ISAIAH CHAPTER 57 The blessed death of the righteous not duly lamented by the Jews; who also commit idolatry, and trusted in man: they are threatened, ISAIAH 57:1; Evangelical promises to the penitent, ISAIAH 57:13. No peace to the wicked, ISAIAH 57:20,21. THE RIGHTEOUS; just and holy men, who are t... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SHALL ENTER INTO PEACE; this just and merciful man shall enter into a state of peace and rest, where he shall be out of the reach of the approaching miseries. Or, _He shall go_ (to wit, _to his fathers_, as it is fully expressed, GENESIS 15:15; or, _he shall die; going_ being put for _dying_, as... [ Continue Reading ]
DRAW NEAR HITHER, to God's tribunal, to answer for yourselves, and to hear what I have to say against you, and to receive your sentence. SONS OF THE SORCERESS; not by propagation, but by imitation; such being frequently called a man or woman's sons that learn their art, and follow their example: you... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST WHOM DO YE SPORT YOURSELVES? consider whom it is that you mock and scoff when you deride God's prophets, as they did, ISAIAH 28:14,22, and know that it is not so much men that you abuse as God, whose cause they plead, and in whose name they speak. MAKE A WIDE MOUTH, AND DRAW OUT THE TONGUE:... [ Continue Reading ]
INFLAMING YOURSELVES WITH IDOLS, Heb. _Being inflamed_, &c.; lusting after them, and mad upon them, as the phrase is, JEREMIAH 50:38; fervent both in making and in worshipping of them, as was observed, ISAIAH 44:12, &c. It is a metaphor borrowed from whoredom, to which idolatry is oft compared. UNDE... [ Continue Reading ]
AMONG THE SMOOTH STONES OF THE STREAM IS THY PORTION; thou hast chosen for thy portion those idols which were either made of those smooth stones which were cast up by rivers, or which were worshipped upon altars made of such stones, or which were worshipped by the sides of brooks or rivers, where su... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON A LOFTY AND HIGH MOUNTAIN, in high places, which were much used for religious worship, both by Israelites and by heathens, HAST THOU SET THY BED; thine altar, as appears from the sacrifice here following, in which thou didst commit spiritual whoredom with idols. Compare EZEKIEL 23:17,41.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHIND THE DOORS ALSO AND THE POSTS; which by a figure called _hendiaduo_ may be put for _the door-posts_, as it is expressed, DEUTERONOMY 11:20. Behind the posts of the doors of thine house; where the heathens are said to have placed their tutelar gods, to whose protection they committed themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU WENTEST, either by thyself, or by thy messengers, as it follows. Or, _thou didst look_, to wit, earnestly, with expectation and vehement affection. TO THE KING; either to Moloch, which was as it were the king or chief of their idols, and which signifies a king. Or to the great king of Assyria,... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ART WEARIED IN THE GREATNESS OF THY WAY; thou hast not eased or relieved, but only tired thyself with all thy tedious journeys and laborious endeavours. YET SAIDST THOU NOT, THERE IS NO HOPE; and yet thou wast so stupid under all thy discouragements and disappointments, that thou didst not perc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OF WHOM HAST THOU BEEN AFRAID OR FEARED? and what or who are they the fear of whom drives thee to these wicked and desperate courses? Are they not men, weak and mortal creatures, such as wholly depend upon me, and can do nothing to thee either against me or without me? THAT THOU HAST LIED; that... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL DECLARE; I will no longer be silent and patient towards thee. THY RIGHTEOUSNESS AND THY WORKS; which may be put for the righteousness of thy works, by that known figure, of which SEE POOLE ON "ISAIAH 57:8", whereby he means their wickedness, which he calleth their RIGHTEOUSNESS, either ironic... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THOU CRIEST, to wit, unto me for deliverance, LET THY COMPANIES DELIVER THEE; expect it not from me, whom thou hast forsaken and despised, but from those foreign troops to whom thou hast sought and trusted for succour. BUT THE WIND SHALL CARRY THEM ALL AWAY; but they shall be so far from saving... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHALL SAY, Heb. _And he shall say_; or, _And one shall say_. God will raise up a man who shall say these words, and that with authority and efficacy, so as the thing shall be done. CAST YE UP; make causeways, where it is needful, for their safe and easy passage. TAKE UP THE STUMBLINGBLOCK OUT OF... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSE NAME IS HOLY; who is omnipotent, everlasting, and unchangeable, holy in all his words and ways, and therefore both can and will deliver his people, as he hath promised to do. WITH HIM ALSO THAT IS OF A CONTRITE AND HUMBLE SPIRIT; with such also whose spirits are broken and humbled by afflictio... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL NOT CONTEND FOR EVER; I will not constantly proceed to the utmost severity with sinful men in this life, and therefore I will put an end to the miseries of the Jews, and turn their captivity. FOR THE SPIRIT SHOULD FAIL BEFORE ME, AND THE SOULS WHICH I HAVE MADE; for then their spirits would s... [ Continue Reading ]
COVETOUSNESS; of which sin the Jews were eminently guilty, as is expressly affirmed, JEREMIAH 6:13, JEREMIAH 8:10. But this is not mentioned exclusively as to other sins, but synecdochically, so as to comprehend all those sins for which God contended with them. I HID ME; I withdrew my favour and hel... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SEEN HIS WAYS; I have taken notice of these evil ways in which he seems resolved to walk, and that he is neither bettered by mercies nor judgments. AND WILL HEAL HIM; or, _yet I will heal him_. Although I might justly destroy him, and leave him to perish in his own ways, yet of my mere mercy,... [ Continue Reading ]
I CREATE, I will by my almighty power and in a wonderful manner produce, THE FRUIT OF THE LIPS; PEACE: either, 1. Praise or thanksgiving, which is called _the fruit of our lips_, HOSEA 14:2 HEBREWS 13:15, and peace: or rather, 2. That peace which is not wrought by men's hands, but only by God's lip... [ Continue Reading ]
Their minds are restless, being perpetually hurried and tormented with their own lusts and passions, and with the horror of their guilt, and the dread of the Divine vengeance due unto them, and ready to come upon them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Though they may have as great a share of prosperity as the best of men have, as appears from PSALMS 37:35, PSALMS 73:3, &c.; ECCLESIASTES 8:14, ECCLESIASTES 9:2; yet they have no share in this inward, and spiritual, and everlasting peace.... [ Continue Reading ]