b

say,

the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy2 rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer: thou shalt "Here I am.". and he shall cry, -If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting a forth of the finger, and speaking vanity, and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundation of many generations, and thou shalt be called "The Repairer of the breach;" "The "Restorer of paths to dwell in." If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isa. lviii. 1-14.

"Thy rereward," i. e. behind thee, to guard thee against all danger. See ante p. 81. Is. lii. 12.

"The putting forth," &c. i. e. in derision, in scorn. "In obscurity," i. e. when it is dark elsewhere; thy light shall shine when it is most wanted, i. e. in times of gloom.

No. XCVI.

An Intimation that Sin will be the Obstruction to the Benefits of Christ's coming, and that a dreadful Distinction will be made between the Followers of Christ and his Opponents.

d

с

No. 96. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save: neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: but your iniquities have separated between you and your God: and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey; and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breast-plate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head: and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as with a cloak. According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay; fury to his adversaries, 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

e

"Not shortened," so ante Isa. 1. 2.

"A prey," i. e. " an object of persecution."

f

"The enemy," i. e. (perhaps) the great enemy of Christianity, "Satan."

St. Paul uses this passage with a little variation: after stating that blindness in part had happened unto Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in, but that then "all Israel "should be saved, as it is written, 'There shall come out of Sion "the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."" Rom. xi. 25, 26.

h

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 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. Isa. lix. 1, 2. 15–21.

No. XCVII.

Upon (perhaps) the Conversion and Re-establishment of the Israelites, the Co-operation of the Gentiles, and the Favour God should shew them. It certainly relates to Christian Times. See ante Isa. xiv. 1, 2.

No. 97. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee: for behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee; and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side: then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thy heart shall fear and be enlarged: because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee; the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee: the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah: all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on mine

"My words," &c. see ante Deut. xviii. 18.

i "Midian and Ephah," their former oppressors. See Judg. vi. 1, &c. Ephah was a son of Midian, see Gen. xxv. 4.

altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Surely the isles shall wait for me; and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee, for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually: they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish: yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee," The city of the Lord;""The Zion of "the Holy One of Israel." Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers Peace, and thine exactors Righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land; wasting nor destruction within thy borders: but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day, nei

j "The sons," &c. so ante Isa. xiv. 2. "they shall take them "captives whose captives they were," &c.

"Thy Saviour," &c. the very same language as Isa. xlix. 26.

ther for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thy everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all' righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation; I the Lord will hasten it in his time. Isa. Ix. 1, to the end.

No. XCVIII.

Upon the Office of Christ at the Times contemplated; the Blessings that should be conferred-the Joy that should be infused.

m

No. 98. The Spirit " of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings

"All righteous." See ante p. 87. "All thy children shall "be taught of the Lord."

m Our Saviour distinctly applies to himself the early part of this prophecy, as if he meant unequivocally to intimate that it was written prophetically of him. "He came to Nazareth, "where he had been brought up: and as his custom was, he "went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for "to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the "prophet Esaias: and when he had opened the book, he found "the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon "me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the

poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach "deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, "to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the accept"able year of the Lord.' And he closed the book, and he gave "it again to the minister, and sat down and the eyes of all "them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And

" he began to say unto them, 'This day is this Scripture fulfilled your ears. ""Luke iv. 16-21.

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