od's care over his people. (1-5) A promise of their recall to
Divine favour. (6-13)
Verses 1-5: The Lord Jesus with his strong sword, the virtue of his
death, and the preaching of his gospel, does and will destroy
him that had the power of death, that is, the devil, that old
serpent. The world is a fruitless, worthless wilderness; but the
church is a vineyard, a place that has great care taken of it,
and from which precious fruits are gathered. God will keep it in
the night of affliction and persecution, and in the day of peace
and prosperity, the temptations of which are not less dangerous.
God also takes care of the fruitfulness of this vineyard. We
need the continual waterings of Divine grace; if these be at any
time withdrawn, we wither, and come to nothing. Though God
sometimes contends with his people, yet he graciously waits to
be reconciled unto them. It is true, when he finds briers and
thorns instead of vines, and they are set in array against him,
he will tread them down and burn them. Here is a summary of the
doctrine of the gospel, with which the church is to be watered
every moment. Ever since sin first entered, there has been, on
God's part, a righteous quarrel, but, on man's part, most
unrighteous. Here is a gracious invitation given. Pardoning
mercy is called the power of our Lord; let us take hold on that.
Christ crucified is the power of God. Let us by lively faith
take hold on his strength who is a strength to the needy,
believing there is no other name by which we can be saved, as a
man that is sinking catches hold of a bough, or cord, or plank,
that is in his reach. This is the only way, and it is a sure
way, to be saved. God is willing to be reconciled to us.
Verses 6-13: In the days of the gospel, the latter days, the gospel
church shall be more firmly fixed than the Jewish church, and
shall spread further. May our souls be continually watered and
kept, that we may abound in the fruits of the Spirit, in all
goodness, righteousness, and truth. The Jews yet are kept a
separate and a numerous people; they have not been rooted out as
those who slew them. The condition of that nation, through so
many ages, forms a certain proof of the Divine origin of the
Scriptures; and the Jews live amongst us, a continued warning
against sin. But though winds are ever so rough, ever so high,
God can say to them, Peace, be still. And though God will
afflict his people, yet he will make their afflictions to work
for the good of their souls. According to this promise, since
the captivity in Babylon, no people have shown such hatred to
idols and idolatry as the Jews. And to all God's people, the
design of affliction is to part between them and sin. The
affliction has done us good, when we keep at a distance from the
occasions of sin, and use care that we may not be tempted to it.
Jerusalem had been defended by grace and the Divine protection;
but when God withdrew, she was left like a wilderness. This has
awfully come to pass. And this is a figure of the deplorable
state of the vineyard, the church, when it brought forth wild
grapes. Sinners flatter themselves they shall not be dealt with
severely, because God is merciful, and is their Maker. We see
how weak those pleas will be. Verses (12,13), seem to predict
the restoration of the Jews after the Babylonish captivity, and
their recovery from their present dispersion. This is further
applicable to the preaching of the gospel, by which sinners are
gathered into the grace of God; the gospel proclaims the
acceptable year of the Lord. Those gathered by the sounding of
the gospel trumpet, are brought in to worship God, and added to
the church; and the last trumpet will gather the saints
together.
od's care over his people. (1-5) A promise of their recall to
Divine favour. (6-13)