The Jews in the Prophet Isa's time were in great distress, and could get no deliverance. The ports and passages of mercy were all obstructed. Now, whether went their thoughts? And what did they look upon, as the reason of those abiding lingering evils? we may read their thoughts in the refutation of them; we may see what the disease of their hearts was, by the medicine which the Prophet applies unto them: he labours to purge them from that conceit, as if either want of power, or want of love in the Lord were the stop of their deliverance. The Lords hand is not shortened that he cannot save, neither his ear heavy, that he cannot hear, Isa. 59. 1, 2. as if he had said, I know what your apprehensions are in these affliction, you think the reason is in God, that either he cannot, or he will not save you: You think the hand of Gods power is shrunk up, or the ear of his mercy shut up, but, you reflect not upon your selves, nor consider, that Your iniquities have separated between you and your God; Your sin does you hurt, and you touch not that with a little finger, but lay the weight of your charge upon God himself. So (Hos. 13. 9.) Thy destruction is from thy self, in me is thy help. God is forced to tell them so, that their destruction was from themselves, they would not believe it: they supposed it was from the cruelty or malice of the creature, from the wrath and rage of enemies, from some oversight or neglect of their friends; therefore the Lord speaks out in express terms, Thy destruction is from thy self. It springs not forth of the dust, neither is ⟨p. 221⟩thy destruction from me; In me is thy help; in both the heart of man fails equally, we are ready to say, that the good we have comes from our selves, that our help and comforts are from our own power and wisdom, and so offer sacrifice to our own nets, as if by them our portion were fat: but for evil and destruction we assign it wholly over, sometime to men, and so are angry; sometime to God, and so blaspheme. We naturally decline what reflects shame upon our selves, or speaks us guilty.
The Jewes in the Prophet Isa's time were in great distresse, and could get no deliverance. The ports and passages of mercy were all obstructed. Now, whether went their thoughts? And what did they looke upon, as the reason of those abiding lingring evils? we may reade their thoughts in the refutation of them; we may see what the disease of their hearts was, by the medicine which the Prophet applies unto them: he labours to purge them from that conceit, as if either want of power, or want of love in the Lord were the stop of their deliverance. The Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save, neither his eare heavy, that he cannot heare, Isa. 59. 1, 2. as if he had said, I know what your apprehensions are in these affliction, you thinke the reason is in God, that either he cannot, or he will not save you: You think the hand of Gods power is shrunke up, or the eare of his mercy shut up, but, you reflect not upon your selves, nor consider, that Your iniquities have separated between you and your God; Your sinne does you hurt, and you touch not that with a little finger, but lay the weight of your charge upon God himselfe. So (Hos. 13. 9.) Thy destruction is from thy self, in me is thy help. God is forced to tel them so, that their destruction was from themselves, they would not believe it: they supposed it was from the cruelty or malice of the creature, from the wrath and rage of enemies, from some oversight or neglect of their friends; therefore the Lord speaks out in expresse termes, Thy destruction is from thy self. It springs not forth of the dust, neither is ⟨p. 221⟩thy destruction from me; In me is thy help; in both the heart of man failes equally, we are ready to say, that the good we have comes from our selves, that our help and comforts are from our own power and wisdom, and so offer sacrifice to our own nets, as if by them our portion were fat: but for evil and destruction we assigne it wholly over, somtime to men, and so are angry; sometime to God, and so blaspheme. We naturally decline what reflects shame upon our selves, or speaks us guilty.
