Isaiah 14:32

This verse forms a blessed conclusion to the whole subject of Babylon's burden. It is as if the prophet had said, "Should any one of the nations around behold Babylon's fall, and Israel's emancipation, and return to their beloved Jerusalem, should any one ask, or send messengers to inquire into the cause, wherefore is this? the answer is direct: It is the Lord's controversy, not man's: Zion is the Lord's, he hath founded her, and therefore he will defend her. And though Zion's enemies may for awhile seem to triumph, and the transgressions of Zion may bring her into captivity; yet the Lord loveth Zion, and will bless her, and the poor of his people shall know this, and depend upon it." Zephaniah 3:12

REFLECTIONS

How truly blessed it is to observe, and know, that the Lord watcheth over all the concerns of his people! Though Babylon triumph for awhile, and though the Lord suffer his people to go into captivity; yet they are still his people, and the Lord will not permit them to be oppressed forever.

But what an awful scripture is this, for all the enemies of Christ and his people to read: Hell from beneath is moved for all such, to meet them at their coming! And what an aggravated load of woe is it, to think that they have been uniformly fighting against God and his people; so that their misery is abundantly aggravated, like the rich man's in the parable, when lifting up their eyes in torments, and not only seeing heaven afar off, but they whom in this life they most hated made most completely happy!

My soul! see to it, that thou art a citizen of Zion, and not of Babylon! This is the Church, the City, the royal, the holy City, which the Lord hath founded. Oh! for grace to be found a citizen of Zion, when the Lord writeth up the people. Better to be a doorkeeper of the gates of Zion, than a dweller in the tents of ungodliness. Lord, it is thou that last founded Zion in Jesus; and in Jesus may my soul be found in Zion.