grow as the grass, the house or lineage of David seems to have to be spoken of under the figure of the root or shoot of a plant, as a family or race is often so called in scripture. Judge v. 14. "Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek." Isai. xiv. 29. "Out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice," i. e. the serpent's race or offspring; and so verse 30. I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay the remnant." Dan. xi. 7. "Out of a branch of her root shall one stand up," i. e. out of her posterity; and so Hosea ix. 16. "Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit; yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of the womb." The family or lineage of Jesse, or David, is particularly in the prophecies of the Messiah compared to the root, or stem of a plant, as in the forementioned, Isai. xi. 1, 2. There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots."

And to these last words of David, all the prophets seem to refer when they prophecy of Christ under the name of the Branch, for he is here prophecied of, not as the tender grass springing out of the earth, and the lineage of David seems to be spoken of under the figure of a root or stock; and when it is said though he make it not to grow, the word signifies to grow as a branch, it might have been translated, Though he make it not to branch forth: the word here used is of the same radix as the word used when Christ is prophecied of as the Branch; the word that is translated branch is no, and the word that signifies to grow, is nox, which is the verb here used. David here foresaw that God would not make his root or stock to grow in his successors that should reign in the kingdom of Judah, and therefore, with reference to this, the prophet Jeremiah, foretelling of Christ, says, chap. xxxiii. 15, "In those days, and at that time I will cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land." His being called a righteous brauch, and his executing judgment and justice in the land, seems to be with reference to David's last words, where it is said, He shall be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord. So chap. xxiii.

5.

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"Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise up unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice on the earth.”

[191] 2 Sam. xxiii. 4, 5. "As the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain-although he make it not to grow." It is probable from this that David speaks of the Messiah, that Christ is called the branch or the sprout; he is compared in Isaiah to a tender plant.

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[44] 2 Sam. xxiii. 16. "And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gates, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out before the Lord." No doubt but this was ordered for a type of something evangelical; otherwise it is wonderful how and why it should happen that he should long for the water of that particular well, and for what reason he should esteem it unlawful for him to drink it. Bethlehem being the place of Christ's birth, the waters of it may signify the same as the water of the sanctuary, the water of the New Jerusalem, or the water of life. This was the price of the blood of those three mighty men, so is the water of life of the blood of the mighty Son of God. They obtained it by conquering Israel's enemies; so doth Christ by the conquest of the enemies of his spiritual Israel. David would not drink it, but poured it out before the Lord; so we ought to give all the glory of our salvation unto God, as God gives it unto us by the blood of Christ, we ought to give it all back again unto God in praise.

[215] 2 Sam. xxiv. 9. Concerning the seeming difference in the account of the number of Israel when David numbered them in Samuel, and in Chronicles: See Bedford, p. 559, Scripture Chronology.

The number of all Israel in the book of Chronicles, were eleven hundred thousand men. 1 Chron. xxi. 5. And the book of Samuel saith that they were only eight hundred thousand. 2 Sam. xxiv. 9. So that here are three hundred thousand difference. On the other hand the book of Samuel saith that the men of Judah were five hundred thousand. 2 Sam. xxiv. 9. And the book of Chronicles saith that they were only four hundred and seventy thousand. So that here also is thirty thousand difference. For the reconciling this great and double diversity, it is to be observed that there were four and twenty thousand soldiers and of ficers that attended David monthly, so many every month. 1 Chron. xxvii. 1-16. And these make in all, two hundred and eighty-eight thousand. These were like a standing guard about the king every month, and ready for any sudden expedition. There were besides these, the rulers of the tribes and the officers under them, and therefore allowing a thousand officers to every twenty-four thousand, (as we cannot well allow less,) there will be the twelve thousand wanting, which added to the two hundred and eighty-eight thousand, make just three hundred thousand, and these were not put into the account in Samuel. Thus in the tribe of Judah, if twenty-four thousand legionary soldiers, and a thousand officers over them, be added to the four hundred and

seventy thousand, there will be but five thousand wanting in the number; and as this was David's own tribe, which was faithful to him in all difficulties and troubles, it is no wonder if so many of them were employed in some other extraordinary offices. These Joab put into the account, because their number and list had been long known, and because the king would not put a tax upon his

own servants.

[217] 2 Sam. xxiv. 18, to the end, and 1 Chron. xxi. 18, to the end, and xxii. 1. The temple and altar where those sacrifices were to be offered that were typical of the sacrifice of Christ, were by God's orders erected on a threshing floor, a place where wheat was wont to be threshed, that it might become bread to support men's lives. The wheat that was here threshed, or the bread that was made of it, seems to be typical of Christ, that bread which came down from heaven, who is often typically represented by bread, by flour, and wheat. Vide Note on 2 Kings iv. 45. And the threshing of this wheat to prepare it for our food, seems to represent the sufferings of Christ, by which he was prepared to be our spiritual food, and therefore this very wheat that was threshed on this floor was the first meat-offering that was offered to God on the altar that was built in this place. And the threshing instruments that were typical of the instruments of Christ's sufferings, in being the instruments wherewith the corn was threshed, is made use of as the fuel for the fire, in which David offers sacrifice in this place, and the fire in which that very wheat that they had threshed was burnt, and the same oxen that in that place were used to labour in treading out the corn, were the first sacrifice that was there offered, so that before they were sacrificed on the altar, they in their labours in that place were typical of Christ, who underwent such great labours to procure bread for our souls, and they were sacrificed for men, there, in that very place, where they were used to labour for the good of men, as Christ was crucified in that very land where he had laboriously spent his life for the good of men, and where his goodness had been so distinguishingly manifested for so many ages, and in that very city, Jerusalem, where he had especially laboured, and which city had been for many ages distinguished by his goodness above all others in the world. Those oxen were sacrificed on a fire that was made of their own instruments, their own yokes and other instruments that they had borne; 2 Sam. xxiv. 22; as Christ carried his own cross.

[281] 1 Kings iii. 1. Solomon's marrying Pharaoh's daughter seems to be a type of two things.

1. Of the calling of the Gentile church. The Egyptians were aliens from the nation of Israel, but now she that was an Egyptian is not only made an Israelite, but she is made the queen in Israel so the Gentile church, when she was called, was not only received to like privileges that the Jewish church were used to enjoy, but to vastly greater privileges.

2. The union of Christ with his whole church in all ages is typified; for the church is made up altogether of those that were sinners by nature, aliens from God and Christ, and the children of the devil. Pharaoh is often used in scripture as a type of the devil. She that is made the church and spouse of Christ, is naturally the daughter of the spiritual Pharaoh.

But especially does this seem to typify what shall come to pass in the last and most glorious times of the church, for the reign of Solomon is especially a type of those times. At that time especially will there be a great gathering of the Gentiles unto Christ; multitudes of nations, that until then were gross heathens, will be espoused unto Christ, and then will the grace and love of Christ be in a most remarkable manner exercised towards sinners, and great sinners, and those that were distinguished as the children of the devil; then will many nations be brought to the church that before were the church's greatest enemies, as Pharaoh was a grand enemy of God's church and people, but yet now his daughter is married to the prince of Israel. And particularly the nations that have been subject to Antichrist, who is spiritually called Pharaoh, shall then be espoused by Christ; this type is fulfilled at the same time with those prophecies, Isai. xix. 24, 25. "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance." Egypt and Assyria were remarkable enemies of Israel, and both in their turns held them in bondage and slavery. See also other prophecies of the calling of Egypt.

[6] 1 Kings vi. It appears that the temple was a type of Christ, inasmuch as Christ is said to be the temple of the new Jerusalem, in the Revelation, and because he calls himself this temple. So the tabernacle before. Hence the reason why they were commanded to sacrifice no where else; why they were commanded to look to it in their prayers, &c.

[148] 1 Kings vi. 7. "And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron,

heard in the house while it was in building." This temple represents the church of God, who are called God's temple, or spiritual house; Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone, and all the saints as so many stones. Particularly, by Solomon's temple is meant the church triumphant, as by the tabernacle, the church militant, by the exact finishing, squaring, and smoothing of these stones before they were brought thither, represents the perfection of the saints in glory; heaven is not a place to prepare them, they are all prepared before they come there; they come perfectly sinless and holy into heaven; this world is the place where God hews them, and squares them by his prophets and ministers, by the reproofs and warnings of his word, which God compares to a hammer, and by persecutions and afflictions. There shall be no noise of those tools heard in heaven, but all the lively strains of this spiritual and glorious building are exactly fitted, framed, and polished before they come there.

[273] 1 Kings vii. 15, &c. Concerning the brazen pillars Jachin and Boaz. These pillars were set in the porch of the temple, or at the entry into the temple, which was a type of heaven, to show how strongly the entrance of God's elect and covenant people into heaven, is secured by God's immutable establishment and almighty power; and also how certain their happiness, shall be, when orce they are entered, and that their happiness, which is supported by those pillars, shall be as perpetual and immoveable as the pillars, as Rev. iii. 12. "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." Jachin, he shall establish, signifies both God's decree and promise, for they, by the covenant of redemption, become the same: God's decree of election is in Christ, an eternal promise and oath, and the promise made in time, is but an expression of that for the dependence and comfort of the saints; it is as it were a temporal decree-a promise is but an expression of a purpose, it is that in words that a purpose is in heart. The chapiters were made of lilies and pomegranates the lilies especially denoting the honour, glory, and beauty of the saints. Lilies and flowers are used for a representation of honour, glory, and beauty, in scripture. Isai. xxvii. 1. “"Wo to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys," &c. Cant. ii. 1, 2. “I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valley; as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." The pomegranates signify the sweet fruit they shall bring forth and enjoy, the fruit of holiness that they shall bring forth, and the fruits of