2. To endure with patience and thankfulness whatever afflictions God may lay upon us [Part of God's covenant is; to correct us in measure." And, however afflicted any may be, have they any cause to say, that they are corrected beyond measure? Can a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Surely it is far better to be chastened here, than to be condemned with the world hereafter. We may all see reason enough for chastisement, if we will but mark our daily and hourly transgressions. Let us therefore not so much as desire God to spare us, provided he see that we need correction for the welfare of our souls; but rather let us kiss the rod,' and improve it," and adore the hand that uses it for our good.*] 3. To dread sin as the greatest of all evils [Though at first sight this passage may seem to weaken our dread of sin, yet, in reality, it is calculated to impress us with a holy fear of offending God. The covenant made with Christ does indeed secure the salvation of his people: but does it provide them impunity in sin? No-On the contrary, it engages God to punish sin, yea, to punish it effectually; and never to leave his people under its dom nion. Is there then room to say, I shall be saved, though I commit sin? No: for either God will "drive it out with the rod of correction," or leave it as an indisputable mark that we never belonged to him at all." Let us never then make Christ a minister of sin; but learn from the very grace that saves us to glorify him by a holy conversation.b] a 1 Cor. xi. 32. * Heb. xii. 10. a Gal ii. 17. b Tit. ii. 11, 12. CLIV. CHRIST A STANDARD FOR THE GENTILES. Isai. xi. 10. In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. THERE is a day, often referred to in the prophetic writings, a day fixed in the divine counsels, which is to be distinguished above all others in the annals of the world. That which will render it so remarkable, is figuratively described in the preceding context, and plainly declared in the words we have just read: it is, in a word, the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith of Christ. This, with its consequences to the church of God, are the two points to which we would now direct your attention I. The conversion of the Gentiles Christ is here represented as "an ensign," around which all are to flock [He is "the rod out of the stem of Jesse;"a and it is of him that the prophet speaks in the prophecy before us. He is erected as a standard in the preaching of the gospel. But a standard is not merely an object to be gazed at: it intimates to all who behold it, that they are in danger from their enemies; that they must fight in their own defence; and that their sovereign invites them to enlist under his banners: it intimates further, that, whatever is necessary to arm them for the combat, or to support them in their warfare, shall be provided for them. Now such an ensign is Christ: He is set up, not merely to awaken the attention of people to himself, but to warn them of the approach of their enemies, and to shew them the only means of preservation. It is not in this warfare as in others, that they who fight expose themselves to dangers, and that they, who decline the combat, are kept in safety: the very reverse of this is true in the spiritual warfare: he who will not fight must perish, whilst all who engage courageously in the contest, shall live for ever.] By the erecting of this standard the Gentile world shall be converted to God [Whatever other means be used for awakening sinners, they are all ineffectual for the end proposed. It is the preaching of Christ crucified, and that only, that will ever avail for the quickening of the dead, and the renovating of mankind after the image of their God. And this has already met with much success; and, in God's appointed time, shall effect a change on the whole face of the earth. When Peter first "opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles, the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word." And the great apostle of the Gentiles succeeded in turning thousands from their idols to serve the living God. But we have hitherto seen only the first fruits: the harvest is yet to come: and a glorious harvest it will be: for, when "the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in," "all the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of Christ;"" there will be but one Lord and his name one;"" and all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest. "e This is what our Lord himself also has predicted, saying, "I, if I be lifted up (upon the cross, and after a Ver. 1. wards in the preaching of the gospel) will draw all men unto me."d] The godly in all ages having looked forward with earnestness to this event, let us consider II. The consequences of it to the church A glorious day will that be for the church of God! The metaphor being changed, The prophet calls the church" the rest," or restingplace, of the Deity [For five hundred years after God had gathered to himself his people out of Egypt, he dwelt, by the symbols of his presence, in a moveable tent. But after David had brought up the ark to Mount Zion, and Solomon had erected a temple there for the residence of the Deity, that place was eminently called "the rest," or resting-place of God. But that resi dence was a mere emblem or shadow of one infinitely dearer to God, namely, the hearts of his people. It is in the church, even in the hearts of his contrite ones, that God delights to dwell: it is there alone that he can rest; it is there alone that he can find any satisfaction.] This rest of his will be rendered exceeding "glorious" by the conversion of the Gentile world: for then 1. The glory of God will be most eminently displayed [When God revealed himself in the temple of Solomon, he filled it with a glory, which far surpassed all the beauty of the structure, or of the furniture with which it was supplied. But how infinitely brighter a display of his glory will he give to the church, when he shall bring into it myriads of the most abandoned sinners! How will his power and mercy, his truth and faithfulness shine forth with united splendor, and fill every soul with wonder and amazement! Then will he indeed "glorify the house of his glory," and "make the place of his feet glorious." Then will the church become "an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations."] 2. The felicity of all the saints will be exceedingly increased [If it be a joy to the very angels in heaven to behold the conversion of one sinner, what will it be to the saints of God to see all in every place flying to Christ, in unnumbered multitudes, like a cloud, and flocking to him, with rapidity, like doves to their windows? What acclamations and hosannas d John xii. 32. fIsai. lxvi. 1, 2. e Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14. 2 Chron. vi. 41. will burst forth in every place, the chorus continually swelling, till the whole earth resounds with the praises of its God! What power will then accompany the ministry of the word! What " an unction of the Holy One" will rest on all that hear it! Surely every ordinance will then be as "the house of God, and as the very gate of heaven."] We may SEE from hence 1. What improvement we should make of the preached gospel [The preaching of the gospel is, in fact, the raising of this standard before the eyes of men: it is the setting forth of Christ crucified, and the calling of men to enlist under his banners. What then have we to do, but to flock around him; to give up our names to him, that they may be inscribed on his list; and to gird ourselves for the combat at his command? Let us then vie with each other in zeal for his service: and let us willingly "endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ," that, being more than conquerors, we may receive a crown of righteousness at the hands of our righteous Judge.*] 2. The blessedness of those who improve it aright [Whoever complies with the invitations of the gospel, and unites himself to the army of saints, the church of God, he instantly becomes a distinguished favourite of heaven; his heart is the temple of the Deity; he is God's residence, he is God's rest: and more glorious is he, than if all earthly dignities were centered in him; more happy, than a combination of all earthly comforts could make him. Let us then aspire after "the good of God's chosen, that we may rejoice in the gladness of his nation, and glory with his inheritance."] i Gen. xxviii. 17. 2 Tim. iv. 8. 1 Ps. cvi. 5. CLV. THE TIME AND ENDS OF CHRIST'S ADVENT.. 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. IT has pleased God on many occasions to manifest his regard to prayer; and to give such speedy and gracious answers to it as should encourage all his people to pour out their hearts before him-Daniel, having understood by books that the seventy years captivity in Babylon were drawing to a close, set himself by fasting and prayer to implore mercy for himself and his captive nation: and God instantly sent an angel to testify the acceptance of his prayers, and to reveal to him the period fixed for that far greater deliverance, which should in due time be ef fected by the Messiah-“ Seventy weeks," according to the prophetic language, mean seventy weeks of years, that is, four hundred and ninety years, a day for a year— Commentators are not agreed respecting the precise year from which the numeration of them begins: but according to any calculation the Messiah must have long since come into the world; and the Jews are inexcusable in rejecting so decisive a testimony-The ends of the Messiah's advent are here set forth in a rich variety of expression: they may be reduced to three, I. To reconcile God and man The legal dispensation made no effectual provision for this end [There were sacrifices and various other services appointed for the removal of guilt: and the person who complied with the ordinances prescribed was considered as absolved from his sin-But in the nature of things "it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin"-Indeed the annual repetition of the same offerings on the great day of atonement shewed, that the transgressions, which had been before atoned for, were not fully and finally forgiven: these repeated sacrifices were so many "remembrances of sins," intended to lead the minds of men to that greater sacrifice, which alone could "make them perfect as pertaining to the conscience," or procure for them a complete and "eternal redemption."] This however was to be fully accomplished by the Lord Jesus a Ezek. iv. 6. There is a remarkable coincidence between the 70 years at the end of which this temporal deliverance was to take place, and the 70 weeks of years when the great deliverer was to come. That space of time (490 years) includes ten Jubilees; at the last of which, not one nation only, but all the nations of the world should hear the sound of the gospel-trumpet, and be restored to their forfeited inheritance. b The more approved calculations are those which are dated from the 7th, or from the 20th, and the latter by lunar years. • Heb. ix. 9-12. and x. 1-4. |