"thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my "salvation unto the end of the earth." Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship; because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. Isa. xlix. 5, 6, 7.

No. LXVIII.

Of the Offices of Christ, to give Freedom and Light, of the Comfort and Blessings Christians should enjoy, and the Facilities and Encouragement God should give to bring all People from all Quarters to the Christian Faith, and the Numbers who should come accordingly.

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No. 68. Thus saith the Lord, "In an acceptable time "have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I "helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest "say to the prisoners, Go forth;' to them that are in "darkness, Shew yourselves.' They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

k

saying, "I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” Acts xiii. 46, 47. See also the Song of Simeon, Luke ii. 29-32. "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace," &c.

i St. Paul refers to this verse, as though he considered it prophetic, and looking forward to the time of Christ. “We then, "as workers together with him (Christ) beseech you also, that 66 ye receive not the grace of God in vain : (for he saith, ' I have "heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation "have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time: be' hold now is the day of salvation.)'" 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. "The ways" and "high places" where no pasturage could be expected; an intimation of the large supply of spiritual food

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1

They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat "nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them "shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them and I will make 1 all my mountains a way, "and my high ways shall be exalted. Behold these shall come from far and lo, these from the north and from the "west; and these from the land of Sinim." Isa. xlix. 8-12.

No. LXIX, LXX, LXXI.

A prophetic Intimation that the Blessings of the Gospel would be offered to the Jews, that they would have no Right to say that God had forsaken them, that on the contrary they were the Objects of his special Regard, that (LXX.) he would stir up the Gentiles to forward their Conversion, that when they should be converted they should have Proofs of their Superiority and Distinction, but (LXXI.) that the real Cause of their desolate State would be, not want of Power in God, but Sinfulness and want of Disposition in them; not that God had cast off them, but that they had cast off God.

No. 69. Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains, for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But Zion said, "the Lord hath forsaken me, " and my Lord hath forgotten me." Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. Isa. xlix. 13-16.

Christianity should supply. So Ps. lxxii. 16. "There shall be a "heap of corn upon the earth, high upon the hills."

"Make," &c. by lowering the mountains, and raising the low grounds, agreeable to Isa. xl. 4. "Every valley shall be "exalted, and every mountain and hill laid low." See Dr. Lowth.

No. 70. Thus saith the Lord God, "Behold, I will "lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my stand"ard to the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their "arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their "shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and "their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down "to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up "the dust of thy feet: and thou shalt know that I am the "Lord, and they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. "And all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour m "and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob." Isa. xlix. 22, 23. 26.

No. 71. Thus saith the Lord, "Where" is the bill of

your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or "which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? "Behold for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and "for your transgressions is your mother put away: where66 fore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, 66 was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to de"liver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make "the rivers a wilderness, I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sack-cloth their covering." Isa. 1. 1—3.

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m 66

used.

Thy Saviour," &c. So Isa. lx. 16. the same language is

n" Where," &c. and " is my hand shortened," &c. The same argument occurs Isa. lix. 1, 2, &c. So Rom. xi. 1. “Hath God 60 cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israel"ite," &c.

。 "No man," i. e. "to receive me, to stand by me, to ac"knowledge my claims."

No. LXXII.

A prophetic Account of some of the personal Qualifications of the Messiah, viz. Knowledge, Obedience to God, Endurance, Confidence in God's Support, and Assurance of Success, with an Intimation of the Indignities he should undergo.

q

r

No. 72. The Lord God hath given me the P tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth my ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord God will help me: therefore shall I not be confounded therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth: who will contend with me? let us stand together; who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. Behold the Lord God will help me who is he that shall condemn me? lo they all shall wax old as a garment: the moth shall eat them up." Isa. 1. 4—9.

:

No. LXXIII.

S

A prophetic Recommendation to trust in God and Christ, and an Intimation of the Difference that shall be made between those who do, and those who trust to themselves.

No. 73. Who is among you that feareth the Lord,

"The tongue." See Isa. xlix. 2. "He hath made "like a sharp sword."

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p.

16.

q "Opened," &c. the same expression as in Ps. xl.8. ante My back, &c. for an account of the fulfilment of this prophecy, and the indignities our Saviour received, see Matt. xxvi. 67. xxvii. 26-30. Mark xiv. 65. xv. 15—19. Luke xxii. 63, 64. John xviii. 22. xix. 1. 3.

3, “ Old” the same expression as Ps. cii. 6. ante p. 28.

that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light: let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled this ye shall have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. Isa. 1. 10, 11,

No. LXXIV.

Reasons why the Israelites in particular should have Confidence in God, from the miraculous Manner in which they were made a Nation, a prophetic Assurance of their Conversion, and of the great Blessings they shall enjoy.

ν

No. 74. Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock▾ whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged: look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone ", and blessed him and increased him: for the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste 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. Isa. li. 1-3.

+ Kindle," &c. i. e. rely on your own means, trust to your own powers.

V

"The rock" and "the hole of the pit," referring to the extreme ages of Abraham and Sarah when Isaac was conceived. See Gen. xvii. 1. 17. xviii. 11. "He who against the ordinary

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course of nature brought you into existence, will not easily be

disposed to desert, and wants neither inclination nor power to 'preserve you." See Rom. iv. 16—22.

u 66

Alone," i. e. (probably) "before he had any child." See Gen. xii. 3. ante p. 2.