child at the mother's breast, thou shalt ken-he malree no announcement on the obtain kindly nourishment through the subject; sufficient for him that the redeemed means of the Gentiles, who acknowledge bask perpetually in e. Divine radiance sl:ed thee for their superior, and place all their upon them by the "Fe.tber of lights" (see means at thy disposal (supra, vers. 5-11). Rev. xxi. 23; xxii. 5). The germ of the Among these, the most liberal, and the most idea appears in the earlier prophecies (eh. prompt to render aid, will be their kings xxiv. 23). For brightness; rather, for illu- (see the comment on ver. 10). Thou shalt mination. Tbe Lord ehall be unto thee an Jmow that I the Lord am thy Saviour, This everlasting light. God is " the Father of clause is repeated from eh. xlix. 26. It is lights" (Jas. i. 17)-"the true Li:;ht, which o. phrase containing in it a mysterioµs depth Iight~th every man that cometh into the of promise. world" (John i. 9). All other light is but Ver. 17.-For brass I will bring gold; his shadow e.nd bis reflex-his creature rather, for copper. "Brass" was an alloy (Gen. i. 3}-therefore perishable, not to be little known to the Oriental nations. The reckoned on for continuance (Ps. cii. 2G; general idea is that the glorious age of Heh. i. 11). But God abides; therefore his Solomon would return (1 Kings x. 21, 27), light will abide. He is" the same yesterday, and Zion be as resplendent and as wealthy and to-day, and for ever" (Ileb. xiii. 8). And as in his time. The material splendour is, thy God thy glory (comp. Zeeb. ii. 5). God no doubt, throughout the whole description, will not only be the Light of the Church, typical in the main of spiritual glories and but her" Glory" and boast. As the Shechi- excellences. I will also make thy officers ne.h we.s the glory of the first, so " the peaoe, and thine exe.ctors righteollSiless. eternal unche.ngeable light of Jehovah, with "Peace" and "righteousness" are here its peaceful gentleness and perfect purity" personified; and the declaration is that they (Delitzsch), will be the glory of the final shall beo.r rule in the community whereof the temple. prophet is speaking(comp. eh. xxxii.16, 17). Ver. 20.-Tby SUD • • . thy moon. That Ver. 18.-Violence shall no more be heard which is to thee instead of sun o.nd moon- in thy land (comp. eh. ii. 4; xi. 6-9; XXXV, Jehovah's brightness. Tbe days of thy 9), The entire cessation of war and violence mourning shall be ended, Till the new J eru- is one of the most characteristic features of salem descends from heaven (Rev. xxi. 2), the " last times," when swords shall be beaten and Christ reigns persouo.lly over his people into ploughshares, nnd spears into pruning. (Rev. xxii. 5), the Church is al ways, more hooks. "The Prince of Peace" shall ulti- or Jess, in o. etate of mourning. The Bride- mately establish peace. It is not surprising groom is away (Me.tt. ii:. 15); his light that men of earnest religious feeling should shines upon bis Church only by sne.tches; have thought, at vo.rious times, that they hls Cl.lurch feels itself unworthy of him- saw the o.ctual commencement of the reign cold, unloving, sto.ined with sin. Fa.sting, of peace upon earth, so distinctly promised, weeping, e.nd mourning befit such o. etate of so eo.rnestly longed for, so necessary for the things, But in the fino.l condition of the happiness of mu.nkind. But to a ea.Im and redeemed their mourning shall be ended, dispassione.te observer the nineteenth cen- "sorrow and sighing she.II he.ve fled a.way" tury seems scarcely more adve.nced upon the (eh. xxxv. 10); God shall have "wiped roo.d which leads to this desirable end than awe.y all telml from their eyes" (Rev. :>i::ri. the first. Thou shalt oall thy walls Salva- 4); "There shtt.ll be no more deo.th" (Rev, tion, and thy gates Praise. The true wall of xxi. 4); '' no more curse" (Rev. xxii. 3); the city will be the "salve.tion" of which "neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall God assures it, e.nd the true gates will be there be e.ny more pain : for the former the " praise," or renown, which it ho.s o.mong things are passed away'' (Rev. xxi. 4 ). The the ne.tions oftbe ee.rth (comp. oh. uvi. l), days of mourning shall be ended. Vers. 19-22.-The fift/1 stanzt1. Zion's Ver. 2 l.-Thy people also shall be all crowning glories. righteous. Here the prophet touches the Ver. 19.-The sun shall be no more thy root of the matter. Pain o.nd sorrow are light by day. Here Isaio.h e.nticipates one the fruit of sin. Once let sin dise.ppen.r, o.nd of the most sublime thoughts in the Revelo.- sorrow goes with it. It is the foumlatiou of tion of St. John the Divine, viz. th11t the all the glory o.nd e.11 the happiness of the hee.venly Jerusalem, illumino.tcd perpetuo.lly redeemed in their Lord's final kingdom, tho.t by the radiance of the Di vine Presence, shall they are cleansed from all defilement of sin, need neither light of the sun by day, uor of and "are 118 the angels" (Mo.rk xii. 25). the moon by night, but shall be euflioiently They shall inherit the land; re.thor, the illumined by the direct and primary light earth-the "new heavens and new earth" of which etreame down upon it from God him- eh. I.xv. 17; I.xvi. 22. The bre.noh of my stolf. Whetller the eun o.nd moon will con- planting; re.ther, a ,prout of my planting; tinue to exist or not is beyond the prophet's i.e. B •prout which l have planted. 404 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [ OH, LX, 1-22,
Ver. 22.-A little one; i.e. the "little time; rather, in Us time, when the time dxed flock" of our Lord's own time on ee.rth in God's counsels for the final establishment (Luke xii. 32), will become a strong ne.tion- of Ohriet's kingdom arrives. a countless multitude (Rev. vii. 9). In hie