Isaiah 17

We may see other Christians out-shining us in gifts and grace, as the sun out-shines the lesser planets. Others are laden with fruit, perhaps we have but here and there an olive-berry growing, to show that we are of the right kind (Isaiah 17:6). 3. If we look infra nos, below us…

A cause is not good, because followed by many. Isaiah 17:7, in that day, when the Church is but three or four berries on the top of the olive tree, a man, one single man, shall look to his Maker. Men come to Zion, and follow Christ in ones and twos of a whole Tribe (Jeremiah 3:1…

(Isaiah 10:6), I will send the Assyrian against a hypocritical nation. So (Jeremiah 1:15-16), (Isaiah 13:1-3), (Isaiah 15:1-2, [illegible]), (Isaiah 17:1-3), (Isaiah 19:1-4). Now God could not be the Author of war and peace, as God and Sovereign all-Disposer, if it were in the i…

3. If you look to any other, it cannot save you, but one look on him would make you eternally happy, and you have it (Isaiah 45:22): Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none else; come and have heaven for one look, for one turning of y…

And truly this prophecy does indeed properly belong to Christ, through whom it is no marvel if the Gentiles have some part of the promise of salvation. The Prophet has already used this similitude (Isaiah 17:6), but there he only mentioned the church of the Jews, telling them th…

And this is a right acknowledgment: for God is robbed of his due honor while men glory in themselves, be it never so little. But Isaiah speaks not here of the common creation of men, but of their regeneration, for which respect the faithful are in particular called the workmansh…

These Providences speak the jealousie of God over us, and his care to prevent far worse evils by these sad but needful strokes. And so for the degrees of our troubles, sanctified strokes are ordinarily fitted by the wisdome of God to the strength and ability of our inherent grac…

And therefore looking is frequently put for believing in Scripture, which presupposes understanding. 2. Kindliness, or a spiritual, kindly and affectionate carriage to Christ; in a word, it is the exercise of love upon this spiritual and wonderfully excellent object Christ, a ha…

This soul of mine was once plowed up by conviction, and sown (as I thought) with the seed of God. In those days many purposes and good resolutions began to chink and bud forth, promising a blessed harvest: But O! (with what consternation and horror should I speak it;) the cares…

Those fruits which are preserved on the tree, or in the hoard, are comparatively but an handful to those that are broken in the pound. Alas! 'tis scarce one of a thousand, and such a small remnant of Elected souls has God reserved for glory. I look upon the World as a great Tree…

This forgetting of the God that saves us in our extremities, is a sin that brings desolation and ruine, the effects of God's high displeasure, upon all our temporal enjoyments. See that remarkable Scripture, Isaiah 17:10, 11. Because you hast [forgotten] the God of [your salvati…

He who has a little gold labors to increase it — and is not grace more precious than gold? Some Christians have a little fruit and think that is well; like trees that have an apple or two growing on them to show that they are of the right kind (Isaiah 17:6): two or three berries…

Hence the word that notes a staff (2 Samuel 22:18; Isaiah 3): the Lord has broken the stay and the staff of bread (Isaiah 30:1), and this is to be done often, when there is no present duty to be done, nor any work required of us, but only a fiducial relying upon the Lord alone,…

The use is to stir up all that profess themselves to be in Christ, to examine whether they be true genuine branches of this true vine or no. Here in this kingdom, Christ is spread forth into a fair and pleasant vine in show, as this earth affords: but if we ministers were able w…

They look up to him for it, though they do not as yet find themselves sprinkled with it. Isaiah 17:7: Then shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the holy one of Israel. Thirdly, faith casts a longing and desiring look after salvation in him.