But though this is the case with many, yet some have been more highly favored, and shone with peculiar lustre in the Church of God. All the Prophets testified of the adorable Redeemer, but Isaiah shines like a star of the first magnitude. His name signifies the Salvation of God; and he was a type of the great Prophet of the Church of God. It is said, but without any probable ground, he was the cousin of King Uzziah, in the latter end of whose reign he began his predictions. His qualifications were great, and his writings truly sublime, yet his success was but small. A minister of small talents may be more successful in his public work than a man of greater, but this is according to the sovereign good-will and pleasure of God.—After this great Prophet had borne his testimony for God and truth about forty-five years, he died a martyr, perhaps sawn asunder with a wooden saw, under the reign of Manassah. He clearly foretels the incarnation of our Lord; and probably he was the first to whom it was revealed that the Messiah should be born of a virgin. His mind was led to trace him through a life of sorrows, while he foretels his most intimate acquaintance would be grief—acquainted with grief, but his reward would be glorious. His name should be great in all the world, and everlasting honours paid him, as God-man Mediator.—This was the joy set before him, for which he endured the Cross, and thought light of the shame—the Father hath therefore highly exalted him, and given him a name above every other, that at his name every knee should bow, if not in this world to the sceptre of his grace and mercy, they shall to his iron rod in hell.
The chapter from whence the text is selected is very singular, yet truly important. The Prophet is led to foretel the base conduct of the Jews in rejecting the Gospel, the Saviour, and his Apostles—the casting away of that nation; the provoking them to jealousy by a foolish nation, in the calling a people that did not seek after him, or expect it. These things are clearly pointed out in the seven first verses. Then, lest the truly godly should fear being cut off, the Lord graciously promises he would take care of them, when the rest should be numbered to the sword; they are the seed, the blessed of the Lord. A line of distinction is drawn between God’s servants and those rejecters of the Saviour, from the 13th to the 16th verse. The Holy Ghost then leads the mind of the Prophet to the future glory of the Church in the thousand years reign—For behold I create new heavens and a new earth, which will be a state of joy and comfort. This new heavens and earth must refer, literally, to the personal reign of Christ on earth; for the apostle Peter says (it is written) and to this passage he must refer. After the old heaven and earth are passed away, then a new region will be created, suited to the glorified bodies of the saints—and a new earth, where Christ and his saints will dwell personally a thousand years—one day with the Lord—the true sabbatic year. The Prophet having intimated this, goes on to shew what will take place previous to this reign, even a spiritual reign, in the universal knowledge of our Lord—long life; no weeping over dead children; no oppression of each other’s houses or lands; but all temporal prosperity and spiritual success—speedy answers to prayer; and even, perhaps, the brute creation will be tamed, and brought into the same subjection as before the fall—Hail! happy period! the Lord hasten it in his time.
This spiritual reign will be very different from the Millennium, though many good men suppose it the same thing; but the Millennium will be a perfect state, this will not. The Millennium will be after the resurrection of the just, this will be before it. The Millennium will be the personal reign of Christ, but this will be spiritual; just as it is now, in the heart—in the Church, in Doctrines and Ordinances, but with an amazing increase of light, life, love, and holiness; when, no doubt, the poorest peasant will have as much light as the apostle Paul had when on earth.
It is very probable that this prophecy began to take place upon the spread of the Gospel in the land of Judea, and in the Gentile world; when there was a new face of things, so that the whole looked like a new world. The Gospel ran, had free course, and was glorified—Sinners, of every sort and size, were converted to God—the Redeemer saw the travail of his soul, and the Holy Spirit displayed the love, grace, and mercy of God, in all its glory. The freeness of grace was seen in the objects it noticed; the power of it was seen in the conquests it gained; its sovereignty was seen in passing by those who bid fairest in their own eyes for glory. While grace revealed these things unto babes, others, not interested in them, heard enough to hate them—rejected them altogether, and persecuted those who had received them. These persecutions were attended with many advantages to the saints; none were hurt effectually, nor any bud of the Tree of Life, nor budding hope, destroyed in all God’s holy Mountain.
Thus having proceeded to our text, which I shall barely comment upon, except the clause I first read as a text, this I shall endeavor to explain.
First. The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb—so it reads in the 11th Chap, of this Book; here it is the same—shall feed together; if they dwell together they must, consequently, feed together. I remark, that it was the eternal design of God to shew himself to his creatures as the God of all grace—so the Apostle words it, that in the ages to come he might shew unto us the exceeding riches of his grace and kindness towards us, by Christ Jesus. This he has done in all ages, in its divine sovereignty, freeness, and power, upon those characters who may justly be compared to ravening Wolves, who have worried, and made sad havoc among Christ’s Sheep. Such bitter persecutors have been called out of darkness into life, the heart being changed, the life and conduct were changed too; for this is the design and the conquest of grace. It is to be lamented that many, while in the world, have been sad opposers of the doctrines of the Gospel—these take up a profession, and however promising in appearance, they still oppose the main Doctrines of the Cross. Then, I ask, what has grace done for them? In a profession they are, but in a state of reconciliation they are not. But my text tells us, that the Wolf and Lamb shall feed together—that what the Lambs feed on, such the Wolf should, when God converted them to the truth. Here the Saints are compared to Lambs, for their harmlessness and innocence; and such they are in their new-creature state. We may see this passage verified in the Apostle Paul—he was of the tribe of Benjamin, of whom Jacob said, he should ravin as a Wolf.—Thus did Saul of Tarsus against the Sheep of Jesus. He harrassed, he made sad slaughter among them. But, oh! the wonders of grace, that tamed, humbled, and reconciled him to the Saviour and his dear people, that he laid down at the feet of the Lamb of God. He fed with the Lambs in the same fold, and he was brought to feed them afterwards. Thus the Wolf and the Lamb fed together; and is not this true to this hour? Is not the same grace manifested to us who were, by nature, enemies to the Saviour, his ministers, and people; as such, to his Doctrines and Ordinances. We could, perhaps, recollect the time when our prejudices were strong against these things, but, glory be to free grace alone, we are changed; now we are never happy but at the feet of Jesus, and feeding on him, his Word, and in his Ordinances, the food on which we live, and which I shall speak of at the close of this Subject.
Secondly. This Promise may refer to the two natures in every Believer, Sin and Grace. The sinful nature of the Believer is not changed—that which is born of the flesh is flesh—it will be a Wolf all its days; though it may be kept in, by almighty grace, through deep trials and sore conflicts; yet, every Believer is, in his New Man, Lamb-like, though often worried by the Wolf of his own corruptions. Yet these must dwell together till death; these walk, these rise up, and lie down together; this is our plague, out affliction, and distress; and though we are condemned as lovers of sin, we can assure our foes we should be glad to get rid of it. Sin a burthen to the New Man; so we feel it. This sinful nature feeds on earth, and every thing that is contrary to God; but the New Man only on the great things of God.
Thirdly. May not this refer to the State of the Church of God, which is at present in her imperfect state; not only in her feelings, but plagued with those who are only hypocrites in Zion, Tares among the Wheat, Sheep among the Goats, and Wolves in Sheep’s cloathing. This is the sad state of the Saints; at times they are ready to cry out with Job, Let not the hypocrite reign, lest the souls of the righteous be ensnared. And, with the Apostles, Lord, shall we root them up? But no; these Wise and Foolish Virgins must be together till the Midnight Cry is made, then there will be an happy but awful separation; but these dwell together now, in the same Church, at the same table; sit in the same seat; look just the same as the Saints; claim the same Promises, and boast the same light; talk of what they never felt, and in full, tho’ daring and presumptuous confidence, are, in their own esteem, going to the same glory. Hence God complains of them, Ezek. xxxiii, 30, Also thou Son of Man, the children of thy people are still talking against thee, by the walls and in the doors of the houses—(how true have I found this?)—and they come unto thee as my people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; and lo, thou art to them as a very lovely song, of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well upon an instrument, for they hear thy words but they do them not. Doing them is believing—receiving the truth in the love of it; and by experience, proving the truths we preach. There are Wolves that are in Sheep’s clothing—these feed upon sounds, but the Lambs upon substance.—Under another metaphor we shall point out the food of such Wolves and Goats—they are distinct from the Sheep, and will be found so in the last great day. See 25th of Matthew’s Gospel.
The second part of the text may likewise be considered in a double sense, good and bad. As most metaphorical passages are controvertible, and will apply to a variety of cases, so in this, The Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock—in the 11th Chap. it is said like the Ox; and as the Prophet is predicting the success of the Gospel in the days of the Messiah, or the latter day glory. It may refer to the conversion of some of the great ones of our globe—kings; and such there have been, and such there shall yet be, when kings shall become nursing fathers to the Church, and queens nursing mothers. Hence the Chaldean, Assyrian, and Persian conquerors are called Lions, Dan. vii, And four great beasts came up from the sea, the first was like a Lion. The Lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lion did tear in pieces. And he cried a Lion, my Lord—the Lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way.—Thus great tyrannical oppressors, kings, mighty men, are called Lions. Some of these have been tamed, humbled, and fed with the useful, laborious patient Oxen, by whom we may understand Ministers of the Gospel. Thou shalt not muzzle the Ox. Doth God take care of Oxen? or saith he it for our sakes? for our sakes, doubtless, saith Paul, who calls Himself one of them, in common with his fellow-labourers—our sakes.
Some great men have been called, witness Manasseh, the proudest and most awful character that ever lived; and no doubt many more have experienced the power of divine grace bringing them into the Church of Jesus. These have helped kindly to support the Gospel ministry—these have fed with the ministers of the word—this, perhaps, will be better seen another day, when the ten kings shall have their hearts turned to hate the diabolical system of Popery; stall hate the Whore; eat her flesh; obtain a victory over her, and burn her with fire. Then God’s Two Witnesses shall, in the best sense, stand up for the truth—even the Magistracy and the Ministry, Kings and Preachers; and what will they not effect? This may be seen it the 15th of Revelation, when the Angels will go forth with their vials, their breasts girded with golden girdles, and clothed in robes of righteousness, truth and faithfulness. See the 17th Chap. of the Revelation, 60th of Isaiah, and 15th of Revelation. Thus the Lion shall eat Straw like the Bullock.