parably connected with my gracious defigns toward the houfe of Ifrael.-Saith the Lord, the almighty God, for whom all things are poffible, the faithful God, whofe veracity is unchangeable and everlasting. This is the promife I oblige myself to perform, this is the benefit I folemnly engage to bestow.

My Spirit that is upon thee, &c. As a fpirit of power, of love, and of a found mind, as a fpirit of grace and fupplication, being given to inftruct, fanctify, and comfort thee, is the chief bleffing contained in my covenant. All spiritual life and light, ftrength and confolation, with every gift and grace in their various meafures, proceed from him. On him depends the efficacy of facred inftitutions, and the diftinguished abilities whereby the edification and preservation of the Church is effected, with every thing truly excellent enjoyed by them that fear my name. All these things are wrought by the fame Spirit, who abides with thee, and diftributeth to every one feverally as he will. And my words which I have put in thy month, revealed in the holy Scriptures, as the foundation of faith and the rule of conduct, the fource of comfort, and the charter of eternal inheritance.-Thete words efpecially, which refpect the glory of the Redeemer's perfon, his official character, his illustrious actions, his complicated fufferings, his atonement and fubsequent exaltation-thefe words which reprefent the relations wherein he is connected with thee, and his consummate ablity to fupply thy wants; the neceffity of being interested in him, and brought into the way of falva, tion, that you may have your hearts and lives regu lated by his authority, and act toward him and for his honour, fo as to be accepted and truly bleffed. These my words I have put into thy mouth, and com. manded thee to have them in thine heart, to teach

them diligently unto thy children, and to talk of 'them when thou fitteft in thine house, and when *thou walkeft by the way, when thou lyeft down, and ⚫ when thou rifet up *.

* Deut. vi. 6, 7.

Sball

Shall not depart out of thy mouth, &c. My word of falvation, which fhews the connection between fin and mifery, between grace and duty, between faith and holiness, between obedience and happiness, fhall not cease to be the pleafing fubject of inveftigation and difcourfe in every age of the world. It fhall have perpetual refidence in the Church, throughout all generations; and, attended with the difpenfation of the Spirit, fhall continue with my fervants and their pofterity without interruption, and without end, faith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.-Joyful thought! amid all the changes and revolutions that happen on this earth, the omnipotent, faithful Jehovah hath given explicit affurance, that his people thall have his Spirit and his word to abide with them unto the end of the world. In this confidence, let us earneftly pray that the Spirit may be given to illumine our minds to underftand the Scriptures; to open our hearts to receive them; to keep us under their commanding power; and to difclofe to us thofe facred fources of delight and joy, whereby we may be refreshed in our journey toward the inheritance of the faints in light. Let us diligently ftudy the word of God, the bleffed appointed mean of fanctifying and Comforting his people, and often meditate on the fublime fubjects it contains, which tend to improve, to enlighten, to elevate, and confole the minds of those who delight in his commandinents. And now, O Lord God, the word which thou haft fpoken, ellablifh it for ever; and do as thou haft faid, and let all the people fay, Amen.

PRELI

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

'N the laft fection of this long prophetical difcourse,

IN

contained in the chapter before us, Isaiah, favoured by the Spirit of Jehovah with a clear view of the future felicity and glory of the Church of God, fets forth, in very fublime language, the great enlargement and flourishing ftate to which they were to be advanced. This noble fubject is exhibited in the moft fplendid colours, under a variety of beautiful images, which convey magnificent ideas of the glories to which the people of God fhall be elevated when the fulness of the Gentiles fhall come in, when the Jews fhall be gathered from their difperfions, and all the nations of the world fhall become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Chrift. With this joyful profpect fully in his view, our prophet, perceiving the happy period approaching, announces the welcome tidings that the day of deliverance had already dawned, and calls upon the Church, fitting in the obfcurity of a dark and tedious night, to arise, for the object of their expectation was drawing near, urging to immediate compliance by fome powerful incitements, ver. 1, 2,. and 3.He then requires their attention to the immenfe number of converts who were to join them, with all their wealth and influence, that they might participate in the privileges and felicity wherewith they were bleffed, ver. 4-9.-After which he teaches, that the princes and great men of the earth were to come into their fellowship, and to bring with them their glory and honour, with whatever might prove fubfervient to promote the interefts of the city of the living God, and to adorn his habitation ver. 10, II. -Having foretold the certain overthrow of those who afflict and oppofe his fervants, in ver. 12th, he defcribes, in fublime terms, the happy change that fhould take place in the condition of the Church that

had

had been long in afflicting circumftances, and affures them, that perfons in the moft eminent ftations were to protect and cherish them-that the best men were to prefide among them-that they were to be fecure from calamity and violence-that they were conftantly to enjoy the light with which they were favoured, and—that their citizens, diftinguished for uprightness, were to receive a large increase of their number, ver. 14. to the end.

ARISE,

thee.

CHAP. LX.

fhine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is rifen upon

Our prophet, in the name of the Son of God, who was expected by the islands, who, in ver. 16th, is mentioned as the Saviour, the Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob, directs his difcourfe to the inhabitants of the city of the Lord, the new Jerufalem, the Zion of the Holy One of Ifrael, whofe walls ftrangers were to build, and whofe gates were to be always open. Acting in the character of a vigilant watchman, he fuddenly calls upon them to arife. Having fallen by thine iniquity into a state of degeneracy and corruption, of infenfibility and security, wherein thy fpiritual fenfes have not been exercised to difcern good and evil, thou haft been fitting in darkness, and lying under the preffure of affliction. I now call upon thee to arife from thy flumbering, difconfolate condition, in which thou haft continued for a long time, to the vigorous ufe of all thy powers and faculties. Awake from indulgence in fin and floth, to behold the works and the glory of the Redeemer; the night is far fpent, the day is at hand, caft off therefore the works of darkness, and put on the armour of lightVOL. IV. obey,

XX

obey the voice that now folicits attention. Indeed it is not eafy to point out the peculiar force and energy of the word in the fenfe it is here used.-Shine, appear in thy native fplendour and beauty. Whilft thou waft depreffed by affliction, fear, and forrow, that comeliness and fplendour hath been obfcured, which those who are light in the Lord ought to manifeft to the world. Come then into the light of knowledge and holiness, of comfort and joy, that, being enlightened by him who is the light of the world and the life of men, thou mayeft illumine thofe around thee. Refume that brightness which hath been long beclouded, and difplay clearly that pleafant light, which, being reflected, may throw an agreeable luftre on all the beholders. Time is precious, let no part of it be fquandered away in floth or idleness; the duty to which thou art called is of immenfe confequence, and ought not to be delayed.

For thy light is come. The day-fpring from on high hath visited thee, the Sun of righteoufnefs is arifen with healing under his wings; the Meffiah, the true light that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, which the prophets and evangelifts unite in magnifying-this glorious light is come, and all thy adverfaries fhall no more be able to retard its progrefs, than to ftop in his course the fun in the firmament. Thy profperous and happy ftate is commenced, wherein thou shalt be bleffed with every thing requifite to thy falvation, that can yield matter of thanksgiving and praife. This Divine light, which fhall fhine more and more unto the perfect day, fhall difpel thy fears, thy diftreffes and forrows, and caufe thy health and beauty to spring forth speedily.

And the glory of the Lord is rifen upon thee. If thefe words are intended merely to amplify what is contained in the preceding expreffion, they import that the Son of God, the brightnefs of the Father's glory, who is emphatically denominated the Glory of Jehovah, fhall exhibit, at the time to which this prediction refers, illuftrious manifeftations of his Divine excellencies,