but as paft: He was wounded for our tranfgreffions, &c. As little, I apprehend, will the use of the prefent tense prove, that the prophet had only that generation in his eye wherein he lived. Great corruptions, indeed, did then abound; and hence, in the beginning of his book, he addreffes the grandees as the rulers of Sodom, and the populace as the people of Gomorrah, chap i. The deluge of immorality here defcribed, was to be followed with sweeping judgments from the Lord; and these with a flow of glory that should fill the earth. For, no fooner has the prophet mentioned the recompence repaid to the enemies of the Lord, but he immediately adds, So fhall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rifing of the fun. But fuch an extenfive fpread of genuine religion was never known under the Old-Teftament: that was referved to be the glory of the New. I therefore conceive, that the time to which our text refers, belongs to the NewTeftament difpenfation, not to the Old. But ftill the queftion recurs, Is that time already elapfed; or, is it yet to come? Does it belong to the primitive age of Christianity; or to the glory of the latter days? The venerable Vitringa *, whofe praife is in all the churches, thinks that the time . to which our text relates, is yet to come. He lays down an hypothefis, and fupports it with no contemptible arguments, that both the preceding chapter, and this where my text lies, have a reference, not to the people of Isaiah's times, but to the Proteflant churches brought forth from mystical * Vitringa in Jefaim, cap. Įviii, 1. and lix. 1. Babylon; with this difference, that the fifty-eighth chapter agrees to them, as established by various kingdoms and common-wealths, after the light of the Reformation: whereas this fifty-ninth, represents them fuch as they fhall be about that time when their interest fhall greatly fink, both by increasing vice, and by the attempts of their mighty enemies, immediately before the deliverance to be vouchfafed by God. For, as he justly observes, the great and glorious things mentioned in the fixtieth chapter, as following the judgments on the enemy, have never yet had their accomplishment; nor can they with any propriety be applied to any past period of the church, Jewish or Chriftian. And what more and more perfuades me, that the attack, and the glorious repulfe referred to in my text, are yet to come, is, that the converfion of the Jews ftands immediately connected with these events. For the prophet, having mentioned the enemy coming in like a flood, and the Spirit of the Lord lifting up a standard againft him, immediately adds, And the Redeemer fhall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from tranfgreffion in Jacob. That these words refpect the converfion of the Jews is abundantly evident from Rom. ii. 26. where they are quoted, in proof of that great event, for which Chriftians daily pray.-It is true, indeed, as Vitringa obferves, that the apoftle, in Rom. xi. 26. has respect not to this paffage only, but to others; and especially to Pfal. xiv. 7.: and remarkable it is, that the subject of that Pfalm is the fame with that of this prophecy in Ifaiah lix.; not only the things, but even fome phrases agree. For there an univerfal corruption is firft defcribed, during which And with the refurrection of the witneffes fhall the glo rious Millennium commence, 2dly, In the deftruction of Gog and Magog, Reflections on the fourth Part, 299 307 310 310 ibid. 311 4. Adverse and profperous fcenes are ftill awaiting the church, ibid. 1. The excellency of holy fcripture, 3. We must be witnesses for him, 5. We must seek to have understanding of the times, 316 6. A reviving profpect of the glory of the latter days, from the lxth chapter of Ifaiah, A verfion of the lxth of Isaiah in metre, 325 339 The Veffel in Diftrefs: or, the Church in Danger. A Sermon, preached on a Fast-day, Feb. 3d, 1780. from Ezek. xxvii. 26. Thy Rowers have brought thee into great waters, The propofition illuftrated in feven particulars, Six Reflections deduced from the fubject, 345 348,-357 358,-371 The prayer and the purpofe; a facred Hymn, in two parts, adapted to the preceding discourse, 371 Page line 21. ERRATA & CORRIGENDA. 24. f. ii. r. xi. 43. 18. f. faith.--Thro', r. faith, thro'. ibid. 19. f. iron: as, r. iron. As. 46. 1. f. does, r. do. 49. 12. f. deliverence, r. deliverance. 51. N. 7. f. give, r. giving. ibid. 11. f. Halfyon, г. Halcyon. 63. penult, dele but. 65. 28. f. faith. 97. Condemning, r. faith, condemning. 9. the foot, f. practice, r. temper. 98. 3. dele, very. ibid. 14. after fenfuality, put a period. ibid. 15. after wavering, put a comma. 161. 14. f. cometh, r coming. 173. 2. f. that, r. what. 177. 29. f. fo be, r. be fo. Page line 219. N. 17. dele up. 240. 3. from thefoot, after bath, r. it. 197. N. 2. f. Hornbeckii, r. Hoornbeekii. | 362. The SPIRIT of the LORD lifting up a Standard against the Enemy coming in like a Flood. Is A. lix. 19. When the enemy fhall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord fall lift up a standard against him. INTRODUCTION. N the preceding part of this chapter, the prophet exhibits a most affecting picture of the degeneracy of the times to which he refers. Iniquities, as a partition-wall, feparating between a people and their God: their fins making him to hide his face from them, that he will not hear.He finishes the awful catalogue of crimes, wherewith the people were covered, in obferving, that truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter: Yea, faith he, truth faileth; and be that departeth from evil, maketh himself a prey; or, as the margin hath it, is accounted mad. C After defcribing such a torrent of wickedness, the prophet adds, And the Lord faw, and it difpleafed him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no interceffor: therefore his arm brought falvation unto. him, and his righteousness fuftained him. For he put on righteoufnefs as a breast plate, and an helmet of falvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. The Lord having, as a man of war, prepared himself for the battle, we firft fee Kis fuccefs: According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adverfaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence and next, the glorious confequences of his victory; So, fays our prophet, hall they fear the name of the Lord from the weft, and his glory from the rifing of the fun: when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord fhall lift up a standard against him. It is a queftion of fome importance, to what time these things refer; whether to Isaiah's, to fome period betwixt that and this, or whether it is yet to come. Attending to the prophet's defcription, it is obvious, that he ufes the different tenfes. From the beginning of the chapter, to the middle of the 15th verfe, he speaks in the prefent; addreffing the people of that generation. Your iniquities have feparated between you and your God; your hands are defiled with blood, your fingers with iniquity: your lips have spoken lies; your tongue hath muttered perverfeness. Nay, fometimes he laments the apoftacy, speaking in the first person; Judgment is far from us, neither doth juftice overtake us: we wait |