The portion of our prophet's difcourfe that we have been confidering, concludes with an explicit affurance, that every attempt to overthrow the Church of Jefus Chrift fhall prove unfuccefsful.-Various weapons have been employed by their implacable enemies to fubvert and demolish this facred fociety. Secret fraud, open violence, tortures, racks, persecutions, have been used for this purpofe. The tongue, that world of iniquity, which adorneth unrighteousness, hath branded them before judgmentfeats with the most opprobrious names, and falfely accused them of the most complicated crimes. They have been charged with forming the most horrid devices, with perpetrating the most atrocious wickedness; and having been thus calumniated, they fuffered the greatest cruelties, by the moft iniquitous decifions-None of these inftruments have fucceeded or prevailed; the Church of Chrift, after all the ftruggles and hardships they have fuftained, fubfifts to this day under the protection of the Almighty. Particular churches, in certain places, have been defolated as the juft punishment of their abufe of the privileges they enjoyed; but the holy feed, the subftance thereof, hath sprung up in other countries, increased, flourished, and brought forth fruit abundantly. But with respect to the Church in general, barbarous oppreffors, with malicious tongues, have been frustrated in their defigns by Divine providence, which hath ever been, and will always continue to be, their fure defence. And those who have been valiant for the truth as it is in Jefus, by the noble defences they have made, wherein it appears, that it was not fo much they that fpake, as the Spirit of their Father in heaven, put to filence the ignorance and malice of wicked men. By them the truths of God have not only been vindicated and established, but the principles and practices of their adverfaries have been condemned as uncharitable, unjuft, and cruel in the extreme. Others, in a different way, and perhaps with no less fuccefs, have replied to thofe who falfely accused

accused their good converfation in Chrift, by welldoing according to the will of God.In this manner, brethren, let us clear ourselves from thofe unjust afperfions and calumnies, that are laid against us, re'joicing, inasmuch as we are partakers of Chrift's fuf'ferings, that when his glory fhall be revealed, we 'may be glad with exceeding joy *.'

This is the heritage of the fervants of the Lord. The benefits contained in the preceding promifes, are their most valued portion and best inheritance, to which they have undoubted right, of which they have the enjoyment in fome measure, and the profpect of full poffeffion. On the bleffings and privi leges we have been confidering, they look with the highest fatisfaction; in them they rejoice and glory, from them they derive defence and fafety, righteousness, peace, and confolation. Each, therefore, may adopt the words of David, the fervant of the Lord, when folacing himself with the view of his rich inheritance: The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage †' Thy teftimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart .'This is the peculiar right and prerogative of the fervants of the Lord, who, deeply fenfible that his fervice is both their duty and intereft, prefer him to every other master; who submit to his authority, fʊlicitous to obey every intimation of his pleasure, and to acquiefce in his appointments, affured of his fupport, protection, and, in due time, of receiving the recompence of their labour of love. To people of this defcription, the above predictions fhall be fulfilled. What a beautiful, what an excellent heritage! Compare it, if you please, with the portion of a wicked man, of which a large detail is given by Zophar, in the 20th chapter of Job. By contrafting the one with the other, you may perceive the tranfcendent worth and glory of the heritage pertaining to them that do the will of God.

1 Pet. iv. 13. † Pfal. xvi. 6.

‡ Pfal. cxix. 111.

And

And their righteoufness is of me, faith the Lord. The righteousness to be brought in by the Meffiah, with which I am well pleased, is of my appointment, it is my gift; and being reckoned unto all them that believe, in virtue thereof they are pardoned and accepted. The right principles and good difpofitions wherewith their minds are furnished, the exercises of holiness and righteoufnefs in which they are employed, proceed from me, the Father of lights, who worketh in them to will and to do of my good pleafure. This important truth should cherish humility and gratitude, amid the enjoyment of the ineftimable privileges which the faints of the Moft High are taught to expect.-And it ought to excite every one to whom it is made known, to feek with importunity, righteousness from the God of Salvation. Hear 'me when I call, O God of my righteoufnefs, and in 'thy righteousness let me be exalted.' The bleffing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, be upon you, and remain with you for ever, Amen.

PRELI

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

HAVING

【AVING finished the prophetical and confola, tory part of his difcourfe, lfaiah goes on to invite Jews and Gentiles, defirous of life and falvation, to come and participate of the precious bleffings obtained by the fufferings and death of God's righteous Servant, which are exhibited under the emblems of those temporal good things that are most pleasant and refreshing, verfes 1, 2.-He then particularly addreffes the Jews, who were flow of heart to believe, and negligent in attending to their best interests, and generously offers to their acceptance the mercies promifed of old to the patriarch David, ver. 3.-To excite to pious emulation, and speedy compliance with his proposal, our prophet introduces the gracious design of the Lord God, to enlighten the Gentile nations, and to bring them to the communion of the Church, who were gladly to embrace his invitations, ver. 4, 5.-As many of those who should be pardoned and faved were enveloped in error, and addicted to various crimes, might despair of attaining falvation, he calls them to repentance and return to God, who will have mercy on them, ver. 6, 7.-After which he teaches, that unbelief, and the difobedience of the wicked, shall not make void the counfel and gospel of God, that he fhall effect his purposes and defigns, which far furpass human comprehenfion, ver. 8-11.-This portion of the difcourfe concludes with a beautiful figurative description of the joyful effects, that were to accompany the promulgation of the gospel, and the happy change which was thereby to be made in the ftate of the world, ver. 12, 13.

CHAP.

CHAP. LV.

O, every one that thirfteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price.

A general invitation is given to those who are defirous of falvation, to come and partake of the most important benefits. The fubject is introduced by a word used to claim attention from thofe to whom it is directed. The expreffion feems to allude to the practice of those who, having difcovered a fountain of excellent water in fome parched defert, call loudly to them who are feeble and faint, to come and share in the privilege which is open to all that choose to hearken to their voice.-The perfons addreffed are every one that thirfteth, whatever in other refpects are his particular circumstances; none are excluded. Every one that thirfteth, in the fenfe intended by our prophet, feels that he is deftitute of what is requifite to remove his deplorable ignorance, infenfibility, and impurity, and to rettore to him fpiritual refrelliment, vigour, and confolation. He hath an acute fenfe of his abfolute need of an all-fufficient Saviour, to rescue him from fin and deftruction, of pardoning mercy and fanctifying grace, with every thing neceffary to fupply his wants. Ready to faint for the word and falvation of God, he feels a vehement defire of obtaining those bleffings which only can fatiate his longing expectations, and diligently ufes the means whereby they may be procured. This af fecting fenfe of his neceffities, though humiliating and painful, is both the prefage, and the warrant to comply with his invitation, whofe work is before him, and whofe reward is with him, and who makes