: this robe of righteoufnefs Chrift has wrought out for his people, and he clothes them with it; it is his gift unto them, and they receive it from him; by which they-are freed from all fin and condemnation, and their.perfons and fervices are accepted with God.
¥. 5. And I faid, let them fet a fair mitre upon his head, &c.] ‘Thefe are either the words.of Jehovah the Father, who has all the angels at his command, and can order them,to do what he pleafes; always regards the interceffion of Chrift, is ever well pleated with his righteoufnefs, and with his people, as clothed with. it; and where he gives