Isaiah 55
SIBIsaiah 55:1-5
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 you 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 covenant of grace, which contains, bequeaths, and insures, all the free blessings promised to David; but purchased 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 and conquer their enemies. 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
Isaiah 55:6-13
Importantly 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 assured faith of the unbounded mercy and pardoning grace of God: for, in riches of mercy, his purposes, words, and works, infinitely transcend every thing 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
REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. LV.—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 3 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