for the holy One of Iſrael ; for he hath glorified thee 7. I Ton, O Meſſiah, of whom he now ſpake, v. 4. and to whom he ſuddenly turneth his ſpeech, as is very common inthe Prophers. | m To wit, unto thy ſelf, and to the knowledge of thy ſelf, as ap- Pears from the following words,and by theeunto acquaintance ai:d fellowſhip with God. » Or rather, didſt not know, to wit, with that ſpecial knowledge which implies approbation, and tender Care and ; AffeCQtion,as words of knowledge are moſt frequently uſed in Scrip- rure : the Gentiles to whom, in former times, thou didit not make known thy Law and Covenant, and the way of Salvation, Af 14.16. and 17. 39. oe Thithad bur little knowledge of God,and no know- ledge of the Mefiah. p Upon thy call ſhall ſpeedily and readily come to thee to receive Initriiftions from thee, and to follow thee 'whitherſoever thou thalt lead them. q Becauſe the Lord ſhall by many evident and unqueſtionable rokens, manifeſt himfelf to be thy God, and thee to be his Son and faithful ſervant. » Beeauſe the God of 1ſrael, who is the only true God, will highly honour thee by his ſingular preſence with thee, by his almighty Power ac- companying thy Word, and making it wonderfully effeCtual for | the converſion of an innumerable company, both of Jews and | Gentiles, and by confirming thy Word with illuſtrious Signs and miracles, and particularly by thy Refurrefion, and g!orious Af- cenſion. Theſe and other like conſiderations were the motives which convinced tie Gentiles, that Chriſt was the true Meſjioh, and the Religion which he taught was the true Religion: b 6 * Seek ye the LORL - while he may be found *r ; | -F£326- call ve upon him while he is near «.
s Having diſcourſed of the Office and Work of Chriſt, and ſhew- ed that be thould call People and Nations to himſelf, and to God, | he now endeavours to perlivad: che People to hearken to his Call.
and to ſeek the Lmd, i, e. To labour to get the knowledge of God's
Will, and toobrtain kis Grace and Favour ; neither of which things were to be done but in and through Chriſt. And this Invitation er exbortation is general like that v. reaching to all nations,both Jews and Gentiles, implyiag, that both of them had loſt him and his Favour,and were gone aſtray from him. Seck him ye Gentiles, whom he now inviteth ſo to do, and will affiſh in finding him.
fOr,knew- | eſt not.
you Jews to imitate hem therein, and take heed that you do not Teje&t him whom rhey w1il receive and own. ' # In this day of Grace, whileſt he offereth Mercy and Reconciliation ro you;which he will not always do. Compare Prov. 1. 24, &c. Luke I9. 44. 2 Cor. 6. 2. # Nearto you by his gracipus preſence and offers, in his Ordinances, ready and deſirous to receive you to Mercy upon the following conditions.
; Let the wicked man x forſake his way y, and Tche inquiry, BEnrighteous man his thoughts z:and let him return unto f Heb. he the LORD a, and he will have mercy upon him, and
”ilmuli- to our GOD 6, for | he will abundantly pardon c. | 7) "0 par= wx Any wicked man, either Jew or Gentile. y His evilor wick- — | ed way, as is.evident from the foregoing word, - and as it 1s more fully expreſſed, Jer. 18. 11. & 25. 5. which is called hi way, becauſe it is natural, and cuſtomary, anddearto him, and in oppoſition to God's good way : his ſinful courſe or manner of Life. Let him ceaſe to do evil, as it is Iſa. 1. 16. This he adds to intimate that Men's ſeeking gnd calling upon God will do them no good without Reformation Of their Lives. z The ſinful devices and purpoſes of his Mind. Thus he ftrikes at the root of ſinful a&ions,and theweth that the heart muſt be purged and changed as well-as the outward aftions. a As he hath departed from Gott by ſin, let him turn to him-by ſincere Repentance, and the prattice of all God's precepts. Whereby he intimates that a meer abſtinence from wicked courſes 3s not ſufficient, without the exerciſe of the contrary Graces : thar we muſt not only ceaſe zo ao evil, but alſo learn to do well, as it is preſcribed, 1/a.r. 16. b To the God of [/rael, who is and hath thewed himſelf ro be a moſt merciful and gractous God. c He uſeth ſo many Words and Arguments to encourage them to Re- roms becauſe the perſons here invited were guilty of Ido- atry, Apoitacy, and many o: her groſs wickedneſſes : which he knew, when they came to themſeh es, and to a ſerious ſenſe of their - fins, and of the ju{t and holy Nature and Law of God; would be an inſupportable burden to their awakened Conſciences, and make them very pron? to conclude, that God either could nor or would not pardon ſuch horrid Dilinquences, and therefore > ewe rather drive them from: God, than draw them to im. 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither gre Vour ways my ways 4.. faith the LORD. x d My diſpoſition and carriage is vaſtly diff-ring from yours, Tf
{ Heb. the
frequently and maliciouſly, you are very flow and backward to for- give him, andif you door ſeem to forgive, and promiſe to forget, and paſSitby,yet you retain a ſecret grudge in your hearts;anduport '' the leaſt occaſion, and flight offence, you forget your Promiſe, 2nd you are ſoon weary with forgiving, and prone to revenge your
And ſeing the Gentiles feck him earnefſtly,]et their examp'e provoke
any man provoke or injure you, eſpecially if he do it greatly and |
113 #£ 8 ©
| and numberlets ſoever their fins be ; and my Promiſes of Mercy | and Pardon ſhall be infallibly made gocd ro them. And therefore
—
Chap. LVI
ſelves upon him ; but it is not ſo with me: ForT am flow to an- ger, and ready to forgivea!l tive penirents, how many. and great,
Ti «| HEE ith ti } \.$ ' * j , v W-: : :
you need not tear to come to me. or to find Mercy and acceptance with me.
9 For as the heavens are higher then the earth-e, - fo are my ways Higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. | |
e Incxpreſibly and infinitely : for the diftance between the 48 _— and the higheſt Heavens 1s unmeaſurable by any man upon i if
vartn, | Willi io For *as the rain cometh down, and the ſnow f * Deur. Pld!
from heaven, and returneth notthither g, but watereth 32:
the earth, and maketh it bring forth and. bud, that it.