them that fear him, to keep them alive in way wherein we went, among all people famine. through whom we passed. xxxiv. 20. The Lord keepeth all his bones, not one of them is broken. xci. 11. He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. cxxi. 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. -Ver. 5. The Lord is thy keeper. cxxvii. 1. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. cxl. 4. Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked. cxli. 3. O Lord, keep the door of my lips. -Ver. 9. Keep me from the snare laid for me. Prov. iii. 26. The Lord shall keep thy foot from being taken. Isa. xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. xxvii. 3. The Lord will keep his vineyard; he will water it, he will keep it night and day. xlii. 6. I will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people. 2 Sam. viii. 6. The Lord preserved David whithersoever he went. 1 Sam. xxx. 23. Neh. ix. 6. Lord, thou hast made all things, and thou preservest them all. Job vii. 20. I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? x. 12. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. xxix. 2. O that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me. Ps. xvi. 1. Preserve me, O God; for in thee do I put my trust. xxxi. 23. The Lord preserveth the faithful. xxxii. 7. Thou art my hiding-place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble. xxxvi. 6. O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. xxxvii. 28. The Lord forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever. xli. 2. The Lord will preserve him, and Jer. xxxi. 10. He will gather Israel, and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed, that keep him as a shepherd doth his flock. considereth the poor. John xvii. 11. Jesus prayed thus, Holy Father, keep through thine own name, those whom thou hast given me.-Ver. 15. I pray that thou shouldst keep them from the evil that is in the world. 2 Thess. iii. 3. The Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil. 2 Tim. i. 12. The Lord whom I have believed, is able to keep that which I have committed unto him. 1 Pet. i. 5. We are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation. iv. 19. Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Jude 24, 25. Unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Rev. iii. 10. I will keep thee from the hour of temptation. Ixiv. 1. O God, preserve my life from fear of the enemy. lxxix. 11. Preserve thou those that are appointed to die. lxxxvi. 2. Preserve my soul, O thou my God; save thy servant that trusteth in thee. xcvii. 10. The Lord preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Ps. cxl. 1. cxvi. 6. The Lord preserveth the simple. cxxi. 7, 8. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. He shall preserve thy going out and coming in. cxlv. 20. The Lord preserveth all them that love him. exlvi. 9. The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow. Jer. xlix. 11. Prov. ii. 8. He preserveth the way of his saints. Isa. xlix. 6. Thou art my servant, to restore the preserved of Israel. 1 Thess. v. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Tim. iv. 18. The Lord will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. GOD IS THE CREATOR. LXXVI. God is the Creator of his people. Ps. li. 10. Create in me a clean heart, Ó God; renew a right spirit within me. cii. 18. The people that shall be created shall praise the Lord. cxlix. 2. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. Isa. xliii. 1. Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and formed thee, O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by name, thou art mine.-Ver. 7. I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea I have made him.-Ver. 15. I am the Lord, your holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Ver. 21. This people have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise. Ch. xliv. 2. 21. 24.-xlvi. 4. Ezek. xxxvii. from ver. 1 to 15. The vision of dry bones raised to life. Threats against those who apostatized after they had been created. Deut. xxxii. 6. Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is he not thy Father, that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? Ver. 15. Jeshurun forsook God that made him.-Ver. 18. Of the Rock that begat thee, thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. Ver. 19. The Lord abhorred them.-Ver. 23. He said, I will heap mischiefs upon them. Ezek. xxi. 30. Thus saith the Lord, I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity. See Jerusalem's birth and nativity described, Ch. xvi. 3 to 14. Ver. 31. I will pour mine indignation upon thee; I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath; and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy. Ver. 32. xxviii. 12-16. Thus saith the Lord God to Tyrus: Thou wast perfect in thy ways, from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Thou hast sinned, therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God. Ver. 18. LXXVII. God the Creator of Christians: they are new creatures, God's workmanship. Rom. xiv. 20. For meat, destroy not thou the work of God. Rev. i. 6. He hath made us kings and priests to God and his Father. LXXVIII. Duty of Christians as new creatures. Rom. vi. 4. We should walk in newness of life. vii. 6. We should serve in newness of spirit. xii. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. 1 Cor. v. 7. Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump. Eph. iv. 22. 24. Put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: And put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Col. iii. 9. Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. 1 Pet. iv. 19. Let those that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls unto him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. LXXIX. God is to his people their planter, builder, &c.; they are his planting, his vineyard which he watereth and maketh fruitful; his house, his building, &c. God planted the Jewish nation in the land of Canaan. Exod. xv. 17. Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the sanctuary which thy hands have established. 2 Sam. vii. 10. Jer. xxxii. 41. I will plant them in this land assuredly, with my whole heart. Ch. xxiv. 6.-xxxi. 4. 12. 28.-xlii. 10. Amos ix. 15. I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land, saith the Lord. LXXX. The Lord planted, watered, and made fruitful, the Jewish church. Ps. lxxx. 8. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt, thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Ver. 15. Ps. lxxii. 16. Isa. iv. 2. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the 2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Christ, he fruit of the earth shall be excellent and is a new creature. Gal. vi. 15. In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. Eph. i. 6. He hath made us accepted in the beloved. Col. i. 12. He hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Eph. ii. 10. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Ver. 13. Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ver. 15. comely. Ch. lx. 21. v. 1, 2. My beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hili: He fenced it, and planted it with the choicest vine.-Ver. 7. The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel. xxvii. 3. I the Lord do keep the vineyard; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day. Ver. 2. 6. Ch. xxxvii. 31. xxxv. 7. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water. xli. 18. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water. Ver. 19, 20. xliv. 3, 4. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. Ch. xlix. 10.—lviii. 11. lxi. 3. That they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified.-Ver. 11. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. Jer. xxxi. 12. Hos. ii. 23. I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy. xiv. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.-Ver. 7, 8. They shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine. I am like a green fir-tree, from me is thy fruit found. Mal. iv. 2. Ye shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall. See Jer. xviii. 9. LXXXI. Apostasy, or unfruitfulness, threats and reproofs against it. Jer. ii. 21. I planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? xi. 17. The Lord of hosts that planted thee hath pronounced evil against thee. Ch. xlv. 4. Ezek. xvii. 5. 8, 9.-xix. 10. 12. Jer. xviii. 7. 9, 10. At what instant I speak concerning a nation to pluck up, &c. Matt. iii. 10. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. iv. 3. Luke viii. 5.) Ver. 24. The parable of the wheat and tares. xxi. 33. The parable of the husbandman letting out the vineyard, and requiring the fruits. Mark xii. 1. Luke xx. 9. Luke xiii. 6. The parable of the unfruitful fig-tree cumbering the ground. Ver. 7, 8, 9. LXXXII. The fruitful, whether Jews or Gentiles, are God's planting. Ps. i. 3. The righteous shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither. Jer. xvii. 8. xcii. 13, 14. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing. Matt. vii. 17. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. Ver. 18. Ch. xii. 33. John xv. 1, 2. I am the true vine, my Father is the husbandman. Every branch that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit. Ver. 4, 5, 6. 8. Rom. vi. 22. Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Ch. vii. 4. 1 Cor. iii. 9. Ye are God's husbandry; ye are God's building. Eph. ii. 20-22. Ye are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 2 Thess. i. 3. We are bound to thank God for you, brethren, because your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you toward each other aboundeth. 1 Pet. ii. 5. Ye also, as lively stones, are xiii. 3. See the parable of the sower. (Mark | built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood. CHAPTER IV. PROPHECIES CONCERNING CHRIST, HIS SUFFERINGS, DEATH, I. The testimony of prophecy appealed to as a foundation of faith in Christ. John v. 39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. Ver. 44. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Ver. 45-47. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me. (John i, 45.) But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? Matt. xxvi. 24. The Son of man goeth, as it is written of him. Mark ix. 12. It is writ ten of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things. Luke xviii. 31. All things written by the prophets concerning the Son of man, shall be accomplished. Phil. ii. 7. Was made in the likeness of men.-Ver. 8. Was found in fashion as a man. IV. The nation, tribe, and family he was to descend from. Gen. xii. 3. Abram-in xxii. 37. This that is written must be ac- thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. complished in me. xxiv. 44. All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me. -Ver. 46. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. II. The testimony of prophecy urged by the apostles. Acts xvii. 2, 3. Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures; opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ. xxiv. 14. After the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets. xxvi. 22, 23. I continue witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead. iii. 18. Peter said, those things that God before had shewed, by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath fulfilled. x. 43. To him gave all the prophets wit ness. xviii. 28. He mightily convinced the Jews, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ. xxviii. 23. Paul expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets. III. Prophecies concerning Christ fulfilled, in his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Gen. iii. 15. The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head. Isa. vii. 14. The Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. ix. 6. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. See this fulfilled in the conception, and birth of Jesus. Matt. i. 18 to 25. Luke i, 28 to 35. Acts iii. 25. Gal. iii. 8. xxi. 12. In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Gal. iii. 16. Thy seed, which is Christ. xxvi. 4. Isaac-in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. xxviii. 14. Jacob-in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. xlix. 8. Judah-thy brethren shall praise thee, &c. Ver. 10. Isa. xi. 1. David-a branch shall grow out of his roots. Ps. lxxxix. 29. His seed will I make to endure for ever. See Jer. xxiii. 5.-xxxiii. 15. Ps. xviii. 50.-lxxxix. 4. 36.-cxxxii. 11. John vii. 42. Christ cometh of the seed of David. V. The time of Christ's life and death fixed by other events foretold in prophecy, well known when they happened. Gen. xlix. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, till Shiloh come. [As a proof that this sceptre, the ensign of government, was departed from Judah at our Saviour's birth]-Joseph and Mary, with others, went to be taxed by the authority of a heathen emperor. Luke ii. 1-3. Dan. ix. 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Ver. 25. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command Gal. iv. 4. God sent forth his Son, made of ment to restore and build Jerusalem, unto the a woman, John i. 14. He was made flesh. Heb. ii. 14. He took part of flesh and blood. Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall even in troublous times. Ver. 26. And after threescore and two | upon him. Isa. xi. 2. The Spirit of the Lord weeks, shall Messiah be cut off, but not for shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and himself; and the people of the prince that understanding, &c. Ver. 3. shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Hag. ii. 7. The desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house (viz. the temple) with glory.-Ver. 9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former house. (This glory it had above the former, but in other respects it was inferior to it. Ezra iii. 12. This fixes the coming of Christ while the temple was standing.) VI. The country and town where Christ should be born. Mic. v. 2. Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel. Fulfilled. Matt. ii. 1. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. John vii. 42. Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was. VII. Of his forerunner, John Baptist. Isa. xl. 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Mal. iii. 1. I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. iv. 5. I will send you Elijah the prophet. Fulfilled. Matt. iii. 1. In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Luke i. 17. Matt. xi. 14. This is Elias which was for to Mark come. xvii. 12. Elias is come already. ix. 13. VIII. His purging the temple. Ps. lxix. 9. The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. Matt. xxi. 12. Jesus cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple. Mark xi. 15. Luke xix. 45. John ii. 13, &c. IX. His working miracles. Isa. xxxv. 5, 6. The eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped: The lame shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing. Fulfilled. Matt. xv. 30. Great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and he healed them. See New Testament Miracles. Ixi. 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach, &c. Ps. xlv. 7. God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Fulfilled. Matt. iii. 16. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. John i. 33. John iii. 34. God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. ed. Acts iv. 27. Jesus whom thou hast anoint- XI. That he should be a prophet. Deut. xviii. 15. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet; unto him shall ye hearken. Heb. i. 1. God, who spake unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son Christ. Heb. ii. 3. Christ's predictions concerning his death, &c. See XIV. That he should be a sufferer. Isa. lii. 14. His visage was more marred than any man. liii. 3. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Heb. iv. 15. He was touched with the feel X. That the Spirit of the Lord should be 'ing of our infirmities. |