"

original. It is "in the palm of His hand (Henderson)—that which is, alike, the tenderest, safest, and securest part. We found Jehovah, in another place, thus speaking, as the Guardian of this same Zion-" Behold, I have engraven thee on the palms of my hands." Both utterances are in beautiful accord with the subsequent declaration of the Great Shepherd-King Himself, speaking of the people He has redeemed with His blood-"They shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand" (John x. 28). Out of that hand of power, manifold are the adversaries that would try to wrench the Church. But He who is said to take up the waters "in the hollow of His hand," in a truer sense holds, in that palm, His covenant-people. Though an host should encamp against them their heart need not fear. As if to make more emphatic the assurance, He repeats the figure of powerful protection-" a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord," "a royal diadem in the hand of our God;" so that

it may be said, in the words of the Psalmist, "God hath spoken once; yea, twice have I heard this, that power belongeth unto God" (Ps. lxii. 11). Moreover, as we have already noted at the outset, this divine protection is further strengthened and guaranteed by other two assertions made in the succeeding context. The one, where Jehovah represents Himself as securing the safety of His Church by manning its walls with faithful watchmen, keeping vigil night and day. The other, in which, by a still more solemn and expressive emblem, He swears by that very Hand which holds the coronal (His "right hand," His most powerful arm,-what He calls "the arm of His strength"), that He will never relax His hold, or alter His purposes of faithfulness; so that His people may have “strong consolation." "All His saints," said Moses, "are in Thy hand." "Thou savest," said the Psalmist, "by Thy right hand, them that trust in Thee." "The right hand of the Lord is exalted, the

right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly." Well may we make it our prayer, in the extremity of our own or of the Church's weakness—“ Awake, awake, O arm of the Lord!" Is "the Lord's hand shortened that it cannot save?" What is His answer?"I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: the Lord of Hosts is His name. . . . And I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people" (Isa. li. 15, 16).

III. But a third promise God makes to His Church, is that of TENDER LOVE OR FAVOUR. In the figure which is so often employed both in Old and New Testament, the Church is here further represented as the Bride of Christ. Once her `name was that of the mother of Jehoshaphat —Azubâh (¿.e., “Forsaken "), or Shemâmâh (i.e., Desolate). But, as was the case with Abraham and Jacob, and other illustrious saints, at some

great crisis-hour of their history, when their names were changed, so with the Church of the Redeemed, "The Forsaken one" and "the

"is

Desolate one" is henceforth to be called by the name of the Queen to whom Hezekiah was married on his recovery from sore sickness and impending death—“ Hephzi-bah" (2 Kings xxi. 1), ie., "She in whom He delights: "— a beautiful emblem of that spiritual and regal bride to whom the Heavenly King and Bridegroom (the true Hezekiah) was united after His death, and resurrection to endless life. The land, too, which is represented as desert, and its name Desolate,' is to be called Beulah, i.e., "Possessed," or "Married."

"For," it is added

(ver 5)—“As a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons," (or perhaps, rather, "thy Restorer"-Lowth), " marry thee; and as the Bridegroom rejoiceth over the Bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." It is the strongest of emblems that can be employed, to denote the depth and tenderness of Jehovah's love to His

people. "Husbands," says the Apostle, "love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church." "Glorious things," it is said in Psalm 1xxxvii.,

are spoken of thee" (or, as a recent commentator has rendered the words, "With glorious promises He claimeth thee for His Bride"), "O City of God" (Ps. lxxxvii. 3).* We have just seen, when God would reveal by emblem to His people their royal honours and exalted privileges, He speaks of the Church as a

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crown" and "a royal diadem." When He would farther reveal His relation to them as their powerful Guardian and Defender, He speaks of that crown as held in the palm of His hand. But when He would reveal the tenderer relation of endearing affection, He puts the coronal on the brow of His affianced Bride, and says, "I will betroth thee unto me for ever."

Most blessed threefold emblem! That gemmed garland in the hand of Jehovah (rather

* See Thrupp on the Psalms in loc.