NUMBERS 'I I. to let them in order, and under government :-Zs in the Church , all things ought to be done decently and inorder, t Cór.14.40. bi fiandard] or, bit banner ; which the Greeke tranflateth or der; and fo theChaldee calleth it Teks (a word bor- rowed of. the Greeke, Taxis) Order. And this phrafe the Apoftle utèth (from this place) in t Cor. 15. 2 3. every man in his Duneorder. Here it is properly aflandard,banner or flag,tsch as is sired in the warres : which fitly denoteth the (sate of the Church in her fpirituall warfare, laid there- fore to be terrible as an armie with banners, Song.6. 4, lo. and it fignifieth her vi&&orie ; whereupon David faith, me trill from, in thy fahmtion ; and in the name ofoar God, we will fit up the banner, Pfal.2o.6. See alto Jer. 50.2. Sc 51. 27. where the f sting up of a flandard, is a figne of preparation onto war a- gainst habylmt, as here agaínilthe Canaanites. with the enfrgnes] or, with the fignes ; which were in the ftandards , for dikerning of one from ano- ther. What therewere,the Scripture fheweth not: it is not unlikely, that theywere filch colours as the precious ('tones had on Aaron, Breftplate, Exo.28. onwhichthe Tribes names were engra- ved. In the Thargum called Ionathan.,, upon this place it is laid; The fiandard afthecampe of Judah, was of linen of three colours , according to the three precious flares in the Breflplate (of the Chalcedo- nic, Saphir, and Sardonyx) and in it were engraved and exprefd the names of the three Tribes, Judah, Iffachar and Zahulon; and in the midfl thereof war written ; (from Num, s o. 35.) Rife up LORD, and let thine enemies be flattered; and let them that hate thee, flee before thee; in it alfo was pourtrayed the forme of a Lim. The flandard of the campe f Reuben, was of linen of three colours, anfwerable to the three precious ffones in the Brefiplate, (of the Sardine, Topaz and Amethy(t) and therein were engraved and expreffed the names of the three Tribes, Reuben, Simeon, Gad: and in the midfi thereof was written , Hears O Ifrael , the Lord our God , the Lord It one: (Dent. 6. 4.) Therein a f was pour - treyed, the forme of an Hart, &e. So he proccedeth for the reit. Howbeit, that proportion will not' bold in all , teeing Levi (who is not here among the other Tribes) was there one of the twelve; and Io feph, there graved on the Beryll, hath here two Tribes, Ephraim and Manajs; unto whom two colours cannot be allowed from the Brefl- plate, as the Tbargum here would. Others there- fore explaine it otherwife, having herein no cer- cam ele.Chaakami(onNum.3.)bringeththisex- pofition, Theposrtaiture ofa man, ram as Reubens flandard, died after the colour of the Sardine fit in the BreOplate for bit name, in fsgne of the Mandrakes whkb he found, (Genet 3o. 54.) which are after the fafhion of a man. The portraiture ea Lim, was on Judahs fiandard, who is called Lion, (Genet 49. 9.) and it was died into the colour of a Chalcedony. The figure of a Bullocks (or Oxe) was on Ephraims flandard, whole father is likened to a Bullocks, (Dent. 33. 17.) It was died in colour like a Beryll. The figure of an Eagle was on Dans fiandard, died like an Hyacinth: &c. .To this Alen, Efra (on Num. 2.) agreeth, raying ; There were fignes its every fiandard; and our Ancefiors have fail, that in Reubens flandard there WO} a figure ofa Man, &c. in Judahs flandard, the figure ofa Lion, e ^c. in Ephraims, the figure afa Bui- bcke, &e.- and in the fiandard of Dan , the figure ofan Eagle : fi they were like the Cberubims which the Prophet Ezekiel fan, , (Ezek. so.) Whatfoever the fignes were,(which the holy Ghoft here con - cealeth) this ordering of the people under their fiandards with enfignes, taught all, to abide in that i'tate wherein God placed them ; and not to run from Tribe to Tribe, or from enfigne to enfigne; but to continue every one under his goveruour: for to ffand for an enfigne of the people (as is prophe- fied of Jefiss the root of Te(re, Eta. u. so.) is ex- pounded by the ApoftIe , to rule over the Gentiles, Rom. 15. t 2. hoofe] in Greeke, haufea. over againfl] or, from before it : whereby is meant, aloof¢, or, aforre off, (as this Word is explained in Pfal.38. 12. they fland front before my firoke : and my neighbours ffandaforre o;) yet fo, as they fhould view it, and have their faces towards it ; as the like phrafe fheweth in 2 King.z.7. Deuter.32.52. Gen.as.i6. So that the doores of all their tents were to be inward towards the Tabernacle, to Thew due refpe& thereto; and yet aloofe in re- verence of the holy place, (as in Exod.3.5.) And the dittanee may be gueffed to be two thoufand cubits, that is, an Englifh mile, a Sabbath dales journey,(whereof fee the notes on Exod.16.29.) for filch a (pace was betweene the Arke and the people, in Jof.3.4. So R. Solomon here expoundeth it , Over againff, that is, a forre o a mile diftance, at it is fail in Jo(ua,yet there (hall be a face between you and it, about two thoufand cubits by meafure. round about] fo that the Lord dwelt in the midis of his people, and the tents of the Saints, were as a wall round about Gods Santhu- arie to guard it. For as in Jeremie 50.29. the camping again(t Babylon round about, was that none thereof might efcape : fo ¡sere they encam- ped about Gals Sanduarie,fod the fafety therof. According to which type, the Chriftian Church is defcribed. in Rev. 4.2, 4. &c. where there is a Throne in the midit, anfwerable to the Taberna- cle and Temple calledGods throne,in Ezek.43.7 and round about the throne, are foure and twentie thrones ; which is double the number of the twelve Tribes here camping, betaule the Church is increafed under the Gofpel, and the place of her Tents enlarged, Efa..54. 2. And between the throne, and the circuit round about the throne are fore livingcreatures full of eyes, &c. Rev.4.5. the Watchmen or Minifters of the Church; as here betweene the Lords tent and the tents of Ifrad, the Levices camped in foure quarters,whereof fee Nuns. ch. 3. & ch. r. v.50. Hereupon the Church is defcribed to be thofe that are rowed about the Lord, Pfal. 76.12. Ver.;. firemofi] or, on the fore part, that is, as fol- loweth, Eafiward, or towards the Sun riling: for the Eaft is laid to be before, and the Weftbebinde, Era. 12. the South is called the right freie of the world , Pfal. 89. 13. and the North the left, all which 3
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