April 18

Say ye not, A confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary.—Isaiah 8:12-14.

God, speaking to the prophet by a strong hand, imparts the strong and mighty impression that was made upon his heart by the spirit of prophecy; wherein the Lord did, as it were, lay his hand upon him, as a man doth upon one to whom he is about to impart some special secret in a familiar way, as if he would say, Come hither, Isaiah (drawing him to him at the same instant, with a friendly hand); take deep notice of what I am about to give thee in charge, both with respect to thyself, and my elect people that follow thee; "Say not ye, A confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say a confederacy:" that is, let not these frightful tidings work upon you as they do upon Ahaz, and the common multitude with him, who are so terrified with the approaching dangers, that all their counsels, thoughts, and studies, are taken up in preventing it, by making a confederacy or league with the Assyrian: or if that can not be, then with some foreign power that may secure them against the Assyrian: but their eyes are not at all to me for protection and deliverance; they expect more from Egypt than from heaven; from a broken reed, than from the rock of ages. Fear not you their fear; their fear drives them from God to the creature; it first distracts them, and then ensnares them.

But, on the contrary, see that thou and all the faithful in the land with thee, do sanctify me in your hearts, and make me your fear and dread; that is, rely upon me by faith in this day of trouble, and see that you give me the glory of my wisdom, power, and faithfulness, by relying entirely upon those my attributes engaged for you in so many tried promises; and do not betake yourselves to such sinful and vain shifts as those do that have no interest in me, nor experience of me. This is the general scope and design of the text, wherein more particularly you have—

I. An evil practice prohibited: "Fear not their fear, neither be afraid." This is that sinful principle, which was but too apt to incline them to do as others did, to wit, to say, A confederacy. Sinful fears are apt to drive the best men into sinful compliances and indirect shifts to help themselves.

Their fear may be understood two ways:

1. Subjectively, for the self-same fear wherewith the carnal and unbelieving Jews feared; a fear that enslaved them in bondage of spirit, a fear that is the fruit of sin, a sin in its own nature, the cause of much sin to them, and a just punishment of God upon them for their other sins.

2. Effectively: let not your fear produce in you such mischievous effects as their fear doth; to make you forget God, magnify the creature, prefer your own wits and policies to the Almighty Power and never-failing Faithfulness of God. If you say, But how shall we help it?

II. Why, in the next place, you have an effectual remedy prescribed: "But sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and let him be your fear and your dread." The fear of God will swallow up the fear of man, a reverential awe and dread of God will extinguish the slavish fear of the creature, as the sunshine puts out fire, or as one fire fetches out another; so will this fear fetch out that.

By sanctifying the Lord of Hosts himself, is meant a due ascription of the glory of his sovereign power, wisdom, and faithfulness, not only in verbal and professed acknowledgments thereof, but especially in those internal acts of affiance, resignation, and entire dependence on him, which, as they are the choicest respects of the creature toward its God, and give him the greatest glory, so they are certainly the most beneficial and comfortable acts we can perform for our own peace and safety in times of danger.

If a man do really look to God in a day of trouble and fear as to the Lord of Hosts, that is, one that governs all the creatures, and all their actions; at whose beck and command all the armies of heaven and earth are, and then can rely upon the care and love of this God, as a child in danger of trouble reposes on, and commits himself with greater confidence to the care and protection of his father: O what peace, what rest, must necessarily follow upon this! Who would be afraid to pass through the midst of armed troops and regiments whilst he knows that the general of the army is his own father? The more power this filial fear of God obtains in our hearts, the less will you dread the power of the creature. When the Dictator ruled at Rome, then all other officers ceased; and so in a great measure will all other fears, where the fear of God is dictator in the heart. This is the remedy.

III. And to enable us to apply this remedy in the worst and most difficult times, we have a singular encouragement proposed: if we will thus sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, by such an acknowledgment of, and childlike dependence on him in times of danger, then he will be to us for a sanctuary, that is, he will surely protect, defend, and provide for us in the worst times and cases; then will the Lord "create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud, and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence, and there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time, from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from the storm and from rain." Let the winds roar, the rain beat, the lightnings flash, you are in safety, and have a good roof over your heads.

"Fear him, ye saints; and you will then Have nothing else to fear: Make you his service your delight; Your wants shall be his care."