of Israel, and the nations of the earth. Let us then who believe, take up the shield of faith, wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one (Ephesians, vi 16); for "Jesus is our shield," and we are directed to "take hold of shield and buckler, and stand upon his help." "His truth shall be our shield and buckler," and numerous other passages to the same effect. Psalms, lix 11, xxxv 2, v 12, xci 4, cxv 9-11; Proverbs, xxx 5.

In order to understand the allusion to the tower of David, it will be necessary to refer to several passages of Scripture connected with its origin. Jerusalem was built on four hills, called Sion, Acra, Moriah, and Betheza, but originally it was but one rock or hill called Moriah, signifying "Manifestation of Jehovah," where Abraham was ordered to sacrifice Isaac. The city, as held by the Jebusites, was built on two hills fronting each other, but separated by a deep chasm; one of these hills was much higher than the other, Acra being the lowest, Sion the highest. On the summit of this latter hill, in the upper town, was situated the royal castle, called in Nehemiah, iii, 25, "the high house of the king, that was in the court of the prison." This castle David did not build, he only fortified it; it was by nature so strong, and apparently unassailable, that when David went up with his men of war to attack the Jebusites in this stronghold, he was scoffed at, and told that the lame and the blind were sufficient to defend it (2nd Samuel, v, 5—9); "but David took the stronghold of Zion, the same is the city of David;"" and David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David; and David built around from Millo and inward, and the Lord of Hosts was with him."

It is not said that David built the tower from the foundation, but he so embellished it that it was manifestly a majestic object, and is twice alluded to in Nehemiah iii, as the great tower which lieth out," grand and spacious in dimensions, and an imposing and conspicuous object to the city and neighbourhood. We learn from Jeremiah, xxxii, 2; Xxxvii, 21, that the prophet was confined in the court of the prison; and it was in this court that arose the high tower of David (Nehemiah, iii, 25). We are told in the words following the heading of this note, that it was built for arms; a thousand bucklers are hanging on it, all arms of heroes; from which I apprehend how the stately tower,

rising far above the glorious mount of Zion, was enriched by the glittering arms suspended on it; and these the arms of David's chosen ones, those that, throughout the seven long years he had been hunted as a partridge on the mountains (1 Samuel, xxvi, 20) had assisted him in his trials, and faithfully fought in his cause.

That it was the custom to hang up shields as trophies of war is exhibited in Ezekiel, xxvii, 10, 11; where it is said of the hired troops of Tyre, "they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect." How greatly in esteem were held the warriors and mighty men of those days, is seen by another passage in this Holy Song, where the bride explains, "threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel, they all hold swords, being expert in war; every man hath his sword girded upon his thigh." The suspension of these arms in the tower was a recognition of acknowledged merit; "they were among the mighty men helpers of the war," (Chronicles xii, 1) and so shall the soldier of Christ be honoured, recognised, and rewarded when in THAT DAY the Lord of Hosts makes up His jewels; when He will discern between the righteous and the unrighteous; between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." (Malachi iii, 17, 18).

The scriptures enlighten us so far as to the actual object and existence of David's tower, let us now proceed to search out its figurative meaning. In Micah iv. 8, we read, "And thou O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem." The prophet throughout this chapter is speaking of the last days, by which expression the restoration of the Jews to their own land, and God's judgment on their enemies, is invariably equivalent. In the former chapters, the wrath of God on his disobedient people is denounced, but ever waiting to be gracious, ever mindful of His promises to Abraham, and in the midst of His wrath remembering mercy, God here pours forth His loving kindness to His people, and promises to reign over them from henceforth even for ever. And then does the prophet burst forth in the exulting words, " and thou O tower of the flock," &c. Looking upon it with the eye of faith as symbolic of the performance and grandeur of the Davidic

E

house, from which Messiah was to spring, to reign gloriously over his beloved people, we see 'the tower is here figuratively put forth as Christ the stronghold of the daughter of Zion or Jerusalem; and that this is the true meaning of the term see Isaiah xxxvii, 22, 23; 2 Kings xix, 19, 21, where we find "the virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee, and laughed thee to scorn, the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee," &c.; and when our blessed Lord on the eve of his departure sent men before him to bring the ass's colt, He says, "Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass (Matthew xxi, 1, 5); so also John xii, 15; Zechariah also says, ix, 9, when referring to the latter days "when the eyes of man, as well as of the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the Lord, I will encamp about my own house, because of the army, &c., and therefore rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion, shout O daughter of Jerusalem, behold thy king cometh unto thee," &c., &c.

This prophecy has, we know, been partly fulfilled, but the very words in their context preclude the prossibility of believing that there is not to be yet a grander and more expansive development.

We must now consider the reason of Micah calling it the tower of the flock; we find throughout the east that wherever sheep and cattle are collected together to feed in thinly-populated localities, it is the custom to hedge them in and build a tower so that the chief shepherd might dwell therein, and might warn those below of the approach of wild beasts. Uzziah built towers in the desert to guard his cattle (2 Chronicles xxvi, 10). Jotham, his son, erected towers for the same purpose, xxvii, 4; and Isaiah, in his beautiful comparison of the vine to the house of Israel v, 1, 7, says, speaking of God by the spirit, "he fenced it and built a tower in the midst of it," that is to guard his people from harm, see Mat. xxi, 33, and Micah here regarding the covenant people of God under the figure of a flock, a similitude extremely prevalent in the Bible, draws a comparison between the house of David looking down as a sentinel upon the city below, to warn the inhabitants of danger; and Christ who is the tower and stronghold of his people, watching over them to keep them as the apple of his eye, against their enemies. It may be seen from this how truly and appropriately it is called the tower of the flock.

And was not David himself a shepherd? Did he not guard his father's flocks in Bethlehem, and did he not risk his life in fighting against the lion and bear to save one little lamb (1st Sam., xvii, 15-35)? And is not Christ the good shepherd? Does he not guard and watch over those the Father gave him, so that not one is lost? And did he

not lay down his life voluntarily for us, that not one should perish, but should have everlasting life? Well may we exclaim with the Psalmist "We are thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, and will give thanks to thee for ever" (xix, 13, xcv, 7).

There is another text connected with this subject, which calls for reflection. In Gen., xxxv, we find that God calls to Jacob, saying "Arise, go up to Bethel, and make an altar unto God." It was a journey of sore trial; but doubtless of much grace to Jacob; for at Bethel died Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, who had probably gone there to tell him of his mother's death. Bethel lies to the north of Jerusalem, about twelve miles distant, and there Jacob buried Deborah beneath an oak: he then journeyed on and came to Ephrath, the same is Bethlehem, about six miles to the south of Jerusalem, and here Rachel, his beloved wife, died in giving birth to Benjamin. Then ISRAEL journeyed and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. The tower of Edar is the same as the tower of the flock, Edar signifying flock (Gen., xxxv, 21). Now as the tower of the flock in Micah, is called the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, and is identified with Jerusalem, we have an infallible indication that the tower of Edar, where Israel pitched his tent, is identical with the tower of David; and it is reasonable to infer as it was on Mount Moriah where Abraham went to sacrifice "his son, his only son," and where in all probability Abraham was met by Mechisedec and gave him tithes of all, that a tower was erected there by one of the Patriarchs in commemoration of these events: or as a look out to guard their flocks in the wild regions of the place.

The tower taken from the Jebusites, who, on the descent of the Hebrews into Egypt may possibly have gained possession of it, enlarged and strengthened it, is evidently the tower subsequently called the tower of David; and as it is in the highest degree improbable that there existed others under the same designation-no trace of a separate

existence being found in the inspired record-we are forced to the conclusion that the tower of David, the tower of the flock, and the tower of Edar are identical.

Another, to my mind, cogent reason for associating these latter towers with the stronghold of Jerusalem, is the sudden transition of names from Jacob to Israel. Up to verse 20, in Gen. xxxv, the first is employed, but in verse 21 it suddenly, and without apparent cause, is changed to ISRAEL, signifying "Prince of God." This name was bestowed on Jacob after his mysterious wrestling with God (xxxii, 28), and confirmed to him at Bethel, where the material blessings previously made to Abraham and to himself were renewed; but the spiritual dominion which his seed shall exercise over the whole human race is, if not actually specified in this confirmation of title, very prominently foreshadowed; and ISRAEL thus becomes as the prince of the tower of the flock, a rich and holy type of Him who is yet to be invested by the Father with the dignity and lordship of King of kings and Lord of lords: who shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather his lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young; for the Lord God will come, and his arm shall rule for him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him; he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not be faint (Isa. xl).

ZECHARIAH, XIV, 4, 5.

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives; it shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley," &c., &c.

In these verses we learn that in "the day of the Lord," signifying the second advent of Christ as king over this earth, his feet shall stand on Mount Olivet, as expressly declared in Acts, i, 11, 12, (compare with Mat., xxviii, 16,) where it is written-" this same Jesus which was taken up into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye behold him going into heaven;" so when that day cometh, the feet of