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of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered
together, as prisoners are ga-
thered in the pit, and shall be
shut up in the prison, and after
many days shall they be visited.

23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

LECTURE 1126.

The sins and judgments to which we are exposed. The prophet turning his discourse from the various heathen nations which lay round about Jerusalem, now addresses himself to God's chosen people, and tells them of calamities hanging over their own heads; which he describes in terms so fearful, and after which he makes mention of a season so full of glory, that however properly his words may apply, in the first instance, to the Babylo nian captivity and its ending, they seem no less plainly to foreshew the dispersed condition of the Jews at present, and that great movement among the nations of the earth, which will be followed by their glorious restoration. Then shall there be some dreadful visitation on those powers, which have delighted to oppress God's antient people. Then shall they from whom God has so long hidden away his face, be again visited graciously. Then shall the glory of the sun and of the moon be as nothing, compared with the grace and glory of the Lord of hosts, reigning in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem. But whatever be the right interpretation of this much disputed prophecy in all its parts, it admits of many a plain application to our own improvement. Here we learn, that God's judgments overtake all alike of every rank, station, and employment. Here we may observe, that there can be no so certain warrant that a thing will come to pass, as this, that "the Lord hath spoken this word." Here we find that nothing is more likely to deprive us of God's blessing, and provoke his curse, than transgressing his laws, changing his ordinances, and breaking that covenant which in Him can never fail. And these, let us remark, are offences committed not out of his church but in it; offences therefore, which we, who are now members of his church, might be tempted to commit; judgments these are which we are liable to suffer. Our church privileges, and our gospel privileges, are in jeopardy, if we thus transgress. Our abundance of the means of grace may suddenly be turned into a famine of the word of the Lord; and of all our religious communion only a lean remnant left, to glorify God in the fires of affliction and persecution, and to sing songs of praise unto our Saviour from the uttermost parts of the earth. Never then may we wilfully transgress God's holy laws! Never may we presumptuously change his divine ordinances! Never may we break, never fail to observe, honour, and uphold, that everlasting covenant, which He has given us in the Gospel, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

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4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

6 And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7 And he will destroy in this

delivering his people.
mountain the face of the covering
cast over all people, and the vail
that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death
in victory; and the Lord GOD
will wipe away tears from off
all faces; and the rebuke of his
people shall he take away from
off all the earth: for the LORD
hath spoken it.

9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

10 For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

11 And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim and he shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

12 And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

LECTURE 1127.

The Gospel blessings for which God is to be praised. These songs of thanksgiving follow in due order, after the deliverance referred to at the close of the preceding chapter. They may be well applied in the first instance to that great national prosperity, which God was pleased to allot to the Jewish nation, some time after their return from the captivity in Babylon. Thus we read in the First Book of Maccabees, concerning Simon Maccabæus, that he "enlarged the bounds of his nation, and recovered the country, and gathered together a great number of captives, and had the dominion of Gazara, and Bethsura, and the tower, out of the which he took all uncleanness, neither was there

any that resisted him. Then did they till their ground in peace, and the earth gave her increase, and the trees of the field their fruit. The antient men sat all in the streets, communing together of good things, and the young men put on glorious and warlike apparel. He provided victuals for the cities, and set in them all manner of munition, so that his honourable name was renowned unto the end of the world. He made peace in the land, and Israel rejoiced with great joy. For every man sat under his vine and his fig tree, and there was none to fray them: neither was there any left in the land to fight against them: yea, the kings themselves were overthrown in those days. those days. Moreover he strengthened all those of his people that were brought low: the law he searched out; and every contemner of the law and wicked person he took away. He beautified the sanctuary, and multiplied the vessels of the temple." (1 Maccabees 14. 6—15.) But remarkably as this account agrees in many points with the prophetic words before us, it falls far short of fulfilling all the glory here foretold. It was when the Gospel was preached to the poor that a more ample fulfilment of these words began to take place. Then was a plenteous feast set forth, for all who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Then was that vail which had long been spread over all nations done away with, and the light of truth made free to all alike. And S. Paul is writing of a period still future, when he tells us, concerning one of these glorious promises, "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 1 Cor. 15. 54. And it appears to be of the same happy futurity that these same promises are thus repeated in the Book of Revelation, "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." Rev. 21. 4. Let us then exalt God, and praise his name, both for that which He has already done, and for that which He will yet do hereafter. For delivering his people of old, for overthrowing the power and bringing down the pride of their enemies, and for giving us an earnest in their safety, peace, and plenty, an earnest of those better things of which we are made partakers in the Gospel, and of which we trust that in no distant day we shall have full and glad possession; for all this let us praise God's holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

A song of thanks for the safety of God's people.

1 In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

2 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in

thee.

4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: 5 For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.

6 The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.

7 The way of the just is uprightness thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. 8 Yea, in the way of thy judg ments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.

9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn right

eousness.

10 Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

11 LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed

for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.

12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

15 Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

16 LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them.

17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.

18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and

shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and

21 For, behold, the LORD shall no more cover her slain.

LECTURE 1128.

Our joy in the assurance of life from the dead.

Here is a fresh song of triumph; which, like that in the last chapter, however suitable to God's people under the Law, seems to be justly applicable, and intended to apply, to our privileges and hopes under the Gospel. They who returned from the Babylonish captivity had a strong and safe city, and peace given them therein by God. We are citizens of "the heavenly Jerusalem;" Heb. 12. 22; and have salvation both of soul and body, and have peace in our consciences towards God, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. They of old saw their lofty oppressors laid low, and a highway prepared for their prosperous return, after long and patient waiting for God's good time. We have been put into the way of salvation, without waiting, straightway from our birth. And would we but walk therein with patience, we should be always safe. But alas, how many, when thus established in the land of uprightness," profit neither by God's past judgments, nor by his present mercies! How many, even when his hand is lifted up for judgments yet to come, refuse to see, until overtaken by the fire reserved for his enemies!

Far be from us such blindness of mind! Far be from us such hardness of heart! Believing that God has ordained peace in our behalf, ascribing to Him the glory of every good thought and deed, in which we now desire to abound, let us altogether renounce the service of sin and Satan. Let us be thankful to be assured, that at the death of Christ these our deadly enemies had their deathblow given them. Let us rejoice in the persuasion that the number of those who thus believe has increased and is increasing. Without this saving faith what would be our existence, what, but as that of Babylonish captives; toil, without profit, travail without offspring? How welcome to the soul weary of a state so hopeless, how welcome the voice which offers us, in our immediate deliverance, little less than life from the dead, and assures to us, after this short life ended, an actual resurrection unto life eternal! Oh that whilst God's judgments, as well as his mercies, have yet a more ample fulfilment at hand, we may dwell in safety under his protection! And when the hour of his vengeance shall come, for all the bloodshedding, oppression, and wrong, of which man is guilty towards his fellows, oh that we, having lived in piety and charity a life of peace and joy, may be counted to have kept his truth, and may be admitted as a "righteous nation" within the gates of the divine glory!

PART VII. O. T.

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