Isaiah 26

2. God's power is an inexhaustible power, it is never spent or wasted. Men, while they exercise their strength, weaken it: but God has an everlasting spring of strength in him (Isaiah 26:4). though he spends his arrows upon his enemies (Deuteronomy 32:23).

Quest. 5. What are the visible signs of our love to God? Resp. 1. If we love God, then our desire is after him (Isaiah 26:8): The desire of our soul is to your name. He who loves God breathes after communion with him (Psalm 42:2): My soul thirsts for the living God.

Therefore Christian be not discouraged; though you have no strength of your own, yet God will give you this strength. The iron has no power to move, but when the lodestone draws it it can move (Isaiah 26:12). You have wrought all our works in us.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun. 2. The bodies of the saints shall arise out of their graves with triumph: the bodies of the wicked shall come out of the grave with trembling, as being to receive their fatal doom: but the godly, when they awake out of the dust, s…

Nothing will quench the soul's thirst but the blood of Christ; he faints away, his heart breaks with longing for God (Psalm 84:2; Psalm 119:20). 3. An unfeigned desire is active; it flourishes into endeavor (Isaiah 26:9): With my soul have I desired you, indeed, with my spirit w…

When Jacob was in fear of his life by his brother, then he wrestles with God and weeps in prayer, and would not leave God till he had blessed him (Hosea 12:4). It is with many of God's children as with those who formerly had the sweating sickness in this land, it was a sleepy di…

That is: throw and cast your whole soul, your whole weight, upon it. He only has perfect peace whose mind is stayed on God (Isaiah 26:3). Have not half your soul upon that rock which is higher than you, but climb up and get all upon it.

And he that will pray aright, must put on the person and the very affection of a poor wretched beggar, and certainly not being grieved with the rueful condition in which we are in ourselves, it is not possible for us to pray effectually, Psalms 130:1. Out of the deepest called u…

Go to God by acts of faith and trust, and never doubt but he will secure you. Isaiah 26:3: 'You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.' God takes it well when you come to him thus: 'Father, my life, my liberty, or estate are hunted…

4. And by faith I live not, Christ lives in me, and I am crucified and mortified; that is, by faith I know that I did live the life of God, and was crucified to the world; whereas I was dead in sins, before I believed. 5. And because believing is somewhat more than a naked act o…

The will of God is revealed in the breathing of the Spirit, that stretches forth itself in such a humble and faithful manner, as that the soul is very sensible of its need of it, we pour out our souls before God, for what we stand in need of in feeling desires, and this good Han…

All these places show that there can be no sincerity and seriousness in this duty, unless there be this ascension of the soul to God, it is an act of spiritual friendship, therefore called an acquainting ourselves with God (Job 22:21). Now as acquaintance is kept up by frequent…

So his works of judgment (Psalm 119:120): My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments, when the wicked of the earth are put away like dross. A lion trembles to see a dog beaten before him, and it is imputed as a fault to the wicked, that they do not take…

I fear many of us are guilty of a kind of spiritual fine-spun Idolatry, by heterogeneous thoughts in holy duties, that pluck us from God, when we are approaching to him. The Lord humble us for this, and fix our thoughts upon God, that we may say as the Church (Isaiah 26:8), The…

Do I not hate them, O Lord, that hate thee. So holy Desire, exercised in Longings, Hungrings and Thirstings after God and Holiness, is often mentioned in Scripture as an important Part of true Religion; Isaiah 26. 8. The Desire of our Soul is to thy Name, and to the Remembrance…

Many shall be purified and made white and tried: But the Wicked will do wickedly: And none of the Wicked shall understand. Isaiah 26:10. Let Favour be showed to the Wicked, yet will he not learn Righteousness; in the Land of Uprightness will he deal unjustly.

"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusts in you; yes, in the shadow of your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast" (verse 1). This trust and dependance on God, though it is not argumentative in respect of the dignity of the act…

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…

(2.) The peculiar care and kindness of Providence to us, is a consideration which exceedingly heightens the mercy in it self, and endears it to us. So, when in general calamities upon the world, w are exempted by the favor of Providence, covered under its wings; when God shall c…

Your betters have waited long upon God for mercy, and why should not you? David waited till his eyes failed, Psalm 69. 3 The Church waited for him in the way of his judgements, Isaiah 26:8 Are you better than all the saints that are gone before you? Is God more obliged to you th…

It's plain, that this is our duty, because the neglect of it is every where in Scripture condemned as a sin. To be of an heedless inobservant temper is very displeasing to God; and so much appears by that Scripture, Isaiah 26:11 Lord when your hand is lifted up they will not see…

Take him as he was a magistrate, when Job sat in judgment or had any business brought before him, he gave every one his due, he did not spare or smite upon ends; he did neither at any time justify the wicked or condemn the godly, but was upright in judgment: he was not biased by…

Her case is in the last words, I am sick of love: a strange disease, yet natural to a believer. This sickness implies pain as of a woman in travail, whose showers are sharp, and pangs vehement till she bring forth: The same word is used to this purpose, (Isaiah 26:17) Like as a…

It is said (Daniel 9:13), all this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer to the Lord our God; and when God had consumed Israel because of their iniquities, the prophet complains (Isaiah 64:7), there is none that calls upon your Name, that stirs up himself to take hold…

Then shall be accomplished concerning Antichrist the things which are written in the 18th chapter of Revelation of the spiritual Babylon, that great city Rome, or the idolatrous Roman government, that has for so many ages been the great enemy of the Christian church, first under…

Hitherto there have been diverse lords: the Heathens had their several Deities, the Turks their Mahomet, the Jews their imaginary Messiah, the Papists their lord the Pope — many nations do not as yet call Christ Lord. Other lords have dominion over them (Isaiah 26:13). But then…

He has a hiding place and a covert, and rivers of water, and the shadow of a great rock for his security. This is the great mystery of faith in this matter of our acceptation with God by Christ: whereas the soul of a believer finds enough in himself and upon himself to rend the…

It is spoken of him in reference to his being sent by Christ after his ascension: I will send him who proceeds — namely, when I send him. As God is said to arise out of his place, Isaiah 26:21, not in regard of any change in him but of the new work he would effect, so here the m…

Answer: 1. It is no otherwise the work of the Spirit, but as all graces and good works which are in us, are his: he works in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). He works all our works in us (Isaiah 26:12); the work of faith with power (2 Thessalonia…

Pray, there is the insufficiency of it, and the necessity of his watching, by whose power we are effectually preserved, and that power is our fort. Salvation has God appointed for walls and bulwarks (Isaiah 26:1), what more safe than to be walled with salvation itself. So (Prove…

Now you have but one to serve, and that's a great ease, and it's no slavery, but true honor to serve so excellent a lord and in so high services: for he puts you upon nothing, but what is neat and what is honorable, you are as a vessel of honor in his house for his best employme…

This is of great importance. You know the very notion of prayer, it is a visiting of God (Isaiah 26:16): O Lord, in trouble have they visited you; they poured out a prayer, when your chastening was upon them. Praying to God, and visiting of God, are equivalent expressions.

"Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness, to them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:11). "When your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righte…

The first step of coming out of this kingdom of darkness, is, when we find it to be a heavy burden, and grow weary of the Devil's government, though it be but out of a principle of self-love. (Isaiah 26:13) O Lord, other lords besides you have had dominion over us; but by you on…

2. This is what I mean, That after conversion God still concurs; He does not only give grace, but actual help in the work of obedience: He works all our works in us. (Isaiah 26:12) His actual help is necessary to direct, quicken, strengthen, protect and defend us. To direct us:…

1. Whose word it is. God's word; and your best affections are due to him (Isaiah 26:8). Our desires are to you, and to the remembrance of your name.

3. To try our love. Though we be not feasted with felt comforts, and present benefits, yet God will try the deportment of his children, if indeed he be the delight of their hearts (Isaiah 26:8). Indeed, in the way of your judgments, O Lord, have we waited for you.

And therefore God concurs by his actual assistance, sometimes in a more liberal and plentiful manner, by the freer aids and assistances of his grace, and sometimes more sparingly, according to his own pleasure. He does not only give us the habits of grace, he works all our works…

Paul was better at willing than at doing (Romans 7:18 — to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not). And other of the saints of God, though they could not plead their exact performance and their full and effectual compliance with the will of God…

God will try the deportment of his children, whether they will adhere to him when he seems to cast them off. It is not said, In the way of your mercies, but, In the way of your judgments, O Lord, have we waited for you; the desire of our soul is to your name, and to the remembra…

They that know anything of God's custom, and have learned from others, or experienced themselves, or by searching into the records of time have found with what wisdom and power, justice and mercy God governs the world, will be firmly grounded in their trust and reliance on him,…

Here is first a note of discovery; for men are judged by their desires, rather than their practices, as being freest from constraint: And this is humbly represented by the children of God, to incline his favor and compassion to them (Nehemiah 1:11): Let your ear be attentive to…

Those that have spiritual affections will take all occasions to remember God's name. In adversity for their comfort (Isaiah 26:8-9): "Indeed in the way of your judgments, O Lord, have we waited for you: the desire of our soul is to your name, and to the remembrance of you: with…

2. This straying humor is much increased and encouraged by prosperity, which though it be good in itself, yet so perverse are we by nature, that we are the worse for it. That the wicked are the worse for it is clear (Isaiah 26:10): Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will the…

2. It quickens others to be more careful of their duty, more watchful against sin, and does exercise and improve us in heavenly virtues and graces of the Spirit which lay dormant in us through neglect, since pleasing objects which deaden the heart are removed. Even God's best ch…

Self-confidence, and spiritual security is apt to grow upon them; therefore to mortify our self-confidence, to awaken us out of spiritual sleep, we need to be afflicted, and also to quicken and rouse up a spirit of prayer. We grow cold and flat, and ask mercies for form's sake (…

These proclaim a war with the Lord of Hosts, especially when not reclaimed by grievous judgments. (Isaiah 26:19) I will break the pride of your power. And this is that we should lay to heart at this day.

Can you love God, though you be not feasted with self-comforts, and present benefits? (Isaiah 26:8) Indeed, in the way of your judgments, O Lord, have we waited for you, etc. Our affections are bribed, when desired comforts are presently obtained; God will see if we purely love…

2ndly, His power is eternal: therefore it is said (Romans 1:20) that his eternal power and Godhead is clearly understood from the creation of the world, and seen in the things that are made; how could else so many things be educed out of nothing, and still kept from returning in…

They did not seek him by fits and girds, nor in a time of trouble and affliction only as many do. Lord, in trouble have they visited you, they poured out a prayer when your chastening was upon them (Isaiah 26:16). Many when God visits them, then they visit him, but not till then…