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13. And all thy children shall be taught of Jehovah, And great shall be the perfection of thy children; 14. In righteousness shalt thou be established.

No hypocrites are here, no place is left for partial ignorance; for "that which is in part" is " done away," and “that which is perfect is come." All the children of the new Jerusalem are to be immediately and fully inspired by Jehovah, or, as we may understand the words, "all thy children shall be such as were once on earth, the disciples of Jehovah." He that once taught his chosen few to draw them" to Christ, will now cause them "to know as they are known," and will consummate their perfection. By the righteous execution of all the promises of God, the church will be vindicated in all her rights, and all her members" conformed to the image of the only begotten Son of God." This is the predestinated " fulfilment" or 66 completion" for which the people of God are waiting: and of this "the spirit of adoption," now" received," is but " the earnest" and " a first fruits," -the first fruits of this future harvest of heavenly blessedness. Moreover, this state is permanent; the inhabitants of this city fear no evil;

Be thou far from violence; truly, thou shalt not fear it;
And from terror, for it shall not come near thee.

Notwithstanding, we learn that there will be an attack meditated, at a certain period, against this "city of the saints:" yet it will be meditated in vain; and there are now no hypocrites in Zion to be afraid.

15. Lo, HE will surely stir up war, but not from me,

Whoever warreth against thee shall fall for thy sake.

16, Lo, I have created the workman that bloweth up the coals

into a fire,

And procureth instruments of his work,

And I have created the waster to destroy.

17. No weapon that is formed against thee shall succeed, And every tongue that ariseth against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.

This is the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah,

And their vindication is from me, hath Jehovah said.

Who this emphatic HE is, a future oracle will explain: no mortal foe. The last enemy of Jerusalem among the nations of the earth had perished on the mountains of Israel at the beginning of the second advent; but this is the great adversary, the devil, or Satan, released—and as it should seem from the oracle I am anticipating, millions with him, whom he hath deceived-and permitted to show once more his impotent and now not feared rage against the people of God. Former enemies of Jerusalem had a commission from God to chastise her for her sins; therefore they had power to injure her. But this is no longer the case; and therefore Satan, though he may be permitted to rage, cannot inspire a fear in the holy city.

SECTION VII.

On the Fifty-fifth Chapter.

THE prophecy, according to its wonted manner, again and evidently places us at the era of the Gospel call. Israel, as appears from the sequel, is particularly

resumes,

addressed; but these invitations are equally suited to those among the Gentiles that can receive them. For the blessing of Abraham is now come upon the Gentiles, and to them also has God given repentance unto life. Repentance and remission of sins" is now, by the great Teacher's order, to be "preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." The " Gospel,"

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as St. Paul observes, "is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." +

1. Aн, every one that thirsteth,
Come ye to the waters;

Even be that hath no money,
Come, divide and eat;

Ay, come, divide without money,

Even wine and milk without price.

The free invitation of the thirsty to streams of water, and of the hungry poor to come and feast on delicacies, may be considered as a standing emblem for the Gospel call, to all those that are taught of God to feel their spiritual wants. They are commanded to satisfy their utmost need in the rich and free provisions of a Saviour's bounty. Invited to this feast, as our Lord has taught us in the parable of the marriage supper, the generality of the Jewish nation refused to come. But some would be found poor in spirit, and would be rendered susceptible of a sense of their spiritual wants:

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2. Why spend ye your money for that which is not bread, labours for that which satisfieth not?

And your

VOL. I.

Luke, xxiv. 47.

† Rom. i. 16.

B B

Hearken diligently unto me, and ye shall eat that which is

good,

And your soul shall delight itself in fatness.

3. Incline your ear, and come unto me;

Hear, that your soul may live.

And I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
Even the loving kindnesses of David truly pledged.

Every one who heareth and obeyeth the Gospel call, shall be received into the covenant of God, and be entitled to all its privileges, even those future glories symbolized by the throne of David. A share in the Redeemer's kingdom is pledged to all the believers of the Gospel message, even us whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles."

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4. Lo, yet have I appointed him a witness to the nations, To be a leader and commander to the nations.

5. Lo, nations that thou knewest not shalt thou call, And nations that knew not thee shall run to thee;

For the sake of Jehovah thy God,

And of the Holy One of Israel, for he hath honoured thee."

"Hath honoured thee," or " hath beautified thee with his presence;" all this evidently implies, that they are, in the character of the city and people of the Great King, to take the supremacy among the nations upon earth.

The two next verses contain a striking call to a sinful world, a call always worthy of all acceptation to those whose hearts are opened to receive it; and which-though sounded in vain in the ears of them that are dead in trespasses and sins, and though it serves but to increase their guilt-accomplishes a peculiar purpose of God in quicken

ing with spiritual life that "remnant of all" that is saved,

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6. Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found,

Call upon him while he is near.

7. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his

"In the first three verses of this chapter, Messiah seems to be the speaker; in the fourth and fifth verses, Jehovah is the speaker; in the fourth verse, Jehovah speaks of the Messiah, in the fifth to him; in the sequel, the prophet to the people, in the name of Jehovah. "The Messiah's call, in the first three verses, is either general to all mankind, or particular to the Jewish nation. Water, wine, and milk, denote the doctrine of the Messiah, and the evangelical means of salvation. If the call be general, the no bread, on which men expend their silver; and that which satisfieth not, on which they bestow their labour, are the expensive rites of the idolatrous religions, and the laborious researches of human philosophy. If the call is particular to the Jewish nation, the no bread, and that which satisfieth not, are the worldly gains of merchandise and brokerage; upon which the Jews in their dispersion have been so remarkably intent, which satisfy not the desires of the inner man, and afford no nourishment for the spiritual life. The Jews

purposes;

are addressed in the character of merchants intent on gain. A commodity is offered which may be purchased without price, and obtained without labour-the means of salvation gratuitously dispensed. See Houbigant's notes on the beginning of this chapter. His exposition must seem too refined, unless the allusion to the promises in the Old Testament (the sure mercies of David) be thought to indicate that the call is more immediately to the Jews. But the mercies of David here intended being the perpetuity and universality of the dominion of his descendant, the mention of them is not beside the purpose, if the call be generally understood: and it is remarkable, that immediately after the mention of the stability of these mercies by the Messiah, Jehovah, taking up the discourse, declares the appointment of Messiah to be a witness, a leader, a preceptor, to the peoples; as if this appointment ensured the completion of the promises to David."HORSLEY.

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