19 the means of knowledge. Who [is] blind, but my fervant? or deaf, as my meffenger [that] I fent? who [is] blind as [he that is] perfect, and blind as the LORD'S fervant? There is no people on earth so blind and obftinate as the jews; thofe to whom I have fent my message: or it 20 may refer to their priests. Seeing many things, but thou obferveft not; art not affected with them; opening the ears, but he heareth not; God's law and wonders he pre21 tended to hear, but did not. The LORD is well pleafed for his righteousness' fake; or rather, The Lord took de-* light in this people for his righteousness fake; he will mag22 nify the law, and make [it] honourable." But this [is] a people robbed and fpoiled; [they are] all of them fnared in holes, and they are hid in prifon houfes: they! are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a fpoil, and none faith, Reftore; tho' they had been punished for their 23 former fins, yet they continue perverfe. Who among you' captives will give ear to this? [who] will hearken, and hear for the time to come, fo as to take notice of and re24 member it, before further calamities come? Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Ifrael to the robbers, to the Affyrians, Chaldeans, and Romans? did not the LORD, he against whom we have finned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law; let none then flatter themselves with hope of impunity if they 25 reject the Meffiah. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the ftrength of battle and it hath fet him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid [it] not to heart; a threatening of worfe judgments to the jews in Chrift's time, who fhould continue unreformed and incorrigible. "T REFLECTION S. HE coming of Chrift, and the publication of the gofpel, fhould be matter of univerfal joy and praife. Let us trace the view here given us of him as the VOL. V. W delight This may be rendered, He gave them excellent laws, and thereby made them honourable: or, God will magnify his righteousness and law, by executing the threatenings of it. 1 delight of God's foul; his fervant, whom he will protect and own; who was furnished with the Spirit without mea. fure; as coming on the kindeft defign, to rescue the gen. tiles from ignorance, idolatry, and other vices; establishing a kingdom of truth, righteousness, and peace; and adminiftering it in the moft meek, gentle, and gracious manner. How justly are the nations called upon to fing unto the Lord and celebrate his praises! Let us blefs God that this gospel is fent to us gentiles; and declare his praise in this highly favoured land. 2. I here is often the greatest ignorance and stupidity found among God's profeffing people, tho' they enjoy the best means of knowledge, and even boaft of them. How many among chriftians may be faid, like the unbelieving jews, to be blind and deaf; ignorant of the fcriptures, and the way of falvation which they teach; yea, this is the case of fome, who fet up for teachers of others, and pretend to be perfect in knowledge. Many profeffing chriftians will take no pains to search and study the fcriptures; will not retire and reflect upon what they have heard in publick; they will not hear for the time to come. Hearing may be fome prefent amusement to them, but they will not hear so as to reform their errors, regulate their conduct, and prepare for eternity. The greater is their fin and fhame, and the heavier will be their condemnation, for neglecting to improve fuch fignal advantages. 3. Sin is the cause of national calamities, and this ought feriously to be laid to heart, v. 25. When this is the cafe with our own land, is it poffible there fhould be any fo stupid as not to know this, or, knowing it, not to confider that the Lord does it, and that he does it because men are difobedient to his law? It is fad indeed when men fuffer by publick calamities, and yet will not lay it to heart; will not humble themselves before God, and comply with the defigns of his providence. Let us guard against this infenfibility of fpirit, left we provoke God to bring upon us greater evils, and pour upon us the ftrength of battle; for who can ftand in his fight when once he is angry? CHAP. CHA P. XLIII. This chapter contains comfortable promifes that God would not forfake Ifrael as a body; and he renews his expoftulation with them for their ingratitude and neglect of his fervice. B UT now thus faith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Ifrael, who made thee his own nation, and in the conftitution of thy government fhowed thee particular favour, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called [thee] by thy name; thou 2 [art] mine. When thou paffeft through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkeft through the fire, thou fhalt not be burned; neither fhall the flame kindle upon thee; I will bring thee fafe thro' the greatest dangers and difficulties. For I [am] the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Ifrael, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt [for] thy ranfom, I chofe rather that Egypt should be deftroyed than thee, Ethiopia and Seba for thee; turning Sennacherib's army against them, rather then let him ruin 4 Judah. Since thou waft precious in my fight, whilst thou didst behave well, thou haft been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore I will give men for thee, and people, other nations, especially the Chaldeans, for thy life. Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy & feed from the eaft, and gather thee from the weft; I will fay to the north, Give up; and to the fouth, Keep not back: bring my fons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; those who are difperfed in 7 Babylon and other countries; [Even] every one [that is] called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, to manifeft my glorious attributes, I have formed 8 him; yea, I have made him. Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears, that 9 is, let the worshippers of idols plead their caufe. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be affembled: who among them can declare this, and show us former things? let them bring forth their witneffes, that they may be juftified: or let them hear, W 2 and THE 10 and fay, [It is] truth, that I am the only God. Ye [are] my witneffes, faith the LORD, and my fervant whom I have chofen; that is, Chrift, with his apoftles, and all the holy prophets: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he before me there was no 11 God formed, neither fhall there be after me. I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and befides me [there is] no 12 faviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have. fhowed, when [there was] no ftrange [god] among you; I have proved my omniscience by declaring things to come, and my omnipotence by faving you; and have done all this before there was any idolatry in Ifrael, so that no strange god can have done it for you! therefore ye [are] my witneffes, 13 faith the LORD, that I [am] God. Yea, before the day [was,] before all time, I [am] he; and [there is] none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who fhall let it? 14. Thus faith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy One of Ifrael; For your fake I have fent, that is, I will fend, to Babylon, and have brought, that is, will bring down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whofe cry [is] in the fhips; who glory in the number of their fhips, and their great traffick; or, whofe cry will be to their ships 15 to carry them away when the city fhall be taken. I [am] the LORD, your Holy One, the creator of Ifrael, your 16 King. Thus faith the LORD, which maketh a way in 17 the fea, and a path in the mighty waters; Which bringeth forth the chariot and horfe, the army and the power; they fhall lie down together, they fhall not rife: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow; referring to their deliverance from Egypt; your enemies fhall be 18 quite deftroyed, and have no power remaining. Remember ye not the former things, neither confider the things of old; the deliverance I am about to grant is fo great, that it ball eclipfe the former and obfcure the memory of them. 19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it fhall spring forth fuddenly; fhall ye not know it? I will even make a way 20 in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the defert. The beaft of the field fhall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wildernefs, [and] rivers in the the defert, to give drink to my people, my chofen; they fhall have direction and defence where they least expected 21 it, as Ifrael had in going thro' the wilderness. This people have I formed for myself; they fhall, or they should, 22 fhow forth my praise. But thou haft not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou haft been weary of me, O IL23 rael. Thou haft not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither haft thou honoured me with thy facrifices. I have not caused thee to ferve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incenfe: I have required 24 nothing hard or unreasonable. Thou haft bought me no fweet cane, or incenfe, with money, neither haft thou filled me with the fat of thy facrifices; the fat of which was offered to the Lord; that is, thou haft neglected facrifices, or brought only lean ones: but thou haft made me to ferve with thy fins, to undergo a fort of bondage, and brought a reproach upon me and my fervice, thou haft wearied me with thine iniquities. Yet, instead of utterly destroying thee, 25 I, [even] I, [am] he that blotteth out thy tranfgreffions for mine own fake, and will not remember thy fins; but 26 obferve, it is for mine own fake that I will do this. Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified; if I have forgotten any of thy good deeds, remind me of them, I will do thee full justice. 27 Thy first father, thy ancestors, hath finned, and thy teach28 ers have tranfgreffed against me. Therefore I have profaned the princes of the fanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curfe, and Ifrael to reproaches; I have fuffered the Chaldeans to profane, pollute, and destroy the priests and Levites, to overthrow your conftitution in church and ftate, and make Ifrael a reproach and a proverb among the nations. G REFLECTION S. OD's prefence with his people is a reafon against anxious fears. He often calls upon Ifrael not to fear; and promifes to be with them. He may fee good to lead us, as he did Ifrael, thro' the water and fire, that is, great and heavy afflictions, that are ready to overwhelm W 3 us, |