mh_parser/vol_split/23 - Isaiah/Chapter 12.xml

<div2 id="Is.xiii" n="xiii" next="Is.xiv" prev="Is.xii" progress="5.60%" title="Chapter XII">
<h2 id="Is.xiii-p0.1">I S A I A H.</h2>
<h3 id="Is.xiii-p0.2">CHAP. XII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Is.xiii-p1" shownumber="no">The salvation promised in the foregoing chapter
was compared to that of Israel "in the day that he came up out of
the land of Egypt;" so that chapter ends. Now as Moses and the
children of Israel then sang a song of praise to the glory of God
(<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Exod.15.1" parsed="|Exod|15|1|0|0" passage="Ex 15:1">Exod. xv. 1</scripRef>) so shall the
people of God do in that day when the root of Jesse shall stand for
an ensign of the people and shall be the desire and joy of all
nations. In that day, I. Every particular believer shall sing a
song of praise for his own interest in that salvation, <scripRef id="Is.xiii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.1-Isa.12.2" parsed="|Isa|12|1|12|2" passage="Isa 12:1,2">ver. 1, 3</scripRef>). "Thou shalt say, Lord,
I will praise thee." Thanksgiving-work shall be closet-work. II.
Many in concert shall join in praising God for the common benefit
arising from this salvation (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.4-Isa.12.6" parsed="|Isa|12|4|12|6" passage="Isa 12:4-6">ver.
4-6</scripRef>): "You shall say, Praise you the Lord."
Thanksgiving-work shall be congregation-work; and the praises of
God shall be publicly sung in the congregations of the upright.</p>
<scripCom id="Is.xiii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12" parsed="|Isa|12|0|0|0" passage="Isa 12" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Is.xiii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.1-Isa.12.3" parsed="|Isa|12|1|12|3" passage="Isa 12:1-3" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Is.xiii-p1.6">
<h4 id="Is.xiii-p1.7">A Song of Praise. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Is.xiii-p1.8">b. c.</span> 740.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Is.xiii-p2" shownumber="no">1 And in that day thou shalt say, <span class="smallcaps" id="Is.xiii-p2.1">O Lord</span>, I will praise thee: though thou wast
angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
  2 Behold, God <i>is</i> my salvation; I will trust, and not
be afraid: for the <span class="smallcaps" id="Is.xiii-p2.2">Lord</span> JEHOVAH
<i>is</i> my strength and <i>my</i> song; he also is become my
salvation.   3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of
the wells of salvation.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p3" shownumber="no">This is the former part of the hymn of
praise which is prepared for the use of the church, of the Jewish
church when God would work great deliverances for them, and of the
Christian church when the kingdom of the Messiah should be set up
in the world in despite of the opposition of the powers of
darkness: <i>In that day thou shalt say, O Lord! I will praise
thee.</i> The scattered church, being united into one body, shall,
as one man, with one mind and one mouth, thus praise God, who is
one and his name one. <i>In that day,</i> when the Lord shall do
these great things for thee, <i>thou shalt say, O Lord! I will
praise thee.</i> That is,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p4" shownumber="no">I. "Thou shalt have cause to say so." The
promise is sure, and the blessings contained in it are very rich,
and, when they are bestowed, will furnish the church with abundant
matter for rejoicing and therefore with abundant matter for
thanksgiving. The Old-Testament prophecies of gospel times are
often expressed by the joy and praise that shall then be excited;
for the inestimable benefits we enjoy by Jesus Christ require the
most elevated and enlarged thanksgivings.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p5" shownumber="no">II. "Thou shalt have a heart to say so."
All God's other gifts to his people shall be crowned with this. He
will give them grace to ascribe all the glory of them to him, and
to speak of them upon all occasions with thankfulness to his
praise. <i>Thou shalt say,</i> that is, thou oughtest to say so.
<i>In that day,</i> when many are brought home to Jesus Christ and
flock to him as doves to their windows, instead of envying the kind
reception they find with Christ, as the Jews grudged the favour
shown to the Gentiles, <i>thou shalt say, O Lord! I will praise
thee.</i> Note, we ought to rejoice in, and give thanks for, the
grace of God to others as well as to ourselves.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p6" shownumber="no">1. Believers are here taught to give thanks
to God for the turning away of his displeasure from them and the
return of his favour to them (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.1" parsed="|Isa|12|1|0|0" passage="Isa 12:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>): <i>O Lord! I will praise thee,
though thou wast angry with me.</i> Note, Even God's frowns must
not put us out of tune for praising him; though he be angry with
us, though he slay us, yet we must put our trust in him and give
him thanks. God has often just cause to be angry with us, but we
have never any reason to be angry with him, nor to speak otherwise
than well of him; even when he blames us we must praise him.
<i>Thou was angry with us,</i> but <i>thy anger is turned away.</i>
Note, (1.) God is sometimes angry with his own people and the
fruits of his anger do appear, and they ought to take notice of
this, that they may humble themselves under his mighty hand. (2.)
Though God may for a time be angry with his people, yet his anger
shall at length be turned away; it endures but for a moment, nor
will he contend for ever. By Jesus Christ, the root of Jesse, God's
anger against mankind was turned away; for <i>he is our peace.</i>
(3.) Those whom God is reconciled to he comforts; even the turning
away of his anger is a comfort to them; yet that is not all: those
that are <i>at peace with God</i> may <i>rejoice in hope of the
glory of God,</i> <scripRef id="Is.xiii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:Rom.5.1-Rom.5.2" parsed="|Rom|5|1|5|2" passage="Ro 5:1,2">Rom. v. 1,
2</scripRef>. Nay, God sometimes brings his people into a
wilderness that there he may <i>speak comfortably to them,</i>
<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p6.3" osisRef="Bible:Hos.2.14" parsed="|Hos|2|14|0|0" passage="Ho 2:14">Hosea ii. 14</scripRef>. (4.) The
turning away of God's anger, and the return of his comforts to us,
ought to be the matter of our joyful thankful praises.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p7" shownumber="no">2. They are taught to triumph in God and
their interest in him (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.2" parsed="|Isa|12|2|0|0" passage="Isa 12:2"><i>v.</i>
2</scripRef>): "<i>Behold,</i> and wonder; <i>God is my
salvation;</i> not only my Saviour, by whom I am saved, but my
salvation, in whom I am safe. I depend upon him as my salvation,
for I have found him to be so. He shall have the glory of all the
salvations that have been wrought for me, and from him only will I
expect the salvations I further need, and not from hills and
mountains: and if God be my salvation, if he undertake my eternal
salvation, <i>I will trust</i> in him to prepare me for it and
preserve me to it. I will trust him with all my temporal concerns,
not doubting but he will make all to work for my good. I will be
confident, that is, I will be always easy in my own mind." Note,
Those that have God for their salvation may enjoy themselves with a
holy security and serenity of mind. Let faith in God as our
salvation be effectual, (1.) To silence our fears. We must
<i>trust, and not be afraid,</i> not be afraid that the God we
trust in will fail us; no, there is no danger of that; not be
afraid of any creature, though ever so formidable and threatening.
Note, Faith in God is a sovereign remedy against disquieting
tormenting fears. (2.) To support our hopes. Is the Lord Jehovah
our salvation? Then he will be our <i>strength and song.</i> We
have work to do and temptations to resist, and we may depend upon
him to enable us for both, to <i>strengthen us with all might by
his Spirit in the inner man,</i> for he is our strength; his grace
is so, and that grace shall be sufficient for us. We have many
troubles to undergo, and must expect griefs in a vale of tears; and
we may depend upon him to comfort us in all our tribulations, for
he is our song; he <i>giveth songs in the night.</i> If we make God
our strength, and put our confidence in him, he will be our
strength; if we make him our song, and place our comfort in him, he
will be our song. Many good Christians have God for their strength
who have him not for their song; they walk in darkness: but light
is sown for them. And those that have God for their strength ought
to make him their song, that is, to give him the glory of it (see
<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.68.35" parsed="|Ps|68|35|0|0" passage="Ps 68:35">Ps. lxviii. 35</scripRef>) and to take
to themselves the comfort of it, for he will become their
salvation. Observe the title here given to God: <i>Jah,
Jehovah.</i> Jah is the contraction of Jehovah, and both signify
his eternity and unchangeableness, which are a great comfort to
those that depend upon him as their strength and their song. Some
make Jah to signify the Son of God made man; he is Jehovah, and in
him we may glory as our strength, and song, and salvation.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p8" shownumber="no">3. They are aught to derive comfort to
themselves from the love of God and all the tokens of that love
(<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.3" parsed="|Isa|12|3|0|0" passage="Isa 12:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>):
"<i>Therefore,</i> because the Lord Jehovah is your strength and
song and will be your salvation, <i>you shall draw water with
joy.</i>" Note, The assurances God has given us of his love, and
the experiences we have had of the benefit and comfort of his
grace, should greatly encourage our faith in him and our
expectations from him: "<i>Out of the wells of salvation</i> in
God, who is the fountain of all good to his people, <i>you shall
draw water with joy.</i> God's favour shall flow forth to you, and
you shall have the comfort of it and make use of the blessed fruits
of it." Note, (1.) God's promises revealed, ratified, and given out
to us, in his ordinances, are wells of salvation; wells of <i>the
Saviour</i> (so some read it), for in them the Saviour and
salvation are made known to us and made over to us. (2.) It is our
duty by faith to draw water out of these wells, to take to
ourselves the benefit and comfort that are treasured up for us in
them, as those that acknowledge all our fresh springs to be there
and all our fresh streams to be thence, <scripRef id="Is.xiii-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.87.7" parsed="|Ps|87|7|0|0" passage="Ps 87:7">Ps. lxxxvii. 7</scripRef>. (3.) Water is to be drawn out
of the wells of salvation with a great deal of pleasure and
satisfaction. It is the will of God that we should rejoice before
him and rejoice in him (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Deut.26.11" parsed="|Deut|26|11|0|0" passage="De 26:11">Deut. xxvi.
11</scripRef>), be joyful in his house of prayer (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p8.4" osisRef="Bible:Isa.56.7" parsed="|Isa|56|7|0|0" passage="Isa 56:7">Isa. lvi. 7</scripRef>), and keep his feasts
with gladness, <scripRef id="Is.xiii-p8.5" osisRef="Bible:Acts.2.46" parsed="|Acts|2|46|0|0" passage="Ac 2:46">Acts ii.
46</scripRef>.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Is.xiii-p8.6" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.4-Isa.12.6" parsed="|Isa|12|4|12|6" passage="Isa 12:4-6" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Is.xiii-p8.7">
<h4 id="Is.xiii-p8.8">A Song of Praise. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Is.xiii-p8.9">b. c.</span> 740.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Is.xiii-p9" shownumber="no">4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the <span class="smallcaps" id="Is.xiii-p9.1">Lord</span>, call upon his name, declare his
doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
  5 Sing unto the <span class="smallcaps" id="Is.xiii-p9.2">Lord</span>; for he
hath done excellent things: this <i>is</i> known in all the earth.
  6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great
<i>is</i> the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p10" shownumber="no">This is the second part of this evangelical
song, and to the same purport with the former; there believers stir
up themselves to praise God, here they invite and encourage one
another to do it, and are contriving to spread his praise and draw
in others to join with them in it. Observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p11" shownumber="no">I. Who are here called upon to praise
God—<i>the inhabitants of Zion</i> and Jerusalem, whom God had in
a particular manner protected from Sennacherib's violence,
<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Isa.12.6" parsed="|Isa|12|6|0|0" passage="Isa 12:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>. Those that
have received distinguishing favours from God ought to be most
forward and zealous in praising him. The gospel church is Zion.
Christ is Zion's King. Those that have a place and a name in the
church should lay out themselves to diffuse the knowledge of Christ
and to bring many to him. <i>Thou inhabitress of Zion;</i> the word
is feminine. Let the weaker sex be strong in the Lord, and out of
their mouth praise shall be perfected.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p12" shownumber="no">II. How they must praise the Lord. 1. By
prayer: <i>Call upon his name.</i> As giving thanks for former
mercy is a decent way of begging further mercy, so begging further
mercy is graciously accepted as a thankful acknowledgment of the
mercies we have received. In calling upon God's name we give unto
him some of the glory that is due to his name as our powerful and
bountiful benefactor. 2. By preaching and writing. We must not only
speak to God, but speak to others concerning him, not only call
upon his name, but (as the margin reads it) <i>proclaim his
name;</i> let others know something more from us than they did
before concerning God, and those things whereby he has made himself
known. <i>Declare his doings,</i> his <i>counsels</i> (so some read
it); the work of redemption is according to the counsel of his
will, and in that and other wonderful works that he has done we
must take notice of his <i>thoughts which are to us-ward,</i>
<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.40.5" parsed="|Ps|40|5|0|0" passage="Ps 40:5">Ps. xl. 5</scripRef>. Declare these
<i>among the people,</i> among the heathen, that they may be
brought into communion with Israel and the God of Israel. When the
apostles preached the gospel to all nations, beginning at
Jerusalem, then this scripture was fulfilled, that his doings
should be declared among the people and that what he has done
should be known in all the earth. 3. By a holy exultation and
transport of joy: "<i>Cry out and shout;</i> welcome the gospel to
yourselves and publish it to others with huzzas and loud
acclamations, as those that <i>shout for victory</i> (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.32.18" parsed="|Exod|32|18|0|0" passage="Ex 32:18">Exod. xxxii. 18</scripRef>) or for the
coronation of a king," <scripRef id="Is.xiii-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Num.23.21" parsed="|Num|23|21|0|0" passage="Nu 23:21">Num. xxiii.
21</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Is.xiii-p13" shownumber="no">III. For what they must praise the Lord. 1.
Because he has glorified himself. Remember it yourselves, and
<i>make mention</i> of it to others, <i>that his name is
exalted,</i> has become more illustrious and more conspicuous; in
this every good man rejoices. 2. Because he has magnified his
people: <i>He has done excellent things</i> for them, which make
them look great and considerable. 3. Because he is, and will be,
great among them: <i>Great is the Holy One,</i> for he is glorious
in holiness; <i>therefore</i> great, because holy. True goodness is
true greatness. He is great as <i>the Holy One of Israel,</i> and
<i>in the midst of them,</i> praised by them (<scripRef id="Is.xiii-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.76.1" parsed="|Ps|76|1|0|0" passage="Ps 76:1">Ps. lxxvi. 1</scripRef>), manifesting himself among them,
and appearing gloriously in their behalf. It is the honour and
happiness of Israel that the God who is in covenant with them, and
in the midst of them, is infinitely great.</p>
</div></div2>