Isaiah 45

Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord he is God in Heaven above, and upon the Earth beneath there is none else. (Isaiah 45:21) A just God and a Savior, There is none beside me. There are many titular gods; kings represent God; their regal scepter…

He who can foretell things which shall surely come to pass, is the true God. God foretold that a virgin should conceive, he prefixed the time when the Messiah should be cut off (Daniel 9:26), he foretold the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, and who should be their deliverer (Is…

The fourth end is to let us see from where spiritual comforts and refreshings come — that God alone keeps the keys of that storehouse and alone dispenses them how and when he pleases. That we may know, as it is in Isaiah 45:6-7, that it is the Lord who forms the light and create…

How is that proved? Thus: I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things (Isaiah 45:6-7). If a man ask you how you know the true God from all false gods: you must answer, by the work of creation: for he alone is the maker of…

Israel my glory; as if God's glory lay in his people: all which shows what a high estimate God puts upon the righteous, in giving them such illustrious titles of honor. They are princes in all lands (Isaiah 45:16). Kings do minister to them (Isaiah 60:10), yea angels (Hebrews 1:…

God hath not said so yet; Prayer is a powerful Orator for mercy, it comes, as it were, with Letters of mandamus to heaven. Isa. 45. 11. Concerning the works of my hands command ye me. Prayer staves off wrath from a Land.

Heaven is the workhouse of all that befalls you; every evil is the birth that lay in the womb of an infinitely wise decree; so God is said to frame evil, as a potter does an earthen vessel (so [illegible] jatsar signifies) (Jeremiah 18:11); to frame a vessel of clay is a work of…

The Lord turned the hearts of the Egyptians, to hate his people, (Psalm 105:25). War and peace are from the free wills of men, as second causes, yet the Lord says, according to his absolute dominion, (Isaiah 45:7), I form the light and create darkness; I make peace and create ev…

O our Redeemer that bought us, our Saviour! O free grace! O free redemption! as Libertines now do, and yet they that deny sanctification, deny Christ who in their profession bought them; and it is ordinary for Scripture to affirm things of men as they speak and profess; as the S…

He prays like a king, who is in joint commission with God. If God puts that honor upon our prayers, that we are said to have power with God, as Jacob (Hosea 12:3) — that if God be never so angry, yet by taking hold of his strength, we hold his hands (Isaiah 27:5) — that God crie…

He has full right to dispose of the creature, as he pleases, and according to the counsel of his own will, to which we are to be subject without murmuring or complaining. We cannot say to him, what do you make? or why do you do this (Isaiah 45:9)? Woe to him that strives with hi…

Prayer has a kind of commanding compulsive power. That's a strange text (Isaiah 45:11) — Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command you me: So some take it; you shall find me as ready to do you service, as if you had me at command: y…

Hence we may gather, that we must make an open profession of our faith, if we mean to yield God his true service: and if any will keep his faith shut up in his heart, such a one shall be sure to have but a cold opinion instead of faith; because true faith brings forth a frank co…

The mode of expression may seem harsh, salvation from our enemies; but the meaning is obvious. No machinations or power, no wiles, no attacks will prevent our being delivered from them and saved "in the Lord with an everlasting salvation," (Isaiah 45:17.) 72. To perform the merc…

It will perhaps be objected, that this is inconsistent with that prophecy, I have not spoken in secret, nor in a dark corner: I said not in vain to the seed of Jacob, Seek me, (Isaiah 45:19;) or with the commendations which David pronounces on the Law, that it

For the eternal God, who by an oath makes this claim for himself, that before him every knee shall bow, (Isaiah 45:23,) at the same time swears that

And, indeed, what he formerly replied about the kingdom did not arise from a desire to be acquitted, but was only intended to maintain that he was the Redeemer anciently promised, before whom every knee ought to bow (Isaiah 45:23). Pilate wondered at this patience; for Christ, b…

They should profess that they rely only on Christ's righteousness and strength, and that they are devoted to him, as their only Lord and Saviour, and that they rejoice in him as their only righteousness and portion. It is foretold that all nations should be brought publicly to m…

And although Instances hereof are given us principally among the People of God, yet whereever Men in the World have been raised up to do great and wonderful things, whereby God executes his Judgments, fulfilles any of his Promises or his Threatnings, even they also have received…

Gal. 3. 1. And this Proposition of Christ has included in it an Invitation to all Convinced Sinners to come to him for Life and Salvation, Isa. 45. 2. Chap. 65. 1.

Sect. 57 But there is yet more in this matter: (First) as God has appointed the Consideration of Christ as an especial Ordinance to the Encrease of Holiness in us, so his Holy Obedience as proposed to us, has a peculiar Efficacy to that purpose beyond all other Instituted Exampl…

You never yet would submit to God; you never could willingly accept that God should have dominion over the world, and govern it for his own glory, according to his own wisdom. You, a poor worm, a potsherd, a broken piece of an earthen vessel, have dared to find fault and quarrel…

It was a weighty and savory speech, which a pious pen once saved from your Lordship's lips, namely, that you accounted the prayers of God's ministers and people, the best walls about your house. He that so accounts, doubtless understands that prayer engages providence (Isaiah 45…

O what exact proportions do Providences and Scriptures hold! little do men take notice of it. Why did Cyru contrary to all rules of State policy freely dismiss the Captives, but to fulfil that Scripture, Isaiah 45:13 So that it was well observed by One, That as God has stretcht…

So it may seem Satan here means, when he says, put forth your hand, that is, do it your own self, let no other have the handling of Job, but yourself. God does send such immediate afflictions; a man is afflicted in his body, in his estate and many other ways, and he cannot find…

For a soul to place the spring of its peace or comfort in any thing of its own, is to fall short of Christ, and to take up in self. We must not only be justified, but glory in him also, Isaiah 45:25. Men may make use of the evidence of their graces; but only as mediums to a fart…

I will neither fly like Jonah, nor bide like Adam, nor take any other course for deliverance. Says the soul, God is a God that hids himself from me, Isaiah 45:15. I walk in darkness and have no light, Chap.

4. It implies [reconstructed: intenseness or fullness] of spirit in the act of beholding; so rare an object, calls for greatest intention of heart, and gravest consideration of mind in the beholder: It's not every look or glance of the eyes that will discern it; But, 1. There mu…

Next, the Church (whose state and case is supposed to be the same naturally with the men of the world) is called from this her natural state, and from the remainders of such a frame, in two words: 1. Come, quite it, says he, and come with me, which is the same with that command…

2. That there is nothing beside him, that one can confidently boast of; for, this her boasting is so appropriate to him, as it is implied, to be utterly unsuitable that men should boast of any other thing, Let him that glories, glory in the Lord, that is, in him, and in no other…

We have many prophecies recorded which have already had their undoubted effects: not to instance in all, I shall only mention two; the one is that prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning the final destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:2), which received its full accomplishme…

And yet further, for their satisfaction, let us see what is spoken concerning oaths in the New Testament, or in the Old relating to it. In the Old we have a prophecy of what should be hereafter in the times of the gospel (Isaiah 45:23): I have sworn by myself, the word is gone o…

As much as to say, As there is no part of the channel or cavity of the sea anywhere, but what is covered with water; so there shall be no part of the world of mankind but what shall be covered with the knowledge of God. So it is foretold in Isaiah 45:22 that all the ends of the…

You shall Swear, The Lord lives, in Truth, in Judgment, and in Righteousness; and the Nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. (Compare this with Isaiah 45:23, 24, 25.) Jeremiah 44:26.

Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth, by the space of three years and six months; and he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth fruit. God has subjected t…

Therefore dig deep, and sweat, and labor, and take pains for him, and set by so much time in the day for him as you can; he will be won with labor. I, his exiled prisoner, sought him, and he has had compassion upon me, and has made a moan for me as he does for his own (Jeremiah…

Would we but more closely observe, and readily own the hand of God, in that which disquiets and provokes us, surely, though we regarded not man, yet if we had any fear of God before our eyes, that would reconcile us better to it, and suppress all intemperate and undue resentment…

So are kindness and power tempered in him! he makes us and mars us! he is our God, and our Goel, our redeemer. Look unto me (says he) and be saved, I am God and none else (Isaiah 45:22). Surely one shall say, in JEHOVAH have I strength and righteousness (verse 24).

God is said to be in him reconciling the world to himself, 2 Corinthians 5:18. And he becomes the Lord our righteousness, Isaiah 45:24-25. Third, there remains only to show that these attributes of God, so manifested and exercised, are powerful and able to bring us to the everla…

Bowing the knee, comprises the whole worship of God, both that which is moral, in the universal obedience he requires, and those peculiar ways of carrying it on, which are by him appointed. Isaiah 45:23. To me (says the Lord) every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear.

How much more when the things are so excellent, as our duty to God, blamelessness of conversation, hope of heaven and the like, which we have beaten our hearts about. But now when once Christ appears to the soul, when he is known in his excellency, all these things as without hi…

When it is discovered to them, they approve it with all their hearts and rest in it. Isaiah 45:24: surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. This is their voice and language when once the righteousness of God in Christ is made known to them: here is ri…

Therefore this Gospel provides us with divine Strength to fulfil these Duties; Christ is our Strength, as well as our Righteousness. He is exalted to bestow Repentance as well as Forgiveness; and Faith is the Gift of God, who creates us anew in Christ Jesus unto good Works, Isai…

Isaiah 53:5, 6, 10, 11. In the Lord shall we have Righteousness and Strength: In the Lord shall all the Seed of Israel be justified and shall glory, Isaiah 45:24, 25. And the Prophet Jeremiah expressly calls Christ the Lord our Righteousness, Jeremiah 23:6.

Salvation is the natural Word to express the Blessings we receive from Christ, as he is our Savior, that is Salvation from the Guilt of Sin and Punishment thereof, partly in this World, and chiefly in the World to come. Faith gives us a special Interest in these Blessings, by ch…

For he made us out of nothing; he is our potter, we his clay; he has such a power over us to dispose of us according to his will, as a potter over his clay, to form what vessel he pleases. Now for a man to strive with his Maker, it is as if the clay should lift up itself against…

As they that continue in the pursuit of the philosopher's stone find out many experiences, which are a satisfaction to their understandings; so one way or other we shall have cause to bless God. The God of Jacob has openly professed we shall not seek him in vain (Isaiah 45:19).…

For while we make our depraved will the rule and guide of our actions against his holy will, we plainly contend with him, whose will shall stand — his or ours; and so jostle him out of the throne, and pluck the crown off his head, and the scepter out of his hands, and usurp his…

1. As to comfort, it eases us of many sorrowful, troublesome and weary thoughts: we must fetch our comforts from God, the divine nature is the first fountain of them, therefore called the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). 2. As to duty and obedience: the reasons of our dut…

He is the first cause, He is to be sought to, He is to be appeased, if we would stop evil at the fountain head: for all creatures willingly or unwillingly obey him, and are subject to his empire and government (Amos 3:6). Is there any evil in the city, and I have not done it, sa…