This was intended both to guide them in their jour- neys, and to protect them from their enemies. And in reference to it God promises to his Church to be,
1. Her guide —
[The cloud went before the people in all their journeys, moving or resting when it was proper for them to move, or rest". Thus will God direct the concerns of his Church. Though he will not interpose in the same visible manner, yet he will mani- fest the same attention to its interests, and guide it with the same unerring hand. Nor is it to the Church at large only that God extends his care ; he will regard " the dwelling-places of Mount Zion" no less than " her assemblies ;" and consult the welfare of the meanest individual as much as of the largest com- munity". Does any one look up to him for direction? He says, " The meek he will guide in judgment, the meek he will teach his way p :" " He shall have an unction of the Holy One that shall teach him all things i;" and so plainly shall his path be marked, that, " though a fool, he shall not err therein ^" Is he involved in any peculiar difficulty ? He shall hear a voice behind him, saying, " This is the way, walk ye in it^" And though his path may often appear dubious, yet he shall find at last that he has been " led in the right way to the city of habitation*."]
2. Her defence —
[The cloud on one occasion went behind the Israelites, and wore a dark and threatening aspect to their enemies, while it gave light to them^. Thus will God give salvation for walls and bulwarks to his Church^. No weapon that is formed against it shall prosper >": God will not only go before it, but be its rear-ward^: nor shall the gates of hell ever prevail against it ^. Never for one moment will he intermit his care ^ : his pro- tection shall be as effectual as that of lofty mountains'^, or an impassable river '^, or a wall of fire ^ And its preservation shall be seen to be evidently /«'* work, as much as the ^'creation''' itself; so that all who behold it shall say, This hath God wrought^.]
3. Her glory —
[It was the presence of God with Israel of old that marked them as his peculiar people. They were feared on this account, so that " all the inhabitants of Canaan melted because of them^ ;"
n Exod. xl. 34 — 38. ° Isai. Ixvi. 2. p Ps. xxv. 9.
1 1 John ii. 20. ^ Isai. xxxv. 8. » Isai. xxx. 21.
t Ps. cvii. 7. " Exod. xiv. 19,20. ^ Isai. xxvi. 1.
y Isai. liv. 17. ^ Isai. Iviii. 8. ^ Matt. xvi. 18.
^ Isai. xxvii. 3. '^ Ps. cxxv. 2. 'i Isai. xxxiii. 21.
« Zech. ii. 5. ^ Jobxii.9. Isai.xli.4. e Josh.ii. 9, 11.