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…

The disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, having made that great confession of him, in distinction and opposition to them who accounted him only as a Prophet, you are Christ the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:14, 15, 16), he does on the occasion thereof, give out to them that g…

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.

So does David also (Psalm 15:17), and in sundry other places. And Isaiah is express to the same purpose (Isaiah 26:19): "Your dead shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise: awake and sing, you that dwell in dust: for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth…

This indignation to be executed by fire is described in the last place by its efficacy and effects: it is the fire that shall devour, or eat up the adversaries. The expression is taken from Isaiah 26:11. For the fire of your enemies, is there, not that which the enemies burn wit…

Now they are from him, when we acknowledge him, and deny our selves in all we do: when so to do is the frame and disposition of our hearts: when there is that principle in us, that enables us (through divine assistance) so to do; and disposes our hearts to desire that we actuall…

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…

But Christ is not only the author, but the great conservator of the peace between us and heaven, partly by his intercession: as foreign states have their agents in princes' courts to preserve a mutual correspondence; so Christ takes up all differences that fall out between us an…

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…

Psalm 130:1: Out of the depths I called upon you, O Lord: that is, when I was in my greatest misery, and as it were, not far from the gulfs of hell, then I cried to God. Isaiah 26:16: Lord, in trouble have they visited you: they poured out a prayer when your chastening was upon…

Now all creatures in the world are subject to breaking, your estates are in danger to be broken in pieces, therefore they are not Gods; that's the argument of the Holy Ghost here: yes it may be many of your estates are broken in pieces already, Oh what poor Gods were those that…

We have had a fair season, and we have seemed to be very busy, the Lord grant we do not sow the wind, as it follows in the next words, They have sown to the wind: This is a proverbial speech that signifies, the taking a great deal of pains to little purpose: as a man that should…

And one thing that we have good reason to understand by it, is her exercising strong desires, and wrestling and agonizing with God in prayer, for this event; because we find such figures of speech used in this sense elsewhere: so, Galatians 4:19, "My little children, of whom I t…

When He slew them, they sought Him." The prophet has similar things (Isaiah 26:10, 11). For dispensations of divine providence of this kind very often so affect the minds of sinful men that, though they "have brass and triple iron around their hearts," they cannot restrain thems…

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…

The reasons of this are taken, 1 from their envy, 2 from their carnal fear, the two principles whereby they are acted in reference to the Saints of God. 1. Their envy: They have a devouring envy at them, which at length shall shame them and consume them (Isaiah 26:11). They are…

Besides they observe the number of the verses at the end of every book: as also that [in non-Latin alphabet] in [in non-Latin alphabet] Leviticus 11:42 is the middle letter of the Law; [in non-Latin alphabet], Leviticus 10:16 the middle word; Leviticus 13:33 the middle verse; th…

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…

Looking on them in this state, they have principles (as I said) that will carry them out to an enquiry into their state and condition. 1. They are full of envy against them; "They shall be ashamed of their envy at your people" (Isaiah 26:11). Looking on them, as wholly separated…

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…

Now the means used with them are of two sorts. (1.) Such as are afforded to the Gentiles, who have not the Gospel, namely, the light of a natural conscience, and the common strivings of the Spirit of God in them; they are therefore said to be a law to themselves, and their consc…

Psalm 139:17: How precious are your thoughts to me. And the Church says (Isaiah 26:8): Yea, in the way of your judgements we have waited for you, O Lord, the desire of our soul is to your name. Jeremiah 15:16: Your words were found, and I did eat them, and your word was to me th…

And these and the like the soul is more able to bear: that the habit and stock is rich, as Christ, from the personally indwelling Godhead, was strong in his desertions peculiar to him; and the richer the habit of grace be, the more able is the soul to stand out: the strong ship…

Proud fools would cashier both Law and Gospel: but that eminent preacher Mr. Will. Fenner, God will not help that man to go that has legs to go and will not. God is to be waited for in the way of his judgements (Isaiah 26:8), so you must not look to fetch God out of his walk, th…

He is not a gracious guest who sets on fire his own lodging. With my soul I have desired you in the night; yea, with my spirit within me early will I seek you: and that is a work of the Spirit to learn righteousness, when the Lord's judgments are on the earth (Isaiah 26:9). v. 1…

Again, as it is Idolatry, so it is a vain thing to do it; for we are not able to do it (Psalm 37:5). He will bring it to pass; there the Lord takes it as peculiar to him only; therefore in Isaiah 26:12 (you may compare them both together) it is said there, Lord you will ordain p…

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…

1. In that it is compared to things of the most infallible increase and progress: for besides that, its growth is frequently likened to that of plants and trees well watered, and in a fruitful soil, which fail not to spring, unless it be from some external violence; it is likewi…

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…