an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a 18 cloak. According to their 18 If then judgment be according to deeds, accordingly he will re- our deeds, what a powerful motive pay, fury to his adversaries, have we for a course of well-doing! recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor 21 21 God's Spirit, according to the Saviour's promise, is "to abide with the Church always." What a happy thought to the faithful children of God, whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free The Redeemer will reign in his Zion gloriously! out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. EVENING. ISAIAH lxiv. 1 In this sublime prayer of the Church to God, language labours for of the subject ; namely, the majesty expressions suitable to the greatness of Jehovah in giving the law from mount Sinai. 4 No imagination can reach the excellences of future joy and glory. 1 OH that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved. But we 6 • Thou How passing wonderful, that Jehovah should meet his faithful servants! Thus He met the prodigal, when afar off. O that He would deign so to meet me with his love and mercy, as He met " Abraham his friend!" 6 But we must all, minister and people, like the prophet and the are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all quities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity 9 Church of old, confess that in God's sight our state deserveth only wrath. do fade as a leaf; and our ini7 The great mass of the people were dark and lukewarm, not stirring up themselves to duty. The spirit of lukewarmness and indifference, like a withering blast, checked all their fruitfulness. 8 Yet spare us, good Lord! we are thy children: let thy fatherly love plead for us! We are thy creatures, the work of thy hand! thou our potter; and we all are 9 Let thine own honour interfere to save us ! We are thine! for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. 10 Thy holy cities are a wil- 10 It is thy Church, O God! thus ally to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; of hewn stone. He also forbade swine's flesh; for that the heathen offered in their sacrifices. which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. 5 Spiritual pride, that spirit of pharisaical exclusiveness, which boasts itself to be not as other men, is hateful before God. Humility should strengthen, as devotion warms. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, your iniquities, and 7 Accumulated sin brings accumuthe iniquities of your fathers lated punishment. together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom. 8 Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will 8 As in a cluster of grapes, though some may be worthless, others may be fit for use, so in the body of my people, I will not destroy the righteous with the wicked, but spare the latter for the former's sake. I do for my servant's sakes, that I may not destroy them all. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains and mine elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. 10 And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for 11 But 10 The flock are safe when folded under the shepherd's eye. So are we safe under God's paternal care. His eye never slumbereth or sleepeth. my people that have sought me. ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye 11 But they who forget God's holy mountain, mount Zion, the Church, and after sacrifice prepare a table, a carnal feast, for the idols and their worshippers-these cast away the divine protection. shall be ashamed: behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for 15 And 17 The Gospel kingdom would evidence a new dispensation. vexation of spirit. 15 How awfully has this been fulye shall leave your name for filled! The very name of the once a curse unto my chosen for chosen people is now a by-word. the Lord God shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes. 17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. 20 There 'shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old for the child shall die an being an hundred years old shall be accursed. 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. it shall come to before they call, I will answer; ing, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and 20 Great will be the blessings upon the restoration of God's people. man that hath not filled his days: hundred years old; but the sinner 24 And pass, that 21 There shall be no untimely deaths. Children shall reach the extreme verge of life. Yet even so, the wicked, though God bear long with them, shall not escape unpunished *. 24 When the heart resolves upon a return to holiness, God prevents itgoes before our resolve, and meets us. and while they are yet speak 25 The violent passions of a fallen nature shall be changed, and grace shall triumph over sin. The serpent -the tempter to sin-shall find no * But when men die in the Lord, whether in infancy or old age, they have filled their day. The youngest have lived long enough, and the aged not in vain, if they be ripe for heaven, and have attained the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, Eph. iv. 13. dust shall be the serpent's thing whereon to feed but dust and meat. They shall not hurt ashes. Gen. iii. 14. Bitter fruit! nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD. EVENING. ISAIAH lxvi. THUS saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my 2 The grace of humility shall never rest? For all those things want the blessing of the presence of hath mine hand made, and God. The Lord loveth the humble. all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. 3 With what scorn does God view 'He that killeth an ox is as insincerity in worship! The offering if he slew a man; he that is of no more worth than that of an sacrificeth a lamb, as if he unbeliever, who would make his son cut off a dog's neck; he that to pass through the fire to Moloch. offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. 'Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; 5 What if the faithful are treated with contempt by man? their comYour brethren that hated fort is their God. 7 you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; sudden, and her sons shall rapidly before her pain came, she become a numerous posterity. was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: re 7 The deliverance of the Church is 10 10 As the sucking child rejoiceth in its maternal nourishment, so the soul rejoiceth in the doctrines of the |
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