Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 4.djvu/78

72 are a great comfort to those that depend upon him as their Strength and their Song. Some make Jah to signify the Son of God made man; he is Jehovah, and in him we may glory as our Strength, and Song, and Salvation.

3. They are taught to derive comfort to themselves from the love of God, and all the tokens of that love; (v. 3.) "Therefore, because the Lord Jehovah is your Strength and Song, and will be your Salvation, you shall draw water with joy." Note, The assurances God has given us of his love, and the experiences we have had of the benefit and comfort of his grace, should greatly encourage our faith in him and our expectations from him; "Out of the wells of Salvation in God, who is the Fountain of all good to his people, you shall draw water with joy. God's favour shall flow forth to you, and you shall have the comfort of it, and make use of the blessed fruits of it." Note, (1.) God's promises revealed, ratified, and given out to us, in his ordinances, are wells of salvation; wells of the Saviour, so some read it; for in them the Saviour and salvation are made known to us, and made over to us. (2.) It is our duty by faith to draw water out of these wells, to take to ourselves the benefit and comfort that are treasured up for us in them, as those that acknowledge all our fresh springs to be there, and all our fresh streams to be thence, Ps. lxxxvii. 7. (3.) Water is to be drawn out of the wells of salvation with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. It is the will of God that we should rejoice before him, and rejoice in him, (Deut. xxvi. 11.) be joyful in his house of prayer, (Isa. lvi. 7.) and keep his feasts with gladness, Acts ii. 46.

4. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. 5. Sing unto the ; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. 6. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

This is the second part of this evangelical song, and to the same purport with the former; there believers stir up themselves to praise God; here they invite and encourage one another to do it, and are contriving to spread his praise, and draw in others to join with them in it. Observe,

1. Who are here called upon to praise God; the inhabitants of Zion and Jerusalem, whom God had in a particular manner protected from Sennacherib's violence, v. 6. Those that have received distinguishing favours from God, ought to be most forward and zealous in praising him. The gospel-church is Zion, Christ is Zion's King; those that have a place and a name in that, should lay out themselves to diffuse the knowledge of Christ, and to bring many to him. Thou inhabitress of Zion; the word is feminine; Let the weaker sex be strong in the Lord, and out of their mouth shall praise be perfected.

2. How they must praise the Lord: (1.) By prayer we must call upon his name: as giving thanks for former mercy is a decent way of begging further mercy, so begging further mercy is graciously accepted as a thankful acknowledgment of the mercies we have received. In calling upon God's name we give unto him some of the glory that is due to his name as our powerful and bountiful Benefactor. (2.) By preaching and writing we must not only speak to God, but speak to others concerning him; not only call upon his name, but (as the margin reads it) proclaim his name; let others know something more from us than they did before, concerning God, and those things whereby he has made himself known. Declare his doings, his counsels; so some read it; the work of redemption is according to the counsel of his will; and in that and other wonderful works that he has done, we must take notice of his thoughts which are to us-ward, Ps. xl. 5. Declare these among the people, among the heathen, that they may be brought into communion with Israel and the God of Israel. When the apostles preached the gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, then this scripture was fulfilled, that his doing should be declared among the people, and that what he has done should be known in all the earth. (3.) By a holy exultation and transport of joy, "Cry out and shout, welcome the gospel to yourselves, and publish it to others with huzzas and loud acclamations, as those that shout for victory, (Exod. xxxii. 18.) or for the coronation of a king," Numb, xxiii. 21.

3. For what they must praise the Lord; (1.) Because he has glorified himself. Remember it yourselves, and make mention of it to others, that his name is exalted, is become more illustrious and more conspicuous; in this every good man rejoices. (2.) Because he has magnified his people; he has done excellent things for them, which make them look great and considerable. (3.) Because he is, and will be, great among them; great is the Holy One, for he is glorious in holiness; therefore great because holy; true goodness is true greatness; great as the Holy One of Israel, and in the midst of them; praised by them, (Ps. lxxvi. 1.) manifesting himself among them, and appearing gloriously in their behalf. It is the honour and happiness of Israel, that the God who is in covenant with them, and in the midst of them, is infinitely great.

CHAP. XIII.

Hitherto, the prophecies of this book related only to Judah and Israel, and Jerusalem especially: but now the prophet begins to look abroad, and to read the doom of divers of the neighbouring states and kingdoms; for he that is King of saints, is also King of nations, and ruler in the affairs of the children of men as well as in those of his own children. But the nations to whom these prophecies do relate, were all such as the people of God were some way or other conversant and concerned with; such as had been kind or unkind to Israel, and accordingly God would deal with them, either in favour or in wrath; for the Lord's portion is his people, and to them he has an eye in all the dispensations of his providence concerning those about them, Deut. xxxii. 8, 9. The threatenings we find here, against Babylon, Moab, Damascus, Egypt, Tyre, &c. were intended for comfort to those in Israel that feared God, but were terrified and oppressed by those potent neighbours, and for alarm to those among them that were wicked. If God would thus severely reckon with those for their sins that know him not, and made not profession of his name, how severe would he be with those that were called by his name, and yet live in rebellion against him! And perhaps the directing of particular prophecies to the neighbouring nations, might invite some of those nations to the reading of the Jews' Bible, and so they might be brought to their religion. This chapter, and that which follows, contain what God had to say to Babylon and Babylon's king, who were at present little known to Israel, but would in process of time become a greater enemy to them than any other had been, for which God would at last reckon with them. In this chapter, we have, I. A general rendezvous of the forces that were to be employed against Babylon, v. 1..5. II. The dreadful bloody work that those forces should make in Babylon, v. 6..18. III. The utter ruin and desolation of Babylon, which this should end in, v. 19..22.

HE burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. 2. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain,