Isaiah 55

Notes

Ver. 1-5. Ye sinners of mankind, who are not, but wish to be, happy, come ye, however guilty or polluted, to the ordinances of the gospel, and by faith freely receive all the blessings and privileges graciously offered in it. Why do ye lay out your gifts, parts, and opportunities in pursuit of worldly enjoyments, superstitious devotions, or self-righteousness, which can afford you no solid satisfaction? Carefully listen to and believe my gospel offers and invitations; and let your souls with pleasure receive and live on the substantial, satisfying, strengthening, and sanctifying blessings therein conferred. By faith embrace these offers, as the means of your spiritual and eternal life; and I will establish with you the everlasting promise of grace, which contains, bequeaths, and insures all the free blessings promised to David; but secured by and lodged in Jesus Christ for the salvation of miserable sinners! Behold with faith, love and admiration, I have freely granted him to publish and attest every gospel truth to ignorant and unbelieving men, to instruct and guide them to salvation, to rule and defend them, and to restrain or overcome the wicked. And at his invitation, through the influence of the Holy Ghost, and in order to glorify him, shall multitudes of Gentiles, who had neither been acknowledged by him nor known him, receive and submit to him. 6-13. Importunately seek after and heartily embrace him as your Saviour and portion, while he earnestly offers himself to you in his Word and ordinances. Let even the greatest sinner detest and turn from his self-contrived methods of relief, as well as from his courses and purposes of wickedness, in the sure faith of the unbounded mercy and pardoning grace of God: for in riches of mercy his purposes, words, and works infinitely transcend everything similar and every conception among men; and his promises cannot be defeated, but always issue in blessings to mankind.—And as with great joy the Jews shall be divinely conducted from Babylon and their present dispersion to their own country, and shall plant, multiply, and flourish in the same, so shall multitudes, to the public and lasting honour of God, be delivered from their spiritual bondage of heathenism, Popery, Satan, or their lusts; and while themselves are converted from mischievous sinners into agreeable and useful saints, they shall be delivered from whatever is hurtful and offensive.

Ver. 1. 'Ho, every one that thirsteth' for righteousness, Mat. 5. 6, 'and he that hath no money' (nothing, though he had gained the whole world, to give in exchange for his soul, Mat. 16. 26), 'come ye to the waters.' C.

Ver. 3. David signifies Beloved, and is a prophetical (Je. 30. 9; Ho. 3. 5), a heavenly (Mat. 3. 17), and apostolic name of Christ, Ep. 1. 6. All mercies in him are made sure by 'two immutable things'—God's promise of truth and his oath of confirmation, He. 6. 17, 18. C.

Ver. 5. By following out the address in ch. 54. 1-17, it will be seen that the once barren but now prolific church is the party addressed in this promise. C.

Ver. 9. Higher. God's thoughts are higher (1) in their subject—Christ and his church, Ep. 1. 3-6. (2) In their object—salvation, Ep. 1. 10-14. (3) In their result—success, ver. 11. C.

Ver. 12. Mountains and hills—empires and kingdoms.—Trees of the field—believers everywhere throughout the world, Is. 61. 3. C.

Ver. 13. 'Thorns and briers' are the emblems of the primal curse, Ge. 13. 8; He. 6. 8.—'The fir-tree' is the mark of peaceful dwellings, Ca. 1. 17, successful commerce, Eze. 27. 5, and joyous music, 2 Sa. 6. 5.—'The myrtle,' of that co-extension of natural and spiritual husbandry, improving alike the natural and the moral wilderness, Is. 41. 19. C.

Reflections.—Think now, my soul, how all the blessings of salvation are framed to answer our need!—The most trifling cumberers of God's vineyard, nay, the most notorious sinners, are expressly, are earnestly invited by him to receive the same without any conditions. Infinite is his grace who, at infinite expense, provides these favours for his enemies, his betrayers, and murderers, and thus offers them to his despisers. But infinitely criminal must be that unbelief which treads on such grace, and doubts the fulfilment of his infallible promises. And base is the heart, and cruel the preacher, who gives Jehovah the lie; and pretends that self-formed qualifications of sensibility and sincerity must render us welcome to his market of Grace.