ed to the church as the strongest
cordial, it was given here as the greatest consolation in all their long
captivity, that this Redeemer was afterwards to come, whose virtue was
then living, and present to the quickening and comforting of souls. It was
thought enough to uphold in a most desperate strait, "To us a child is
born," Isa. ix. 6. I wish we could take it so. Certainly it was the
character of a believer before Christ's coming, that he was one that was
looking and waiting for the salvation of Israel, by this Redeemer. But now
we are surrounded with consolation before and behind,--Christ already come,
so that we may in joy say, Lo! this is our God, we have waited for him!
others waited and longed, and we see him,--and Christ shortly to come again
without sin, to our salvation. And what could be able to take our joy from
us, if we had one eye always back to his first coming, and another always
forward to his coming again?

Sermon XV.

Isaiah lxiv 6, 7.--"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags," &c.

This people's condition agreeth well with ours, though the Lord's dealing
be very different. The confessory part of this prayer belongeth to us now;
and strange it is, that there is such odds of the Lord's dispensations,
when there is no difference in our conditions; always we know not how soon
the complaint may be ours also. This prayer was prayed long before the
judgment and captivity came on, so that it had a prophecy in the bosom of
it. Nay, it was the most kindly and affectionate way of warning the people
could get, for Isaiah to pour forth such a prayer, as if he beheld with
his eyes the calamity, as already come. And indeed it becometh us so to
look on the word, as if it gave a present being to things as certain and
sensible as if they were really. What strange stupidity must be in us,
when present things, inflicted judgments, committed sins, do not so much
affect us, as the foresight of them did. Love Isaiah! Always,(303) as this
was registrate for the people's use, to cause them to still look on
judgments threatened, as performed and present, and anticipate the day of
affliction by repentance; and also to be a pattern to them, how to deal
with God, and plead with him from such grounds of mercy and
covenant-interest: so it may be to us a warning, especially when sin is
come to the maturity, and our secure backsliding condition is with child
of sad