If we now look to the context in Isaiah, for the purport of this figurative language, we shall find that he says, chapter liv. 14, “In righteousness shalt thou be established;” and again, chapter lx. 19, “But thou shalt call thy walls salvation, and thy gates praise;” and from chap. lxi. it appears throughout, that this description is intended to portray _the perfection of righteousness, the beauty of holiness_, and the _riches of grace_; these being, as declared, the ornaments destined to adorn the Bride. It is with _a robe of righteousness_, and _a garment of salvation_, that _she will adorn herself_, as Isaiah expresses it, chap. lxi. 10.; while St. John abounds in similar expressions; thus in Rev. xix. 9, speaking of the Bride’s apparel, he says, “For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints;” and of the City, which nothing impure is permitted to enter, he says, chap. xxi. 23-27, “For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb was the light thereof.” Thus both, under this highly figurative description, appear to signify no literal city, or political state, but one which is altogether spiritual; that is, the utmost possible degree of purity and holiness, which will constitute this _heaven upon earth_; the New Jerusalem. This chapter opens with the denunciation of divine wrath about to fall upon mankind on account of the corrupt state of religion. The expression used to foretel this, belongs more peculiarly to the day of judgment, called the _day of the Lord_; but is often employed in prophetically foreshewing particular judgments on the world, as here: _Behold the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee._ _For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished, and half of __ the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city._ The loss of the holy city, and the spiritual captivity of half its inhabitants, which is the bondage of sin, is the particular calamity here foretold; and this is followed by the punishment of those who were the authors of this evil, the enemies of true religion, who war against Jerusalem. _Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle._