Pray for the rising generation, or A sermon wherein godly parents are encouraged, to…

ISAIAH. 44.3. I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine Off spring.

The Prophet having in the conclusion of the preceding Chapter, in the Name of God, denounced heavy Judgement to come upon the Apostate Church of Israel, he doth proceed in this Chapter to speak by way of Consolation to the godly remnant amongst them; And for that end doth put them in mind of a most gracious and glorious promise; under which we have, 1. The persons concerned, or the Subject of this promise, viz The Israel of God, ver. 1. Yet hear now O Jacob my Servant, and Israel whom I have chosen, Who are described from their political birth. ver· 2 Thus saith the Lord, that made and formed thee from the womb. The Children of Israel considered as a Church and State,¹ were born in the day when the Lord brought them out of Egypt; they were then formed to be a people for himself; The Lord moulded them up into a proportionable frame of Church and State; for which cause did the children of Israel begin their Religious Account, (albeit their civil Account began six Months before that) from the time of the year when they came out of Egypt, since that then they seemed to begin their life. And then they were a Jeshurun, Thou I•shurun, h. e. a righteous People as to their constitution and profession, according to the signification of the name Jeshurun; they were wholly a right seed, under most righteous Laws. 2 We have the blessing promised in the 3d. verse: And it is first expressed, then explained. It is expressed in the former part of the verse, I will pour water upon the thirsty, (so the verse should be re•d) and ⟨p. 6⟩floods upon the dry ground: alluding partly unto plentiful showers whereby the thirsty Earth is made fruitful, and partly unto rivers such as Nilus in Egypt, the floods and seasonable overflowing whereof do enrich the earth: the promise is explained in the latter part of the verse, the words that are before us to insist on. will pour my spirit and my blessing, h. e. that wonderful blessing of the Spirit: They are spiritual waters which are here spoken of No other showers then those that come down from the third, and highest heaven: and this promise is further illustrated from the blessed extent of it, in that, not only Parents, but Children are concerned therein. On thy Seed i. e. thy Children, and on thine Off-spring, i. e. Posterity as some render the word, Hebr. I will pour my blessing upon thy young sprigs.