Isaiah 52

If Christ would not lie in an unclean grave, surely he will not be received into an unclean heart. (Isaiah 52:11) Be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. If they who did carry the vessels of the Lord were to be holy, then they who are to be the vessels of the Lord, and are t…

What would have become of us all forever if it had not been for this? See how the Evangelical Prophet comments upon it (Isaiah 52:6): "All we like lost sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." And ther…

This is evident by Scriptures and experience. Isaiah 52:14. That which has not been told them, shall they see, and that which they have not heard, they shall understand. Isaiah 55:5. Behold you shall call a nation, which you have not known: and nations that knew not you shall ru…

The Baptism of John was his doctrine (Acts 19:3). And the Baptism of Christ was the doctrine of Christ, wherewith he was to sprinkle many nations (Isaiah 52:15). This is the first Baptism of the Gospel, even its doctrine.

So the promise of God in particular is called his good word (Jeremiah 29:10): After seventy years I will visit you and perform my good word towards you; as he calls it the good thing that he had promised (chap. 33:14). The Gospel is the good tiding of peace and salvation by Jesu…

Lastly, if we confess and believe God to be the father of Christ, and in him our father also; then in regard of our conduct, we must not frame ourselves like the world: but the course of our lives must be in righteousness and true holiness. Paul exhorts the Corinthians to separa…

What was the effects of his patience to them of Assyria and Babylon? The Lord himself telleth you (Isaiah 52:5): My Name every day is blasphemed; that was all he got by it: his people suffered in person, and God himself in his reputation; all that he got was blasphemies, and rep…

This looks back to the former verse, where there is mention made of the City of God, ver. 4. There is a River, the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God; by this City of God, is meant Jerusalem, which is called the City of Jehovah, Isa. 60. 14. and the holy City, Isa.…

For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Isaiah 52:6, 7, 8: Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day, that I am he that does speak: Behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are…

O what would Sabbath days, and weekdays, your lying down and rising up, your living and dying been, if these news had not been? You should have had a sinful and sad life, and a most comfortless and terrible death; therefore think this gospel a thing of more worth than you do, an…

2. Because this bearing of our griefs and sorrows is such a piece of Christ's humiliation, as thereby he took on all the griefs and sorrows of all the Elect at once, both of these who lived in Isaiah's time, and of these who lived before, and since his time, and therefore cannot…

Therefore, when the cup is put in His hand, at which His holy human nature some way shrunk and [reconstructed: startled], yet He takes it pleasantly, saying, But for this cause came I to this hour; and prosecutes His work courageously, and constantly, till He bring forth judgmen…

2. Faith comes not by hearing the creatures preach Christ. 3. The Prophets and Apostles, not the dumb and lifeless creatures have pleasant feet on the Mountains to preach peace, as it is verses 14-16, cited from Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15. But the native sense of the words, vers…

By the Holy City is meant Jerusalem, for this name is given to it in other Scriptures (Isaiah 58:2): They call themselves of the Holy City. And (Isaiah 52:1): O Jerusalem, the Holy City. And in many other places it was so called because it was the seat of God's Worship, and the…

In the 47th chapter of this book, he said to Babylon: Come down, and sit in the dust. And in (Isaiah 32:18) he said of the Jews themselves: My people shall sit in the dust: and yet on the contrary, in (Isaiah 52:1-2) he says: Arise, arise, O Zion, put on the garments of your bea…

The holiness of Jerusalem (verse 35) depended on his promise. It was the holy city, (Isaiah 52:1) because God had selected it to be the seat and residence of his empire. When men swear by their head, (verse 36,) they bring forward their life, which is a remarkable gift of God, a…

It also causes them to delight to hear the Word of God preached: It makes the Gospel a joyful Sound to them; Psalms 89. 15. And makes the Feet of those who publish these good Tidings, to be beautiful; Isaiah 52. 7. How beautiful upon the Mountains are the Feet of him that bringe…

And from there they that abuse it to their lusts, are said to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 4), that is, the doctrine of it, which is the Gospel. And therefore under the Old Testament, it is called the preaching or declaring of glad tidings, tidings of peace, a…

Besides as the Scripture is silent, as to any thing that may give the least color to this pretence, so it delivers that which is contrary to it, and destructive of it; for it informs us, that the season of the coming of the Messiah shall be a time of great sin, darkness and mise…

My servant Messiah in whom I rest. Isa. 52:13. Behold my servant shall prosper. Targum, [in non-Latin alphabet]; Behold § 43 my servant the Messiah shall prosper; in these words begins that prophesie which takes up the remainder of this Chapter, and that whole Chapter that follo…

Famine had eaten up, not only their flesh, but their form, misery had altered their very complexion and visage; they who shined before like rubies and sapphires for color and comeliness, were now dark as a coal, or dusky like ashes, they were not known to be the same men and wom…

If wee say, Halowed be your name with our mouth, and seeke not his honour in our life, we bewray in our selues damnable hypocrisie, and make profession of that sinne which the Lord utterly detests: we esteeme very basely of dissemblers among men; but much more edious is this sin…

The answers to this are so many observations from the words, and the first is, That these who are trusted by Christ to be keepers of the vineyard, and his ministers, ought also to be respected by the people over whom they are set; and Christ allows this on them. 2. Where Christ…

And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living [that is, has a name to live, or is enrolled among the saints] in Jerusalem. Isaiah 52:1. Put on your beautiful garment…

Psalm 79:5. How long Lord, will you be angry, for ever? And especially a gracious heart is saddened most at the outgoings of wrath against prayer (Psalm 80:4), in which the Mediator, and the precious name of God, in a manner, seem to suffer (Psalm 42:3, 10; Psalm 83:1, 2, 3; Isa…

For, could a man be carried away by the praise of men, by the voice and breath of man, on the one side; or could he be discouraged by the scoffs of men on the other side, if he did fully believe this principle? It is impossible he should, as (Isaiah 52). As if he should say, It…

Well then, the scandal being so great, the prayer of Christ so urgent, God will at one time or another do somewhat eminently and visibly to right the honor of Jesus Christ, and to recover the luster of Christianity, and our glorious profession: for I take this for granted, that…

He kept no court, nor house of entertainment, nor (though he made all things) had of his own where to lay his head. Nor 2. was it with respect to the outward form of the flesh which he was made, wherein he took our nature on him, as we see the glory of a comely or beautiful pers…

They that reflect upon his truths and ways, his word and ordinances, reflect upon him, he that touches these touches the apple of his eye; if therefore we have any love to God, or concern for his honor, and have cordially espoused the interests of his kingdom, what is an affront…

He is a rock, and a stone of offense to those that do not believe, but to you precious; and so Christ, though he be a reproached Christ, yet to you he is precious; to a godly and gracious heart how precious is Jesus Christ? There is a notable place concerning the reproaches of C…

1. The glorious excellencies of his deity, considered in itself, abstracting from the office which for us, as God and man, he undertook. 2. Nor the outward appearance of his human nature, neither when he conversed here on earth, bearing our infirmities, (whereof, by reason of th…

3. This satisfaction does not reconcile us unless it be applied. Therefore there is not only mention of blood, but the sprinkling of it, the Spirit by faith sprinkles the soul as with hyssop, wherewith the sprinkling was made, this is it of which the Prophet speaks (Isaiah 52:15…

His king that he has set on his holy hill, shall grow in his conquests and glory, and all that rise against him shall he break with a rod of iron. He was humbled once, but his glory shall be forever, as many were astonished at him, his visage being marred more than any man; they…

A third proof of this truth, is taken from the prophecies of the old Testament, foretelling and persuading such a duty in the New (Isaiah 52:8): "with the voice together shall they sing." And that is foretold of the times, when the feet of the messengers of glad tidings shall be…

As for Scripture examples, giving us to understand that it has been so; that God has been weary with forbearing, and caused his anger to break in upon such as have been his visible people, and enjoyed vineyard-privileges; they are for our admonition, and tell us that what God ha…

Sure Paul must give a dark interpretation (Romans 10) of that Psalm. Second, if the hearing (Romans 10:18) — "But I say, have they not heard?" — be the hearing of God as Creator, his sounding [illegible] in the firmament, night, day, and sun, as it is (Psalm 19:4), by all that s…

Hence his wisdom and practical understanding of the Law of God and practical conclusions. He had the Spirit of counsel, as the greatest of statesmen for government (Isaiah 52:13): Behold my Servant shall deal prudently. And so, when we are in perplexities and know not what to do…

2. It is necessary that the promises that are our writs and charters of heaven be in a surer hand than in our own, to wit, in the keeping of Christ: for this is an absolute promise made to us (Ezekiel 36:26), "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within…

He has assured us where it is not, and given us the character of all the broken cisterns that we are ready to take up at, and told us where only the waters of life are to be had. Notwithstanding all the predictions which had been of Christ before, yet when he came he was not kno…

He kept no court, nor house of entertainment, nor (though he made all things) had of his own where to lay his head. Nor (2) was it with respect to the outward form of the flesh which he was made, wherein he took our nature on him, as we see the glory of a comely or beautiful per…

9. That which leads a man with Paul and Silas to sing psalms in the stocks, in prison, and in scourges, that is a strong faith; Job is known from this to be strong in the faith, because being made a most miserable man in regard of heavy afflictions, he could bless God. A strong…

4. (Hebrews 7:22) Christ is the surety of the better Covenant: and in this the Father is surety for Christ, if he undertakes for David, and Hezekiah (Psalm 119:122; Isaiah 38:14). Far more for his own Son; God has given his word for Christ, he shall do the work (Isaiah 52:13): B…

Now the very grace itself which thus settles the soul, I take to be patience: for it is without all doubt, the drift 1. Some take the preparation of the Gospel to be a readiness to preach the Gospel, thinking that the Apostle alludes to that prophecy of Isaiah; How beautiful are…

Isaiah 40:9: 'O Zion, that brings good tidings, get up into the high mountain! O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up your voice with strength! Lift up, and be not afraid! Say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God!' Isaiah 52:7-8: 'How beautiful upon the mountains, are…

It is Christ as Mediator of whom we speak; and therefore by the Grace of his Person I understand not; First, the Glorious Excellencies of his Deity considered in it self, abstracting from the Office which for us as God and Man be undertook. 2. Nor the outward appearance of his h…

And when he is said to be the image of the invisible God, the term God is to be taken [in non-Latin alphabet] for the Person of the Father, and not [in non-Latin alphabet] for the nature, or substance, or essence of God. 3. Christ is the essential image of the Father in his divi…