Isaiah 66:24

REFLECTIONS

READER! let us pause over the close of Isaiah's prophecy, and observe with the humblest reverence and godly fear, how the Prophet in folding up his ministry, calls the Church in this last Chapter, once more, finally and fully, to the contemplation of Jehovah. With what a solemn close; Thus saith the Lord. As if, with an indelible seal, the whole was to be left upon the minds of the people. As if the Prophet had given in his commission, with reminding them, that what he had delivered, was all in the name, and by the authority: of Him that was, and that is, and that is to come! And observe how he speaks of his distinguishing character: The heaven is his throne, and the earth is his footstool. God's throne is indeed everywhere, but in an eminent special manifestation of himself, as the Prophet was commissioned to set forth. His throne is in the person of Christ. It is there that he promiseth to come and meet and bless his people. Christ is, and was the mercy-seat; and in him, and from him, he communeth with the man that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, His dwelling is in Christ; his ordinances are in him; the whole of his mercy, grace, goodness, love, as displayed to poor fallen man, are all in him. And therefore to slight Jesus is to slight God in Christ; to kill an ox in sacrifice, is as if the sinner crucified the Son of God afresh, because he thereby intimates as if the one offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all, had not forever perfected them that are sanctified. Pause, Reader, over the solemn view, and let us learn to bless God, more and more for his unspeakable gift!

And oh! thou blessed, eternal, glorious Jehovah! give us grace to hail thee, in thy threefold character of person, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and give us grace to accept all thy gracious purposes of salvation, thus brought home and unfolded to us, in and by Jesus Christ. Truly, Lord, we may, and do cry out, in the words of this scripture, who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth bring forth in one day? But, in truth and indeed, Lord, in that one memorable day of Jesus's incarnation, a nation was born in him at once; and therefore shall not every poor sinner, in his new birth in Christ, say, Oh! Lord! thou hast indeed brought to the birth, and caused to bring forth. Thou hast caused to bring forth, and not shut the womb, oh our God! we will therefore rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her in her glorious King; and we will in him, and his name, milk out the breasts of her consolations, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory!

Farewell, Isaiah! farewell, thou servant of the most high God while we bless thy Lord and Master, because he hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants, we would love thee, as the instrument of so much good to his Church and people, as it hath pleased the Lord, by thy preaching and writings, to accomplish; and in thine own words, we would say, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth, good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thou art entered into his rest. Thou hast found, according to thine own prophecy, that Jesus is the rest, wherewith he causeth the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing. And He that gave thee, and the Patriarchs and Prophets, faith to live and die in the full enjoyment of faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar of, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them: will give us grace and faith now to be the patient followers of them, who through faith and patience now inherit the promises!

Oh! thou to whom give all the Prophets witness! Do thou, blessed Lord Jesus, give witness by thy Holy Spirit in our hearts, to their word; that seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, we may lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and that we may run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto thee, the Author and finisher of our faith! Amen.