Isaiah 56

Answer. 1. Not to do what he pleases: he is freed from the dominion of sin, the tyranny of Satan, the curse of the law. 2. He is free in the manner of worship; he has God's free Spirit which makes him free and cheerful in his service of God; he is joyful in the house of prayer (…

The oil of joy makes the wheels of obedience move faster. How fervently did they pray, whom God made joyful in the house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7). 3. Joy is the beginning of Heaven here; it is called the Kingdom of God (Romans 14:17), because it is a taste of that which the saint…

Love makes all our services acceptable, it is the musk that perfumes them. It is not so much duty, as love to duty God delights in; therefore serving and loving God are put together (Isaiah 56:6). It is better to love him than to serve him.

1. It is honorable serving of the true God: Servire Deo est regnare: It is more honor to serve God, than to have kings serve us. 2. Serving the true God is delightful (Isaiah 56:7): I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. God often displays the banner of his love in an or…

If a man carries a bag of money given him, it is heavy, but the delight takes off the burden. When God gives inward joy, that makes the commandment delightful (Isaiah 56:7). I will make them joyful in my house of prayer.

And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob. That is, I will feed you with all the delicious things of Canaan, and afterwards I'll translate you to Heaven, of which Canaan was but a type — and another promise (Isaiah 56:2): Blessed is the man that does this, that keeps the Sa…

Not only is the kingdom of Heaven delightful, but the way there: What delight has a gracious soul in prayer (Isaiah 56:7): I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. While a Christian weeps there is joy drops with tears; while he is musing on God he has such illapses of the…

Objection 1. Isaiah 56:4-5: The Lord says to eunuchs that keep his Sabbath and choose the thing that pleases him, that he will give them a place and a name better than the sons and daughters. Now (say they) a eunuch is one that lives a single life and keeps the vow of chastity,…

Consideration 13. Consider that, though God should deny you any more comforts of that kind, he has far better ones to bestow upon you — such as these deserve not to be named alongside. You have an excellent Scripture for this purpose in Isaiah 56:4-5: For thus says the Lord to t…

Come and receive a Savior; and the act of faith is a gripping to that offer, a receiving and embracing of it, a being well content to take a free discharge through His blood. A third expression is, Philippians 3:12, where faith is set out as an apprehending of Christ, and Hebrew…

We should be for Christ, as for our only perfecting end; but it is not so. Oh, men are for their own gain, from their quarter (Isaiah 56:10). Their eyes and hearts are not but for covetousness (Jeremiah 22:17).

2. Consider what God makes them. To him that lays hold on my covenant says the Lord (Isaiah 56:5): I will give within my house, and my walls, a name. But what is a name?

But the Scripture speaks of a true and solid blessedness in action (Psalm 119:1). Blessed are the undefiled in the way (Isaiah 56:2). Blessed is the man that does this (James 1:12).

Some expound, that the Lord would send true and faithful prophets which should remove and purge out those offenses of the Church, with which it was corrupted by false prophets, and wicked governors. For they, as he showed in (Isaiah 56:10-11), were the cause of the ruin of it, a…

A similar confusion may now be observed in Popery, though it is full of persons who are called pastors: for there is a prodigious crowd of those who under the name of clergy, eat up the flock. They are dumb dogs, (Isaiah 56:10,) and yet are not ashamed to make a vehement sound a…

13. It is written. Christ quotes two passages taken out of two Prophets; the one from Isaiah 56:7, and the other from Jeremiah 7:11. What was written by Isaiah agreed with the circumstances of the time; for in that passage is predicted the calling of the Gentiles.

The Prophets indeed have been talking of judgments and scourges; but what of that, we have got a protection, we have covenants in our pockets will be our security, so they were promised, and so they believed, as their words witness; If the overflowing scourge shall pass through,…

How have men risen early in the morning to follow strong drink, and continued to night, till wine inflamed them (Isaiah 5:11)? Come, they say, and I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (Isaiah 5…

In the Greek, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], I take pleasure; not only Heaven itself is delightful, but the way there. What ravishing delight has a gracious soul in prayer! (Isaiah 56:7): I will make them joyful in the house of prayer. What delight in holy contemplation!

[3.] Consider how profitable a meek and quiet spirit is. All people are for what they can get; it is that which the busy world is set upon, every one for his gain from his quarter (Isaiah 56:11). It is for this that they break their sleep, and spend their spirits, and raise so g…

And if God do begin to stir your hearts, now take the opportunity, choose the things that please him, and take hold of the Covenant; if you be convinced of the good ways of God, now close with them, cleave to them, let your hearts fasten, take such fast hold of the Covenant, as…

Fourthly, You that are the Servants of God, and God has so ordered it, as you are mean in the world, mean in your parts and estates, and mean in regard of your friends, be not discouraged, do not think, I am a poor contemptible man or woman, no body looks at me, or regards me; G…

For drunkards are not contented to become beasts themselves: but they do also draw others. And riot has always this inconvenience with it, that men encourage one another to drinking, saying: come on, let us eat and drink, after the same manner that the Prophet Isaiah speaks of (…

Man did not give the conditions, or treat about the making of them what they should be, but is only bound to submit to what God was pleased to offer and prescribe. We are not left free to model and bring down the terms to our own liking, to take hold of them, nor to appoint them…

We shall never stumble upon a good course by chance. (Isaiah 56:4) And choose the things that please me. Not take them upon some sudden motion, but after mature and serious deliberation.

They are not left free and indifferent for us to debate them, and modify, and mitigate, and bring them down to our own liking and humor. We are to take hold, not to appoint (Isaiah 56:4 and Romans 10:3), so that it binds our duty, as well as assures our comfort; our vote comes t…

He believes that a man must be changed that would be saved, but yet is not savingly changed by believing. Thus while others believe to salvation, he believes to damnation; for his web shall not become a garment, neither shall he cover himself with his works (Isaiah 56:9). Now th…

The prayer of the saints is as the singing of a bird; the finger of God's Spirit touching the strings of their hearts, they make melody to the Lord. Isaiah 56:7: Their sacrifices shall be accepted on my altar. Third, their tears are precious — they drop as pearls from their eyes.

Christians obey out of a principle of love, and then God's commandments are not grievous. Therefore in scripture, serving and loving God are put together (Isaiah 56:6). Nothing is grievous to him who loves; love lightens a burden and adds wings to obedience.

9. A spiritual prayer is when we pray out of love to prayer; A wicked man may pray, but he does not love prayer, Job 27 verse 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty? A godly man is carried upon the wings of delight; he is never so well as when he is praying; he is not force…

Fear the woful Dooms recorded, Prov. 1:24, 25, 26, 27, 28. Isa. 56:12 Chapter 66:4. to this purpose. And if any calamity, public or private, do overtake you under a neglect of these Duties, you will be wofully surprized, and not know which way to turn for Relief.

Christ tells Peter that he must forgive not till seven times only (which perhaps he thought to be very much) but seventy-seven times, and that in one day, if one returns seventy times and says 'it repents me.' Now if we must do this, who have not so much as a drop of mercy in us…

Secondly, this speculative enjoying of pleasures, and acting over sins thus in fancy, does appear in regard of things to come; which when we have in view, or any hopes of, men's thoughts go forth ahead to meet them, with how much contentment do men's thoughts entertain their des…

Use 2: Of reproof to such as were never yet pricked in heart or in conscience; If they that are pricked in conscience fall short of truth of grace, what will their case be that never yet were so much as pricked in conscience? You have many men so far off from being pricked in ei…

I would humbly desire of every minister that has thus long remained disaffected to this work, and has had contemptible thoughts of it, to consider whether he has not hitherto been like Michal, without any child, or at least in a great measure barren and unsuccessful in his work:…

Let wicked men enjoy their covetousness, and their pride, their malice, envy and revenge, and their sensuality and voluptuousness, in their behavior amongst men, and they will be willing to compound the matter with God, and submit to what forms of worship you please, and as ofte…