Isaiah 1

Did I give you wages to serve the Devil? 5. Sin is a disease (Isaiah 1:5): The whole head is sick. Some are sick of pride, others of lust, others of envy.

This is the savory meat God loves. How few mind this, worshipping him who is a Spirit in the Spirit; they give him more dregs than spirits; they think it enough to bring their duties, but not their hearts, which has made God disclaim those very services he himself appointed (Isa…

It is sad to have the Bible in one hand, and false weights in the other. Or 2. in adulterating commodities (Isaiah 1:22). Your wine is mixed with water; when they mix bad grain with good, yet sell it for pure grain.

Popish traditions which have no footing in the Word are abominable, and God will say, quis quaesivint haec? Who has required this at your hand? (Isaiah 1:12). The Apostle condemns the worshipping of angels, which had a show of humility (Colossians 2:18).

Response 1. Where has God told them to worship him by an effigies or spirit? (Isaiah 1:12) Who has required this at your hands? The Papists can't say so much as the Devil, Scriptum est, it is written.

This is in an evangelical sense to keep all the Commandments; and though it be not to satisfaction, yet it is to acceptation. 3. Our keeping God's Commandments must be willing (Isaiah 1:19): If you be willing and obedient. God was for a free will-offering (Deuteronomy 16:10).

Though God has set so many flaming swords in the way to stop men in their sin, yet they go on in sin, which all shows what a strong appetite they have to the forbidden fruit. That we may further see the nature of original sin, consider 1. The universality of it; it has, as a poi…

Vivimus in temporum faecibus — Sen. We live in the dregs of time wherein the common shore of wickedness runs; physicians call it [illegible], when there is no part of the body free from distemper. England has a cachexia, it is all over disease; the whole head is sick, the whole…

Will you disgrace your Heavenly Father? Let not God complain of the provocations of his sons and daughters; let him not cry out as Isaiah 1:2. I have brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. So much for the first: if our earthly father is to be honored, then much…

Just so some deal with God; he bestows mercy, and they plot treason against him. Isaiah 1:2: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The Athenians, in lieu of the good service Themistocles had done them, banished him their city.

12. If you would not fall short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of injustice in your dealings; defrauding lies in two things. First, mixing commodities; as if one mix bad wheat with good, and sell it for pure wheat, this is to defraud (Isaiah 1:22). Your wine is mixed with w…

How severely did God punish Nadab and Abihu for offering up strange fire (Leviticus 10:2), that is, such fire as God had not sanctified on the altar; whatever is not divinely appointed, is offering up strange fire: there is in many a strange itch after superstition; they love a…

God has imputed it to you, and in so doing, he has made all your sins to be as if they had never been, they are concealed, they are sunk into the depths, they are lost, and quite out of sight for ever doing you a displeasure any more. See how fully the Lord declares himself in h…

Certainly God, who is a Spirit, and will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth, designed at one time or other a worship more suited to his own nature, though the imposition of these things on the Church for a season, was necessary. And as they were carnal, so they might be exactl…

(1) It was to be a Red Heifer, and that without spot or blemish, whereon no yoke had come (ver. 2). Red is the color of guilt (Isaiah 1:18), yet was there no spot or blemish in the Heifer; so was the guilt of Sin upon Christ, who in himself was absolutely pure and holy. No yoke…

They could not do it by any means, nor at any time: the word is a vehement negation, respecting all the powers of those sacrifices, and all the times wherein they were used. And therefore as to those things which might seem to give them their efficacy, as their multiplication, t…

The first was, that they did not only prefer the outward observation of them before internal moral obedience, but trusted to them, to the total neglect of that obedience. See (Isaiah 1:12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). And the other was, that they put their trust in them for righteousnes…

So on the other hand, there is a dead faith, yes, where there is much affection stirring, as will more appear, by and by: when persons find their affections much moved towards spiritual things, they are apt to be taken with it, and to conclude that there is some true grace in th…

Now it is true that an unsound Professor may do many things, as Herod did (Mark 6:20). He may abound with religious performances, as they (Isaiah 1:11) had multitude of sacrifices, yet to no purpose: the Lord says that he was full of them. So they (Isaiah 58:2) sought him daily.

In the sixth place: the application (says the Preface) of the seal of Baptism to those who are not true believers (we mean visibly, for de occultis non judicat Ecclesia) is a profanation thereof, and as dreadful a sin as if a man should administer the Lord's Supper to unworthy r…

They are sorely afflicted (Psalm 129:1, 2), yet Christ stands his ground; they are not wholly prevailed over; the Church may visibly fail but not totally. Well then, in the midst of sad miseries, bless God for a remnant; it may be bad but 'tis not as Sodom (Isaiah 1:9). In times…

This is the manner of Reformation held forth in Scripture, and that in reference. 1. To magistrates and statesmen. 2. To ministers. 3. To a people reformed. 4. To a people not reformed. In reference to magistrates and statesmen, Reformation is a fire that purges away the dross (…

So the Pharisee, I fast twice a week; but who requires this at his hands? And in Isaiah 1, their hands are full of blood, but yet full of oblations and sacrifices, and Matthew 23:23, [illegible] to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint, annis, and cumm…

(Matthew 5:23) When you are to offer your gift to God, if you have ought against your brother, first be reconciled, and then come and offer your gift. So also (Isaiah 1:15) the Lord says, that when they pray to him he will not hear. Why? because their hands were full of blood.

What! to be a hater of God! The most excellent, and all-comprehending good! and your own Father! Hear, O heavens — and earth, says the Lord, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me (Isaiah 1:2). Be astonished, O you heavens at this! and be hor…

[1 Corinthians 11:28. But let every one prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. Isaiah 1:16. Wash yourselves, purify yourselves, put away the wickedness of your actions, and cease to do evil before my eyes. Isaiah 66:2. But upon him do I look that…

The brawny and fat heart, which being never a whit moved, never or to small purpose repeats, examines, applies, or practises (Ezekiel 33:31; Zephaniah 2:1; 2 Samuel 12; Mark 6:20). In the Sacraments, the preparation is an examination of our faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 11:28;…

We shall only hint at them, for they are directly opposite to the good that comes by the improving of Christ's Intercession. 1. It makes many prayers to be fruitless and futile — though people should weary themselves in prayer, yet it is all but lost labor, and the Lord will say…

Psalm 99:8. You were a God that pardoned, or forgave them, though you took vengeance of their inventions. The same word [in non-Latin alphabet] is given to God, when he takes vengeance on his enemies, (Numbers 31:2; Isaiah 1:24). I will be avenged of my enemies. (2 Kings 9:7). T…

Nor are men by this taught to seek righteousness in themselves; because they are commanded to try and examine themselves, as (1 Corinthians 11:28; 2 Corinthians 13:5). 4. Such souls would upon any terms be brought to reason and debate the question with Christ, that as the law ma…

So (Deuteronomy 10:20): "You shall fear the Lord your God, and serve him." Christ expounds it (Luke 4:8) exclusively: "You shall serve only the Lord," because it is the prerogative of God to be worshipped, as it is a prerogative of grace to be the ransomed and redeemed of God (D…

Secondly, consider if you have Christ, you have life, and that in abundance, and you have all the blessings of God; of all lives it is the most comfortable (2 Corinthians 1:20). If you have Christ, you have all the promises, for in him they are — indeed, and in him Amen — and th…

For Paul intended, and desired nothing in this speech, but their good and amendment. Upon like grounds Isaiah calls the Israelites, people of Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 1). Christ calls the two disciples, foolish, and slow of heart to believe (Luke 24:25).

To man: for as David says, it is like a grievous burden, too heavy for him to bear (Psalm 38:4). To God: for the hypocritical and ceremonial service of the Jews, was such a burden to him, that he was weary to bear it (Isaiah 1:14). Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pr…

Even so must we follow our vocation, and constantly bear all sorts of encumbrances. Note also the circumstance of the change of Kings which are here numbered up (Isaiah 1:1). For it is impossible that in so great diversity, the State should always continue alike.

In Sodom and Gomorrah.] This example is oft alleged by the Prophets, to the end we might know that however all chastisements be not equal, yet notwithstanding inasmuch as God is impartial in his judgments, the memorable example which he showed thereof in the destruction of Sodom…

When Isaiah then gives hope of a peace near hand, he had respect to that little flock: when he proclaimed war, that was to terrify the multitude, who were revolted from God, and contemned all admonitions. For the state of the people was such that nothing was sound nor pure among…

And this is worth the noting. For he shows that the remnant shall be very small, in comparison of that great multitude which was then in the land: as we have seen in (Isaiah 1:9). Now whereas the faithful are often punished with the wicked, let us not think God does them any wro…

to seal the law of God among the disciples, (Isaiah 8:16.) Let us know then that, wherever the Scripture denounces eternal death against the Jews, it excepts a remnant, (Isaiah 1:9; Romans 11:5;) that is, those in whom the Lord preserves some seed on account of his free election…

This passage agrees with that of Isaiah: Unless the Lord had left us a small seed, we would have been as Sodom, and we would have been like Gomorrah, (Isaiah 1:9.) For it was necessary, as Paul assures us, that the vengeance of God, which had been displayed in the Babylonish cap…

For all who shall depart from his commandments, though they toil and wear themselves out in works of their own contrivance, will hear it said to them at the last day, Who hath required those things at your hands? (Isaiah 1:12.) 37. Then will the righteous answer him.

But yet, on the other Hand, Persons being disposed to abound and to be zealously engaged in the external Exercises of Religion, and to spend much Time in them, is no sure Evidence of Grace; because such a Disposition is found in many that have no Grace. So it was with the Israel…

Even there, in the Continuation of the same Invitation, the Sinners forsaking his wicked Practice is spoken of as necessary to the obtaining Mercy: Verse 7, Let the Wicked forsake his Way, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have M…

Sect. 26 (2ly,) That which is good materially and in it self, though vitiated from the Relation which it has to the Person by whom it is performed, is approved and has its Acceptation in its proper place. For Duties may be performed two wayes. (1.) In hypocrisie and pretence, so…

And (3) moreover where Sanctification is enjoyned us as our Duty it is prescribed under this Notion of cleansing our selves from sin. Wash you, make you clean, Isa. 1. 16. O Jerusalem wash your Heart from wickedness that you mayest be saved, Jer. 4. 14.

Seeing you art unholy. To pray is a good Duty; But to them that are not washed and made clean, and put not away the evil of their Doings from before his Eyes, saith God, When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine Eyes from you, and when ye make many Prayers, I will not hea…

As we came over the bar, I was informed of a melancholy fire, that broke out about three weeks ago, and destroyed 300 houses in the best part of Charlestown in the space of about three hours. The news much affected me, because I loved the people, and I preached to them this morn…

And so for afflictions, 'tis a great wickedness, when God's hand is listed up not to see it. Isaiah 26:11 The Ox knows his owner, and the Ass his masters crib, Isaiah 1:3 the most dull and stupid creatures know their benefactors. O look to the hand of God in all; and know, that…

It is a good sign afflictive Providences are sanctified to us, when we draw near to God under them and turn to him that smites us. A wicked man under affliction revolts more and more, Isaiah 1:5 turns not to him that smites him, Isaiah 9:13 but grows worse than before; formality…

For his elect's sake, God did mitigate, did shorten, God did take away that trouble from them. So (Isaiah 1:9) had not God left us a small remnant, we had been like Sodom, indeed like to Gomorrah. Had not God left a handful of his elect and godly men among them, all the rest had…