Great blessings promised to God's afflicted people. 14 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. 15 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. 16 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. 17 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. 18 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. 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 21 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. 22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. LECTURE 1174. The future conversion of the Jews to the Gospel. It would seem that all God's promises to his chosen people of old might be considered as generally fulfilled, in the multiplying and sanctifying of their spiritual seed, the church as now made up of Jews and Gentiles, and in the common salvation given unto them all, redemption, holiness, and heaven. And in point of fact we may observe, that the apostles not only preached first unto the Jews in every city, but also commonly made many converts amongst them; between whom and the Gentile converts all distinctions were speedily abolished; and whose children, intermarrying with theirs, would thus become the parents and progenitors, naturally as well as spiritually, of the present existing Christian church. And to this effect St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, that Christ "hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us ;" and again, "to make in himself of twain one new man." Eph. 2. 14, 15. But though these considerations may incline us to look generally to those who are children of Abraham by faith, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, as heirs of all God's promises, it may be notwithstanding true, that some prophecies will have a more particular fulfilment in Abraham's seed according to the flesh. That people, which has been so wonderfully preserved distinct in universal dispersion, has not been so preserved in judgment only, but also for purposes of mercy, not only to be a memorial to all beholders of God's wrath against them who crucify his Son, but also to be a monument of his pardoning love, manifested in Christ Jesus, towards the long unbelieving and impenitent. These then are they whom we may conceive to be here especially described, as having been afflicted, and despised, forsaken, and hated, and as being hereafter to be served and honoured by those who had long evil intreated them, to be exalted in honour by mankind, and made "an eternal excellency" by God; and to be called, and to be, "The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel." This is one of those glad and glorious events, to which we may turn the eye of faith for comfort; when, in contemplating the future, we are apt to look with fear and trembling for the things which are coming on the earth. A great and manifest change from evil to good shall be wrought in these our fellow creatures, the Jews, who are at present in the most abject and pitiable condition of ignorance and superstition, worldliness of mind, obstinacy and blindness of heart. They shall know Christ their Saviour. They shall know Him, and love Him, and rejoice in his salvation. From the Gentiles, to whom their fathers at the first imparted this knowledge and this joy, they shall in turn derive the nourishment of truth. They shall realize in the Gospel blessings as much better than those which their fathers enjoyed under the Law, as gold is above brass, and silver above iron. Instead of wielding like them of old the sword of God's vengeance to exterminate the idolaters in their land, and to repel the invaders of their city, their officers will be men of peace, and their defenders strong in righteousness; no sound of violence in their country, no works of destruction within their borders; "Salvation" instead of walls for their security, and "Praise" instead of gates for their defence. The Lord being their light and glory, they will have a sun that never sets, a moon that wanes no more. The days of their mourning will end; the people, however greatly multiplied, from a little one to a thousand, and from a small one to a strong nation, being all righteous, all justified through faith in Christ, all inheritors of the good land which God promises in Him, all created anew in Christ Jesus, to the glory of their Maker and Redeemer. "Hasten it," O Lord God Almighty, hasten this manifestation of thy glory, in thy good time. And meanwhile work in us more perfectly this blessed change, from strife to peace, from sinfulness to righteousness, from confidence in the flesh to joy in the Spirit, that thus we may become more fit to impart to the famishing children of Israel "the sincere milk of the word." 1 Pet. 2. 21. The commission and ministry of Christ to the church. 1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. 5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. LECTURE 1175. Of praising God by faith for the fulfilment of his promises. That the opening verses of this chapter describe the ministerial commission of our blessed Lord, is placed beyond all doubt, by the manner in which He applied them to Himself when He read them in the synagogue of Nazareth. See Luke 4. 18, 19. How profitable to us this lesson, that the good tidings which He preached were for the meek! Oh that we may be duly qualified to hear them! How comfortable the assurance, that He was anointed "to bind up the broken-hearted!" Oh that we may so mourn for sin, as that Christ may heal our griefs! He came too "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Oh that when our bonds are loosed, we may rejoice in freedom from our sins! Oh that when our prison doors are open, we may never wish to linger in the bondage of iniquity! Nor was it only the acceptable year of the Lord that Christ proclaimed. Connected with this spiritual jubilee, is "the day of vengeance of our God." The one is taught in the Gospel no less plainly than the other. Nay the terrors of the Lord derive their greatest aggravation from his mercies as there revealed. For how much greater must be our sin, how much sorer our punishment, if we persist in sinning, when we have such unspeakable encouragement to repentance, in Christ waiting to comfort all that mourn, and declaring Himself willing, according to his office, "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified!" This office did our blessed Lord fulfil whilst dwelling amongst mankind on earth. These benefits has He ever since been ready freely to bestow on all who put their trust in Him sincerely. These blessings will He hereafter impart more abundantly than ever to his people, when the glorious things here prophesied of his church shall be fulfilled; when its desolations shall be repaired, when strangers shall do it willing service, and when the children of Israel, more especially, shall become generally worthy to be called "Priests of the Lord," and "Ministers of our God." See 1 Pet. 2. 9. Then for all their past dishonour their glory shall be double, and they shall possess it, as there seems some reason here to argue, in their own land of Canaan upon earth, or at all events in that heavenly Canaan, where there is "everlasting joy." This will God bring to pass out of his love of justice, keeping his own covenant, and directing them to break theirs no more. This He will do in the presence of the Gentiles, that all may see and acknowledge the fulfilment of his promises. Let us then see it now by faith. Let us praise God for it now, praise God for it now, both because He has already clothed us, and multitudes, with the garment of salvation, and because we believe that He will hereafter so clothe many, many, more, and will cover them "with the robe of rightousness," as with bridal ornaments, and "will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations," even as plants grow from seeds committed to the earth, surely, and freely, and abundantly. Salvation to be proclaimed to Zion, and to be intreated for. 1 For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. 2 And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. : 3 Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. 4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not si lence, 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. 8 The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast laboured: 9 But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. 10 Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. 11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. 12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. LECTURE 1176. Of praying to God that He will fulfil his prophecies. To praise God for his promised acts of grace and goodness, is one use of our being instructed by prophecy, in the great things which He will do hereafter for his people. This is intimated at the close of the preceding chapter. From the words before us we may learn another great practical lesson on the same subject, namely, that we ought to pray for the fulfilment of the blessings promised. If then this whole concluding portion of Isaiah's prophecy relates, as some have thought, exclusively to the future |