Isaiah 58

A true child of God fears nothing so much as the loss of his Father's presence (Hosea 9:12): Woe to them when I depart from them. 2. Love to our heavenly Father is seen by loving his day (Isaiah 58:13): If you call the Sabbath a delight. The ancients called this Regina Dierum, t…

Fourth sign of sanctification is the spiritual performance of duties, namely with the heart, and from a principle of love. The sanctified soul prays out of love to prayer, he calls the Sabbath a delight (Isaiah 58:13). A man may have gifts to admiration, he may speak as an angel…

It is a day of sweet rest. This day we must call a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable (Isaiah 58:13). Metal that has the King's stamp upon it is honorable, and of great value.

So when we see the light of a Sabbath shine we should rejoice. Isaiah 58:13: "You shall call the Sabbath a delight." This is the queen of days, which God has crowned with a blessing.

5. Having heard the Word in a holy and spiritual manner, for the further sanctification of the Sabbath, confer of the Word. We are forbidden on this day to speak our own words (Isaiah 58:14), but we must speak of God's Word. Speak of the sermon as you sit together; this is one p…

You see the manner of sanctifying the Lord's Day, by reading, meditation, prayer, hearing of the Word, and by singing of Psalms, to make melody to the Lord. Now, besides what I have said for the keeping this day holy, let me make a short comment or paraphrase on that Scripture (…

Fifthly, God remembers all our deeds of charity, and takes them kindly at our hands. Hebrews 6:10. God is not unrighteous to forget your labor of love which you have shown toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints. The chief butler may forget Joseph's kindness,…

We are to extend our liberality by virtue of a membership. Isaiah 58. 7. That you hide not yourself from your own flesh. The poor are ex eodem luto, they are fellow-members of the same body.

We shall first open the words a little, and then speak to some doctrines from them, reserving the uses to the close of all. 1. Where it is said, He was oppressed, the word signifies to exact; and we find it three ways applied in Scripture: 1. To the exacting of tribute, as (2 Ki…

Our second disease is, we forget that he that created the love of Christ in the heart, can only cure our love, when it is sick for Christ: As he that created the first world can rule it, so he that created the second new world, can guide it, and all the creatures in it, though o…

This makes walking after the Spirit, and a parting from iniquity and being pure in Spirit and dying to [illegible] of no interest in Christ, contrary to (Romans 8:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:19; Matthew 5:8; 1 Peter 2:4; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:18), and contrary to the whole Gospel: which…

If he prayed for this Transfiguration, observe, That God often answers his people in the very time while they are praying (Isaiah 58:9). When they call I will answer, and when they cry he shall say, Here I am.

There 1. Take notice of the ground which the devil chose for the conflict: he takes him up into the Holy City, and sets him on the pinnacle of the Temple. By the Holy City is meant Jerusalem, for this name is given to it in other Scriptures (Isaiah 58:2): They call themselves of…

Again, we have in Paul an example of boldness and liberty in reproving of sin. This was a thing commanded to the prophets and apostles (Isaiah 58:1): Cry and spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, show my people their transgression. (Jeremiah 1:17): Truss up your loins, a…

You shall love] understand both the affection, and the duties of love. Your neighbor] any one that is near to us in respect of man's nature (Isaiah 58:7): though he be our enemy, yet if by any occasion he be offered to us by God, he is our neighbor. As yourself] these words sign…

I have satisfied myself in correcting you, it is time now therefore you should begin to take some ease. And therefore by the word To shine, under a figure he means a recovery of health, and a flourishing estate: as heretofore by darkness, (Isaiah 58:10 and 59:9) he signified the…

In the French version our Author quotes a similar passage from the book of Psalms, (37:6;) “and he shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noon-day” — Editor (Isaiah 58:8.) In this way, his blessing always rises above all unjust slanders.

So it was with the Pharisees; they made long Prayers, and fasted twice a Week. False Religion may cause Persons to be loud and earnest in Prayer: Isaiah 58. 4. Ye shall not fast as ye do this Day, to cause your Voice to be heard on high.

But, if they be not so, any one's asking him how he likes that dish, (because that occasions a more express animadversion), will also draw from him an acknowledgment that it is pleasant and savory. 2. That a dead religion may be thought delightful; and through the ill temper of…

First, the vehemency of their sorrow, as when a man does lift up his voice and speak, he speaks vehemently. (Isaiah 58:3) Lift up your voice like a trumpet, that is, speak with a loud and strong voice; so here, they lifted up their voice and wept, that is, they wept vehemently,…

This indeed will hardly be obtained at trades-mens hands, but yet they must know that the whole Sabbath day is the Lords, wherin he wil be worshipped with delight, neither ought men to doe therein their own workes, nor seeke their own wills, nor speake their own words. Isa. 58.…

That we approoue our selues & our action to God in fasting, we must be sure we propound unto our selues therein the right ends of a religious fast which we have before propoūded; for if we faile therein, and propound other ends unto our selues, we corrupt the whol action unto o…

She is not like a city without walls, exposed to every assault and temptation, but has a hedge of divine protection, which is as a wall of fire about her to defend her; and also a guard of watchfulness and holy fear, in the exercise of which the believer has rule over his own sp…

This she must be some singular person, and so it proves his scope, laid down, verse 9. 2. The matter of the words, sets out her loveliness in four expressions or similitudes, tending to one thing, namely to show the radiance (to speak so) of the Church, and her ravishing beauty:…

For it is moral and rational that the whole of that day, which is set apart for the worship of God, should be employed in his worship. This likewise is moral, and of spiritual obligation, that we do not our own pleasure, nor speak our own words on his holy day, as the prophet ex…

The Protestants in France called their church Paradise, because there they met with God. The Jews called the Sabbath, desiderium dierum, the desire of days (Isaiah 58:13). You shall call the Sabbath a delight.

Variety of voices please the ear: variety of colors delight the eye; the same meat prepared several ways, pleases the palate more, and clogs it less. [reconstructed: But] O the variety of choice dishes with which God entertains his people in a [reconstructed: Sabbath]! as the Wo…

The everlasting gospel is a testimony (Matthew 24:14), either to us to convince us, or against us to condemn us, and then no wonder if those speak against it who hate to be convinced by it, and dread to be condemned by it. The prophet complains of those that laid snares for him…

Tenthly, it is a blessed thing to be with them, though with some hardship, because God is working more and more good for his people every day: Now he is about fulfilling the glorious promises that we have in the Prophets, to make an end of all the glory that he does intend in th…

Is this to undo the heavy burdens? Or is it not to lay burden upon burden (Isaiah 58:6)? 4. Others, that are at some charges for their servants' sickness, do so mutter at their servants, and fling out such discontented speeches (namely, that they took them for their work, and no…

This is a condition that not seldom befalls men in their pilgrimage. The Israelites under a sense of their sin, drew near to God with much diligence and earnestness, with fasting and prayer (Isaiah 58). Many expressions are made of their earnestness in the work (verse 2): They s…

We suck in carnal principles with our milk, and therefore we are said to speak lies from the womb. A kind of a riddle — before we are able to speak, we speak lies; namely as we are prone to error and all manner of carnal fancies by the natural temper and frame of our hearts (Isa…

There are boisterous lusts, and a man has much ado to keep his path (Psalm 73). My foot had well nigh slipped; therefore we had need God should keep us continually. And the Lord has undertaken to guide us (Isaiah 58:11). The Lord shall guide you continually. And (Psalm 48:14). H…

Delight in God's ways is promised as a gift of God, and as the result of our obedience. (Isaiah 58:13-14) If you turn away your foot from the sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, etc. Then you will delight yourself in the Lord, etc. A…

Ainsworth says the word in the text signifies, I will solace and recreate myself; and Psalm 1:2. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in that law does he exercise himself day and night, as was before cited. 2. Especially upon the Lord's day: Isaiah 58:13. You shall call th…

God reckons upon it, surely you will make conscience of truth, not only in your oaths (certainly that's a barbarous thing to break the most sacred engagements that are among mankind, therefore you will be careful to perform what you have sworn to the Lord with your hands lifted…

1. There is a general direction, and a particular direction: (1) The general direction is in the word, there God has declared his mind in his statutes: He has shown you, O man, what is good (Micah 6:8). (2) A particular direction by his Spirit, who does order and direct us how t…

Take a third, and that shall be from the Old Testament. (Isaiah 58:2) see what God says of that people; he gives them a very high character for a choice people one would think. They seek me daily, they delight to know my way, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not t…

If for the not doing of such duties they should and might do, they only want [illegible], then if they had done such and such according to their power (as they could) and improvement of their abilities, then they had received grace undoubtedly, which has been fully confuted by t…

Such shall be filled. God charges us to fill the hungry (Isaiah 58:10). He blames those who do not fill the hungry (Isaiah 32:6).

Fourth, such as see others going on in sin, but do not tell them of it. When men declare their sin as Sodom, it is the minister's duty to lift up his voice like a trumpet, and show the house of Jacob their sin (Isaiah 58:1). Zeal in the ministry is as proper as fire on the altar.

He shall have peace with others; the hearts of all shall be united to him. All shall honor him; he shall be called the repairer of the breach (Isaiah 58:12). To conclude: the peacemaker shall die in peace; he shall carry a good conscience with him and leave a good name behind hi…

Christian, are you to seek God in an extraordinary manner? Seek him sorrowing (Luke 2:48). Would you have the smiles of God's face, the kisses of his lips? Set open all the springs of mourning, and then God will draw near to you in an ordinance, and say, Here I am (Isaiah 58:9).…

Psalm 40:8: I delight to do your will, O God, your law is within my heart. It's true there is a new delight in the heart, but not a delight of the new heart (Isaiah 58:2; John 5:35), for a delight in the Gospel as a good thing, not as a good Gospel, a delighting in Christ as a P…

Question. Is Prayer a sign of a godly man, may not a hypocrite pray eloquently, and with seeming devotion? Answer. He may, Isaiah 58 verse 2. they seek me daily; but a hypocrite does not pray [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], in the spirit, Ephesians 6 verse 18. A man may have the gi…

Use 1 How far are they out of the way of Godliness, who are unspiritual in their worship? who do not duties from a renewed principle, and with the utmost intention of soul, but merely to stop the mouth of conscience: many people look no farther than the bare doing of duties, but…

Thus God himself in the midst of a multitude of Duties calls the People to try and examine themselves whether or no they are such as have Faith and Grace in them, and so like to have acceptance with him. Isa. 58:2, 3, 4, 5. 2.

4th Commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, etc. He breaks this commandment: who labors in the servile works of his ordinary calling (Nehemiah 13:15); who travels abroad on his ordinary business (Exodus 16:24); who keeps fairs and markets on this day (Nehemiah 13:15); who works h…

The Jews at their feasts, poured ointment upon their guests, and kissed them; Here Christ pours the oil of gladness into the heart, and kisses us with the kisses of his lips. This is the King's Bath where we wash and are cleansed of our leprosy: The withered soul, after the rece…

Herod heard John Baptist gladly, Matthew 6:20. And those that fasted for strife and debate, did delight to know God's ways, Isaiah 58:2. An hypocrite may, out of some flashy hopes of heaven, show a delight in goodness; but yet it is not such a delight as is found in the regenera…