Isaiah 9:21

REFLECTIONS

MY soul! behold in Israel's history, the real history of all men by nature; and the one universal cause of the Lord's controversy with the sons of men. All have sinned, and come short of God's glory: And think, my soul, what a mercy it is, that the Lord doth correct. But for this, there would be no hope of a reform. One of the most tremendous scriptures, is that, which the Lord proclaims concerning the incorrigible, when giving them up to fulfil the measure of their iniquities: So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my. jealousy shall depart from thee. Lord! I would say for myself, and for every poor sinner like myself, give us not up to eat the fruit of our own devices. It is better to suffer now, than to perish forever. But oh! accompany thy corrections with thy grace; and cause thy children to hear the rod, and who hath appointed it.

Precious Jesus! how blessed is it, under such circumstances, to look at those sweet promises, which are given in this chapter concerning thee, and thy great salvation, by whom alone all deliverances are wrought. Had it not been for thee, thou gracious glorious Lord! though the Lord's anger had been stretched out to all eternity, not a soul could have found the possibility of returning to him. His justice must have burned to the lowest hell: neither could it have been satisfied forever, Hail! thou almighty Deliverer of thy people! we welcome thy coming in the name of the Lord! Blessed forever be the joyful sound, that unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given! Oh! the unspeakable felicity, that the government is upon thy shoulder; and that all power is thine, in heaven and in earth. Give then, thou dearest Lord, to thy people, to know thee, by every endearing name and in every glorious character. Be thou to me, to each, to all, our wonderful Counselor, our mighty God, our everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace! And since in ourselves, and in all our circumstances, we are nothing, can do nothing, and by reason of sin are worse than nothing; oh, Lord, do thou carry on thy work with power in our souls; and of the increase of thy government and peace let there be no end. Let it be ever growing, and still to grow. Give an increase of grace, in every heart of thy redeemed upon earth. And even when thou shalt have brought home thy ransomed from earth to heaven, and the whole work and glory of redemption is then fully manifested to be thine; yet, blessed Jesus, even then, when thou shalt have delivered up the kingdom of thy mediatorial power, and Jehovah in his threefold character of person is glorified in the salvation of the Church; then, then, thou adorable Redeemer, thou wilt still, be the glorious Head, and cause, and source; of all the blessedness of thy Church and people; and every new gift of felicity they enjoy, they will enjoy in thee, and from thee, and with thee, and it will be Jesus, and his church, to be glorious and going on in glory, forever and forever, Oh! the wonders and blessedness of salvation in Christ!