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This chapter is a vindication of God's dealings with his people, and concludes with an exhortation to trust in God and not in our felves.

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HUS faith the LORD, O ye captives, Where [is] the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? representing the jewish church as their mother, and alluding to the power which husbands had to put away their wives, God enquires for the bill of divorce, in which the reasons would appear why they were rejected: or which of my creditors [is it] to whom I have fold you? An allusion to perfons when oppreffed with debt felling themselves, or their children, to their creditors, as was frequently done among the jews, fee 2 Kings iv. 1. and Matt. xviii. 25. but this, fays God, cannot be my cafe; I am not urged by any fuch neceffity; I am not in debt to the Chaldeans or Romans. Behold, for your iniquities have ye fold yourselves, and for your tranfgreffions is your mother put away; you fold yourselves for the gratification of your lufts, and were put away for your own folly and wickedness. 2 Wherefore, when I came, [was there] no man? when I called, [was there] none to answer? if it were not fo, why did you refufe my offers, and defpife and abuse my meffengers, especially my own Son? Is my hand fhortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the fea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish ftinketh, because [there is] no water, and dieth for thirft; I have the fame power as I ever had, therefore it was not owing to me 3 that you were not delivered, but to your fins. I clothe the heavens with blacknefs, and I make fackcloth their covering; a reference to the Egyptian darkness, Exod. x. 21. The Meffiah is then introduced as fpeaking in his own name. The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I fhould know how to speak a word in feafon to [him that is] weary: he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned; or rather, as learners or scholars; (an allusion to a master calling

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calling up his fcholars and fervants in the morning;) as if he had faid, God reveals his will to me, and gives me ability to 5 inftruct and comfort the afflicted. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back; he hath inftructed me in the discharge of my office, given me to understand why I must fuffer; and 6 I was willing to do what he required. I gave my back to the fmiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the 7 hair: I hid not my face from shame and fpitting. For the Lord God will help me; therefore fhall I not be confounded; not be overborne by my enemies, nor disappointed in my work and of my hope: therefore have I fet my face like a flint, I am bold and courageous, and I 8 know that I fhall not be ashamed. [He is] near that justifieth me; God is at hand to vindicate my innocence; who will contend with me? let us ftand together: who [is] mine adverfary? let him come near to me; I 9 challenge him to a judicial process. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who [is] he [that] fhall condemn me? lo, they all fhall wax old as a garment; the moth fhall eat them up; Herod, Pilate, and the wicked jews, the perfecutors of Chrift, fhall be destroyed. The following verse is addreffed to every humble chriftian.

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Who [is] among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his fervant, that walketh [in] darkness, and hath no light? tho' he suffers hardships, and is exercifed with afflictions, and doubts, and fears, let him trust in the name of the LORD, and ftay upon his God; upon the goodness of God, and his faithfulness to his covenant. On the other hand, confufion and destruction are 11 threatened to proud finners. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compafs [yourselves] about with fparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks [that] ye have kindled. This fhall ye have of mine hand; ye fhall lie down in forrow; an allufion to a benighted traveller, who lights a little fire to warm himself by, and thereat kindles

Thefe great indignities Chrift fuffered patiently, Luke xviii. 31, 32. Matt. xiv. 65. xv. 19.

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i This was literally fulfilled in Chrift, who by figns and won. ders, and a voice from heaven, and efpecially by his refurrection from the dead, was vindicated from all accufations.

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kindles a torch to proceed on his journey; but it goes out, leaves him in darkness, and expofed to many dangers; fo those who seek their happiness in worldly comforts, and neglect God, or trust in the merits of their own righteousness, fhall be disappointed.

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REFLECTION S.

E are here taught that it is men's own fin that undoes them. This the jews are reminded of in the beginning of the chapter; their own iniquities brought their calamities upon them. When finners are deftroyed by acts of divine juftice, it is owing to their own wickedness. God takes no pleasure in their deftruction; he is as ready to pity and help as ever he was: but if they will not regard the meffage of his Son, and comply with the demands of his gofpel, their deftruction will be upon their own heads; they might have been faved, but would

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2. It is the duty of chriftians, like their Mafter, to be willing to learn and to fuffer. It is especially the duty of minifters to feek of God the tongue of the learned; that rich experience of divine things, and ability to fpeak comfortably to mourning fouls, which is a better qualification than the largest ftore of human learning and philofophy. Let chriftians in private ftations of life learn from their Mafter to apply their minds to understand divine things, and the will of God; to read his word, and attend upon his minifters, as men awake, and willing to learn, fhaking off drowfinefs, and taking pains to understand and remember. And let us earnestly pray against a drowsy, distracted mind; and that God would awaken us and keep us attentive. So likewise we should be willing to fuffer whatever providence calls us to; fetting our faces like a flint, as Chrift did; being bold, refolute, and undaunted in the work of religion; and by divine help we fhall not be borne down by oppofition, but God will justify and accept us. The apostle probably refers to verfe 8, when he fays, (Rom. viii. 32.) Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? It is God that juftifieth, who is he that condemneth? VOL. V. Y

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3. Let us carefully observe the difference between a humble trufting in God, and a vain confidence in ourselves. Thofe who fear God, and obey the voice of Christ, his fervant, and who comply with the terms of his gospel, may walk in darknefs and have no light; they may have many doubts and fears, and want fpiritual peace and joy. But let them trust in a good and faithful God, and he will at length restore them to light and joy, which Thall endure for ever. On the other hand, thofe who walk in the light of their own fire, feek their happiness in earthly things, truft to their own righteoufnefs, or fome fudden flashes of zeal and affection, may amuse themselves for a while, and feem full of light, hope, and joy, but will foon lie down in forrow. The darkeft ftate of a faint is therefore infinitely preferable to the brightest state of a finner.

CHA P. LI.

The defign of this chapter is to encourage the jewish captives to trust in God's promises; efpecially in thofe relating to Chrift; affuring them that he would pity their mifery and help them; having given fufficient proofs of his power in his former dealings with that nation.

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HEARKEN to me, ye that follow after righ

teousness, ye that feek the LORD: look unto the rock [whence] ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit [whence] ye are digged; remember your small begin2 ning and low estate. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah [that] bare you: for I called him alone, when a fingle perfon, who had no family, and bleffed him, and increased him; therefore am able to do great things 3 for you ftill. For the LORD fhall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her wafte places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. 4 Hearken unto me, my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation, or, O ye nations, that is, ye gentiles: for a law fhall proceed from me, and I will make my

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judgment to reft, or rather, to break forth for a light of 5 the people. My righteoufnefs [is] near: my falvation is gone forth, the time is at hand when I will perform my promifes, and mine arms, that is, my power, fhall judge the people: the isles fhall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust; I will reward my faithful fubjects, 6 and punish my enemies. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens fhall vanish away like fmoak, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my falvation fhall be for ever, and my righteousness fhall not be abolished.

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7 • Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart [is] my law, who love it and obey it; fear ye not the reproach of men, of wretched 8 men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. For the moth fhall eat them up like a garment, and the worm fhall eat them like wool, or, a woollen garment: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my falvation from generation to generation.

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Awake, awake, put on ftrength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the antient days, in the generations of old. [Art] thou not it that hath cut Rahab, that is, Egypt, [and] wounded the dragon, that is, de10 ftroyed Pharaoh? [Art] thou not it which hath dried the fea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ranfomed to pass over? 11 (Exod. xiv. 21.) Therefore the redeemed of the LORD' fhall return, and come with finging unto Zion; and everlasting joy [fhall be] upon their head: they fhall obtain gladness and joy; [and] forrow and mourning fhall flee away; the captives fhall return to Canaan, and a church of God be gathered out of jews and gentiles.

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I, [even] I, [am] he that comforteth you: who [art] thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man [that] shall die, and of the fon of man [which] fhall be made 13 [as] grafs; And forgetteft the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and haft feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppreffor, as if he were

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