Isaiah 8

Resp. 1. Externally, by his word (Psalm 119:105): Your word is a lamp to my feet. Such as pretend to have a light or revelation above the word, or contrary to it, never had their teaching from Christ (Isaiah 8:20). 2. Christ teaches these sacred mysteries, inwardly, by the Spiri…

And true child-like obedience must be regular, which implies three things: 1. It must be done by a right rule: Obedience must have the Word for its rule; Lydius Lapis (Isaiah 8:20). To the law, to the testimony.

He that believes makes not haste, (Isaiah 28:16). He will stay God's leisure; say not God has forsaken you, he will never lift up the light of his countenance, but rather say as the church, (Isaiah 8:17). I will wait upon the Lord which hides his face from the house of Jacob. 1.…

Response. The rule or measure we must examine ourselves by is the Holy Scripture: we must not make fancy, or the good opinion which others have of us, the rule by which we judge of ourselves. But as the goldsmith brings his gold to the touchstone, so must we bring our hearts to…

We may pray to be delivered from the evil of sin absolutely, but we must pray to be delivered from temporal evils conditionally, so far as God sees it fitting for us, and may stand with his glory. Use. In all the troubles that lie upon us, let us look up to God for ease and succ…

He is a Father in respect of grace, because we are regenerate by him, and accepted to be his sons by adoption through the merit of Christ. And in this respect the second person as well as the first is called a Father, and said to have an offspring or seed and children (Isaiah 9:…

Testimony 2. Isaiah 8:20: To the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

It is a rare piece of Christian wisdom to turn those passions of the soul which most predominate into spiritual channels — to turn natural anger into spiritual zeal, natural mirth into holy cheerfulness, and natural fear into a holy dread and awe of God. This method of cure Chri…

See (Job 19:12-17): And there you see, brethren, acquaintance, kinsfolk, familiar friends, manservant, maidservant, wife, young children, bone, skin, flesh, are all to Job as coals of the fire of hell. And (Isaiah 8:21-22): Men in this shall curse their king, and their god. Asse…

For Christ rebukes the Sadducees, You err not knowing the Scriptures, etc., because they believed not the consequences of Scripture as Scripture, and made not the like discourse, for the building of themselves in the faith. 3. The searching of the Scriptures is life eternal, the…

(3) That Christ should taste death for all, it being as good, as if all in person had not only sipped, but drunk death out to the bottom, and yet that the greatest part must drink death to the bottom again, is no gospel truth. (4) Nor is the Apostle's argument of weight, to exal…

So that if a man will have God for his Savior, he must look to him from one end of the earth to the other, we are at the utmost corner of the earth, and if we will be saved we must look up to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, as David looked towards the Temple at Jerusalem fo…

But to judge of Prophets, by the fruit of their doctrine, Matth. 7. 16. and of their doctrine by the touch-stone of the word. Isa 8:20. so that though the Deuill transforme himselfe into an angel of light; in fact, though an angel from heauen preach any other thing, beside that…

Isaiah had said of his own age, "The Lord will be for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offense, to both the houses of Israel," (Isaiah 8:14) From that time, the Jews hardly ever ceased to dash themselves against God, but the rudest shock was against Christ.

On this subject we may remark, that Christian writers have very strangely misapprehended the prediction contained in the next chapter, by applying it to Christ. The prophet there says, that, instructed by a vision, he “went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son,…

Now as nothing is more displeasing to God than when men are so eager to go beyond due bounds, he forbids them to inquire of magicians and soothsayers respecting the truth, and to consult pretended oracles after the manner of the Gentiles; and in order to restrain that itching cu…

I reply, As but a small portion embraced the word by faith for salvation, this passage relates to the greater number or the whole body; as Isaiah, after having predicted the general destruction of the nation, is commanded to seal the law of God among the disciples, (Isaiah 8:16.…

and as Isaiah had foretold that the God of armies would be to the whole people of Israel a stone of stumbling, on which they would dash themselves, (Isaiah 8:14) the Lord wisely made provision that such wickedness of men should not perplex believing souls.

Indeed, fear not their fear, neither be troubled: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: This place again has Saint Peter cited out of the Prophet Isaiah, where he has these words: Fear not their fear, neither be afraid of them: but sanctify God in your hearts, and let him be…

This Satan means when he undertakes that Job being afflicted, will curse God. So then to curse God is to blaspheme God in our thoughts and words, to think or speak unworthily of God, and the ways of God; see, if he curse you not to your face, that is, see if his heart be not emb…

This answers not the word, but it does the sense of the place well enough. God in his displeasure is said to hide himself, or his face, Isaiah 8:17. The Lord hids his face from the house of Jacob.

If God be withdrawn, if he hides himself, what has the soul to do but to wait for his return. So says the prophet, Isaiah 8:17. I will wait upon the Lord that hids his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

First, in regard of the Apostles and other ministers their successors; because they are the Lords stewards, to dispense the word and the doctrine thereof to Gods people. Secondly, in regard of all true believers and servants of God, that have care to know and to obey the word of…

A spirit of delusion will not incline persons to go to seek direction at the mouth of God. To the Law and to the Testimony, is never the cry of those evil spirits that have no light in them; for it is God's own direction to discover their delusions, Isaiah 8:19, 20. And when the…

The serious consideration of this, I hope, might prevent much of that dishonor which is done to God, and to his holy name, by some that do not with others run to an excess of riot. The providence of God is likewise everywhere spoken against by murmurers and complainers (Jude 16)…

Fourthly, let us take heed that none of us do at any time, directly or indirectly, speak against the ways of religion and godliness, or say a confederacy, with those that do so. Submit to divine instructions given with a strong hand not to walk in the way of those people that sp…

Psalm 33:10: he brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. Isaiah 8:9-10: God as it were sets them to work and undertakes their disappointment — go about your counsels, says the Lord, and I will take order that it shall come to nothing. Psalm 2:3-4: when men are deep in their…

To whom these Arguments are valid. Isaiah 8:20. 2 Timothy 3:16. of [illegible].

They were such a stubborn and self-conceited and disobedient People, that God justly gave them up to their own Blindness and Hardness: And for this Reason our Savior spoke often the great things of the Gospel to them in Parables. He was ordained to be a stumbling Stone and Rock…

From this fear have sprung all the generous resolutions, and patient sufferings of the saints, and martyrs of God, because they dared not sin against him; therefore they dared be imprisoned, and impoverished, and tortured, and die for him. Thus the Prophet Isaiah sets carnal, an…

And that these that were best versed in the Law, and so seemed best able to judge of the Messiah foretold, should have persecuted Christ all his life, and at last put him to a shameful death. That they may know, this makes nothing against him, nor ought to invalidate their faith…

The exhortation conform to the assertion, that they fear not, why should they fear any thing that are assured of happiness, indeed that are the more happy by those very things that seem most to be feared. The words are in part borrowed from the Prophet Isaiah, and he relates the…

And besides, we are in danger to be terrified by their frowns, and act unseemly. Fear not their fear, nor be afraid (Isaiah 8:13); out of the fear of men we are apt to miscarry in our duty to God. Well then, we need to go to God to be delivered from the evil of the world, that w…

For he speaks before, Be not afraid of their terror, or be troubled: but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. See the same phrase used for the same purpose, Isaiah 8:13. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

Briefly now I will add two reasons: first, because it is the rule according to which we must judge of all spiritual truth. (Isaiah 8:20) To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Secondly, it is the rule a…

Those that vent their own dreams under the name of the Spirit, and divine light, they do not give you mysteria, but monstra, portentous opinions; not show you the wondrous things of God's Law, but the prodigies of their own brain; unhappy abortives, that die as soon as they come…

First, To the Law, in regard of which the Ark is called the Ark of the Testimony (Exodus 25:16), because the two Tables were laid up in it. The Gospel is also called the testimony, the testimony of God concerning his Son (Isaiah 8:20): To the law, and to the testimony; where tes…

They that believe in me through their word. And (Isaiah 8:20), To the law, and to the testimony, else there is no light in them. That's the sacred standard by which we should measure all doctrines, and these will make wise the simple (Psalm 19).

The reasonableness of such propositions in the theory may easily appear, but as to practice we are governed by sense and human passion, which judges the quite contrary of all this, and causes us to make bold with God, because afraid of men; to follow earthly things with the grea…

3. The fear of God, or a deep awe and reverence of him, when we are more afraid to offend God, than to suffer from man. The apostle, when he bids us to be ready to make profession (1 Peter 3:5), bids us do it with meekness and fear; meekness respects men; fear, a care to approve…

God will be sanctified in all that draw near to him (Leviticus 10:3). Now what is it to sanctify God in our hearts, but to fear his majesty, and greatness, and goodness; (Isaiah 8:13) "Sanctify the Lord God of Hosts in your hearts, and make him your fear." Therefore David desire…

Many things are contrived against us in the dark, that we know not, and see not, but the eye of the Lord watches for us. (Isaiah 8:10) Take counsel together, and it shall come to nothing: speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us. Second Point.

And says the prophet, "The Lord spoke to me with a strong hand" — not simply "the Word of the Lord came to me," or "the Lord spoke to me," but he spoke with a strong hand — what? Why, "say not a confederacy with them that say a confederacy" (Isaiah 8:11-12). The men of the leagu…

If seeing ugly and devilish shapes affright us, what will it do to be with the devil and his angels! 3 This will be the sad effect of these torments, [reconstructed: final] and eternal impenitency, and despair, even to cursing and blaspheming: he that dies impenitent, continues…

2. The Word has vim legislativam, the power of a law, it gives law to the whole soul, binds conscience, it is therefore frequently called the law, in Scripture, unless your law had been my delight, etc. To the law and to the testimony, this is spoken of the whole Word of God, wh…

Indeed, that which in itself is the greatest mercy, through the interposition of men's lusts, and the efficacy of this cursed sin of unbelief, turns to the greatest judgment, as the richest and most generous wine makes the sharpest vinegar. Our Lord Christ himself, the choicest…

Now the tenderness that God shows to this Prerogative of his, appears in three particulars. First, in the strict command he layes on his people, to give him the glory of his power, Isa. 8. 12, 13. Feare ye not their feare, but sanctifie the Lord of hostes himself: that is, in th…

When corrupt nature is vext it shows it self, and some afflictions do that to purpose. We reade of such as are offended when persecution comes, they fall quite out with their Profession, because it puts them to such cost and trouble; others in their distress that curse their God…

I am persuaded that the author of the arguments following will fail of his intention with all that have so much reason as to know how to make use of reason, and so much grace as not to love darkness more than light. Argument 1: That which the Scripture often and plainly affirms…

Psalm 19:7. And it was so of all the external duties of obedience, for matter and manner, time and season; that in both, the church might walk acceptably before God, Isaiah 8:20. And although the Original duties of the Moral part of the law are often preferred before the particu…