Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-02-05
THE GRACIOUS CALL.
LESSON W, FIRST OJAHTE7. INTER-
NJ o. Sc T.. FL


l. "Ho, every one that thrsteth, come
we to the waters, yea, come buy wine and
milk without money and without price"
In verses IL and II of the last chapter we
have Il summary of the blessedness that
shall come to Israel as a nation because of
the suiTerngs of her Messiah. Then shall
waters of blessing flow forth from them
for all nations tilzek Xvii, LIZ; Iech. xiv,
81, and this is the ultimate reach of this
chapter and it's primary application.
Many however, will see here only pres
ent and personal salvation for individual
believers
.. "Hcarken diligently unto me, and eat
We that which is good, and let your soul
delight itself in tatness. All our own
efforts to obtain righteousness and soul
satisfaction are like spending time,
strength and money for naught But
when we turn to HIM who is the fountain
of life aud receive Him, then we have right
eousness
3. "lncline your ear and come unto me,
! hear and your soul shall live Thus the
prophets were ever pleading with Israel.
See the application TO Us in John V, "A.
But the everlasting covenant and sure
mercies of David are specially Jewish der
Xxx, .. xxi, 81. Luke |, 81. &0 In the
days of the fulillmcnt of that covenant we
who are now true believers in Christ shall
be manifested with Him in glory as His
body, Joint rulers with Him tCol iii, I
Rev iii, 2D
l. "BchoId. have given Him for a wit
ness to the people, a leaderan commander
to the people" Who can he be but the
true David (BelovedJ, Dtvid's greater son
y ~
faithful and true witness drew. i, 81, the
King of Israel John i, 80, xviii, 30 He is
also the captain of our salvation, and the
captain of the Hosts of the Lord, God Him
self our captain (Ileb ii, 10, Josh. v, IA, IL
/ Chron. xiii, l2J May our hearts say my
Lord and my God -
5. behold, thou shalt call a nation that
thou knowest not, and nations that knew
not thee shall run unto thee because of
| the Lord thy God" 4 nation, and nations
/ drawn to God through Israel What can
/ the first be but that nation referred to by
Jesus and Peter (Math. xxi, 43, Pet. ii, 81,
even the church now being gathered out of
all nations. And the nations must he the
"all nations OF millennial days who shall
| flow to Israel after the glory of God is re
stored to her lisa tx, l-3. xii, |. 2, Jer
| iii, ~
g. "Seek ye the Lord while He may be
found, call We upon Him while He is near"
The prophet now turns from the future
| glory to the present in which he lived,
urging an immediate turning to God with
the whole heart that so they might, in
dividually at least, make sure of the glory
of the kingdom.
Z. Let the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man his thoughts and let
! him return unto the Lord" The encour
agement to do was the mercy and
! abundant pardon awaiting any who would
return So it is to-day.
s. For my thoughts are not your
thoughts neither are your ways my ways.
saith the Lord" How worse than foolish,
, them to follow our own ways or indulge in
our own thoughts rather let us be filled
with Gods thoughts AS given us in His
word and so our thoughts shall be crowded
out (Jer. xxx, II, Ps Xix, II, Mic.
iv, 10; II Cor. Y, -. See the folly of orr
thoughts in the case of Abram, and of
Naaman Gen. NIX, III II Kings, V, ID.
o. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts" The Lord knoweth the
thoughts of man that they are vanity, for
the wisdom of this world is fooishneas
with God Ops. kew II. ! Cor. iii, 10 POI
But the thoughts Of the Lord they shall
come to pass, and His purposes shall stand
! Elsa. xiv, 20 The thoughts of the church
of today are that by the preaching of the
| Gospel she is to convert the world, but
| Gods thoughts are that the church being
| gathered out, Israel shall be rs II nation
converted, and they shall fiji the earth with
the knowledge of the Lord (Rom. XII, ~
10, 25 26).
10. For as the rain cometh down, and
the snow, from Heaven, and returneth not
thither." In Eccl. i, I, we learn that the
rain having descended and filled the rivers
which run into the sea, does ascend again
and SO continues to do, but the teaching
here is that nothing God does is done in
vain.
II. $50 shall my word be, it shall not re
turn unto me void; but it shall accomplish
that which please" His word is us the
rain (Deut. xxi, p 1t will always &C
complish his pleasure.
II. For ye shall 20 out with JOY and be
led forth with peace, and all the trees of
the field shall clap their hands" The
preacher who now goes forth is to expect
the hatred and opposition of the world
John XIV, 10; xvi, g and that only por
ton of the seed sown will bear fruit luke
viii, ll-l5) and that hypocrites and true
believers will 90 on side by side until the
harvest; many followers of the devil will
be found in the so called church, and
preachers will preach everything but the
Gospel (Math. xiii, 9O-33). But in the
time of Israel's great mission things shall
be very different, for Gods spirit shall
be poured out upon all flesh (Joel ii, rs, 32)
10 "And it shall be to the Lord for a
name, for an everlasting sign that shall
not be cut off. The Messiah shall then
have come no more to die Israel shall be
established in her own land, 70 more to be
plucked up, nor thrown Gown. The curse
Shall be removed rom the earth and God
everywhere ..orihed der. XXI. 40; Amos
TX io' lex. xxxvii, "a %; Rev. xxi, l-5),
..orns and thistles were to be the visible
token of the curse upon the earth Gen. iii,
II, lS). When our Saviour wore the crown
of thorns He suffered for the whole crea
ton which was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of Him who
hath subjected the same in hope, and the
fact that He wore the crown of thorns is
the pledge and assurance that the creation