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THE BREATH OF THE LORD,

AND

THE SIEVE OF VANITY;

A SERMON, DELIVERED AT MONKWELL STREET MEETING, ON TUESDAY, NOV. 7, 1797.

FOR LO, I WILL COMMAND, AND I WILL SIFT THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AMONG ALL NATIONS, LIKE AS CORN IS SIFTED IN A SILVE; YET SHALL NOT THE LEAST GRAIN FALL UPON THE EARTH.

AMOS IX. 9.

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THE BREATH OF THE LORD,

AND THE

SIEVE OF VANITY.

ISAIAH XXX. 28.

"And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err."

THE prophet, in the preceding verses, is predicting Jerusalem's destruction, and the abundance of God's grace and spirit upon the little hills of Zion, both among the believing Jews and Gentiles, at that time; verse 25. He next prophesies of the superabounding light which, in gospel days, should exceed that of the former dispensation; that if the church of God was called the moon then, it should now be called the sun; and that, if there were children of the day in that state, the light should be as the light of seven days in this. He then proceeds to Christ, calling him the name of the Lord, in allusion to God's charge to Moses; "Offend him not, for my name is in him;" and because the

name of the Lord, proclaimed before Moses; "The Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in goodness and in truth, pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin," was now, in a most wonderful manner, to be verified, to be made known, and to be experienced and enjoyed by all the elect of God. But, as this name of the Lord was sadly provoked for forty years together by the unbelieving Jews in the wilderness, so it would be provoked again by those who refuse to hear his voice, and harden their hearts against him, as in the provocation, when their fathers tempted him, proved him, and saw his works forty years. And so likewise it would be with the unbelieving Gentiles, against whom, as well as against the Jews, he would come burning with anger; and those, who set themselves against him, should find and feel the burden of his indignation; for his word as a fire shall kindle in them, and at last destroy them; and my text informs you how. "And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err."

In this work I will endeavour to give you my thoughts in the following order:

1. What I understand by the Lord's breath.

2. Why compared to a stream.

3. The neck which this stream reaches to.

4. The sieve of vanity used among the nations; and,

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