We will make thee borders of gold with studs of
silver.
] Christ here in his own name, and in the name of the other two
divine Persons, promises to the church a greater glory than as
yet she had enjoyed; and seems to have respect to the Gospel
dispensation; for by "golden borders" studded with "silver" may
be meant the ordinances of the Gospel, preferable to those under
the law; and therefore said to be of "gold [and] silver", for
their glory, splendour, and durableness: or else the doctrines of
the Gospel, being of more worth than thousands of gold and
silver; and being called "borders", or rather "rows" F5, may
denote their orderly disposition and connection, their harmony
and agreement with and dependence on each other: and the Gospel
is full of silver "specks" or "studs" of exceeding great and
precious promises; a variety of them useful and pleasant; a
greater measure of the grace of the Spirit may be here promised:
or the "borders" may intend the groundwork of the church's faith
and hope, the justifying righteousness of Christ, more clearly
revealed; and the "studs of silver" the curious work of
sanctification, more enlarged and increased; and so take in both
Christ's righteousness imputed to her, and his grace implanted in
her; but perhaps these phrases may be best of all understood of
the New Jerusalem state, and of the ultimate glory of the saints
in heaven, sometimes set forth by such similes, ( Isaiah 54:11
Isaiah
54:12 ) ( Revelation
21:18 Revelation
21:19 Revelation
21:21 ) . Both grace and glory are given by Christ, and in
which all the three divine Persons are concerned; for not angels,
nor the daughters of Jerusalem, are here the speakers, to whom
such things promised cannot agree; nor God, speaking after the
manner of men, and for honour's sake, is designed: but the
trinity of Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, are meant; the
ordinances are of their institution, and administered in their
name, ( Matthew
28:19 ) ; they have all a concern it, the Gospel and the
doctrines of it, which is called the Gospel of God, and the
Gospel, of Christ, and the ministering of the Spirit; the grace
of God, in regeneration and conversion, is sometimes ascribed to
one and sometimes to another; and an increase of it in the heart
is wished for from all three, ( Revelation
1:4 ) ; and they have a hand in all the glory the saints
shall enjoy hereafter: the Father has prepared the kingdom from
the foundation of the world; the Son has made way for it by his
obedience, sufferings, and death; and the Spirit is the earnest
of it, makes meet for it, and introduces into it.