We may observe here, —
1. Who this enemy is: "She that is mine enemy." Some say one thing, some another. Certainly it is some false church ; it may be Babylon, or Samaria, or the false professors among themselves. But as Samaria was not yet carried captive, I take it most probably to be the false worshippers of Dan and Bethel, the false church that dwelt in the same land with them. There is no enemy to the true church of God like the false church.
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2. Wherein this her enemy did show her enmity. He doth not speak of those enemies that outwardly wasted and destroyed them, but of that enemy which said unto her, " Where is now the Lord thy God?" — that enemy Avhich reproached them with their profession of faith in God, their nearness unto God, and of God's accepting of them ; which is the reproach of the false church continually. Others that are open heathens, do not think so much of it; but the false church's reproach usually is, '; Where is the Lord thy God ?" — " Where are your prayers and waitings upon God ? where is your confidence in him ? "
3. She intimates that there was some countenance in her present state and condition, through the providence of God, given to the enemy thus to reproach her, "Rejoice not against me, 0 mine enemy, when I fall." There is a fall that gives countenance to this enemy so to reproach her. But to ■all these reproaches she opposes her confidence in God : " My God will save me." And she comforts herself that the time was coming when God would certainly destroy this enemy of his church. This enemy ; that is, any church of false worshippers who reproach the church of God, under their straits and difficulties, with former trusting and confidence in God.
Thirdly. He applies to himself, personating the church, verse 9, " I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him," etc. Here is a very becoming frame under the present state of affliction, — a deep humiliation for sin, and a quiet submission to the corrections of God's hand ; but, at the same time, here is ex- pressed the firm resolution of faith to wait till God should plead her cause, and execute judgment on her enemies. There seems to be the utmost confidence in this case : " He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness."
The issue of the whole of this prophecy is, the deliverance of the church, and that restoration which was accomplished in part in the deliverance of this people a long while after out of captivity. " In the day that thy walls are to be built, in that day shall the decree be far removed. In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria," etc. All the people that have been scattered about shall be gathered to Zion, to worship God in his temple, verses 11, 12. But when he had said this, he doth, as it were, correct himself. " Ay, but stay; that is not yet to come," verse 13. "Notwithstanding," saith he, " the land shall be desolate, because of them which dwell therein, for the fruit of their doings." As if he had said, " Notwith- standing all this, though God hath thoughts and a purpose of mercy for his own hidden, secret people, yet there is a time when he will by no means turn away the judgments that are due unto the provo- cations of the generality of professors. God will indeed do all these
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things for his church in the appointed time ; but ' notwithstanding, the land shall be desolate;' there is no avoiding that. The descrip- tion of things given before is such, that there is no issuing of it but in the desolation of the land, because of the wickedness of them that dwell therein, and for the fruit of their doings."
I have made these short observations upon this part of the chapter, to give you the state of things here represented. The land was full of sin, and of horrible provocations of God amongst all sorts of peo- ple, from the highest to the lowest. The people of God secretly complain hereof, and bear it as their burden, and tremble at the thoughts of judgments approaching. God had irrevocably, irrecover- ably decreed desolation upon the whole land. Things were so stated, that whatever might be the mercy and goodness of God, and his thoughts towards his people, notwithstanding, the land was to be de- solate.
In this state and condition, the prophet puts up this request : " Feed thy people with thy rod, the flock of thine heritage, which dwell solitarily in the wood, in the midst of Carmel: let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old/''
The observation I shall make from the words is this : —
Observation. In the most calamitous season, in the greatest inun- dation of sin and judgment, under the unavoidableness of public judgments, there is yet ground for faith to plead with God for the preservation, safety, and deliverance of his people.
All these things are here laid down: — a calamitous season; an inun- dation of sin and judgment ; and an irrecoverable purpose of God to destroy the land. Yet faith, I say, hath ground in this state and con- dition to plead with God for the preservation and protection of his own secret people. You will say, " This is no great matter. It may be we have heard arguments that God will preserve them and deliver them; and have heard the time computed when God will de- liver them, and could say ' Amen' to it. But it is to no purpose to go farther in teaching than in endeavours to raise up our faith and believing." I confess I can go no farther than this, that I have ground for duty; and to leave all the rest to God's sovereignty. If God should inevitably decree to destroy this nation, yet we have ground for faith to plead with God for the preservation and deliverance of his own inheritance.