and so preserve their comforts and spiritual lives; the waters that come into their souls, may reach to the neck, (Ps. lxix. 1.) but there shall their proud waves be stayed. And here is another comfortable intimation, that though the stretching out of the wings of the Assyrian, that bird of prey, though the right and left wing of his army, should fill the breadth of the land of Judah, yet still it was Immanuel's land. It is thy land, O Immanuel; it was to be Christ's land, for there he was to be born, and live, and preach, and work miracles. He was Zion's King, and therefore had a peculiar interest in, and concern for, that land. Note, The lands that Immanuel owns for his, as he does all those lands that own him, though they may be deluged, shall not be destroyed: for when the enemy shall come in like a flood, Immanuel shall secure his own, and shall lift up a standard against him, ch. lix. 19.
9. Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. 11. For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me, that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12. Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy: neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14. And he shall be for a sanctuary: but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence, to both the houses of Israel; for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15. And many among them shall stumble and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
The prophet here returns to speak of the present distress that Ahaz, and his court and kingdom, were in, upon account of the threatening confederacy of the ten tribes, and the Syrians, against them. And in these verses,
I. He triumphs over the invading enemies, and, In effect, sets them at defiance, and bids them do their worst; (v. ix. 10.) "O ye people, ye of far countries, give ear to what the prophet says to you in God's name.
1. "We doubt not but you will now make your utmost efforts against Judah and Jerusalem; you associate yourselves in a strict alliance, you gird yourselves, and again you gird yourselves, you prepare for action, you address yourselves to it with resolution, you gird on your swords, you gird up your loins, you animate and encourage yourselves and one another with all the considerations you can think of, you take counsel together, call councils of war, and all heads are at work, about the proper method for making yourselves masters of the land of Judah, you speak the word, you come to resolutions concerning it, and are not always deliberating, you determine what to do, and are very confident of the success of it, that the matter will be accomplished with a word's speaking." Note, It is with a great deal of policy, resolution, and assurance, that the church's enemies carry on their designs against it; and abundance of pains they take to roll a stone that will certainly return upon them.
2. "This is to let you know that all your efforts will be ineffectual; you cannot, you shall not, gain your point, nor carry the day; you shall be broken in pieces; though you associate yourselves, though you gird yourselves, thou you proceed with all the policy and precaution imaginable, yet, I tell you again and again, all your projects shall be baffled, you shall be broken in pieces; nay, not only your attempts shall be ruined, but your attempts shall be your ruin; you shall be broken by those designs you have formed against Jerusalem; your councils shall come to naught; for there is no wisdom or counsel against the Lord; your resolves will not be put in execution, they shall not stand; you speak the word, but who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, if the Lord commandeth it not? What sets up itself against God, and his cause, and counsel, cannot stand, but must inevitably fall. For God is with us;" (this refers to the name of Immanuel—God with us;) "the Messiah is to be born among us, and a people designed for such an honour cannot be given up to utter ruin; we have now the special presence of God with us in his temple, his oracles, his promises, and these are our defence. God is with us, he is on our side, to take our part, and fight for us; and if God be for us, who can be against us?" Thus does the daughter of Zion despise them.
II. He comforts and encourages the people of God with the same comforts and encouragements which he himself had received: the attempts made upon them were very formidable; the house of David, the court and royal family, were at their wits' end, (ch. vii. 2.) and then no marvel if the people were in a consternation.
Now, 1. The prophet tells us how he was himself taught of God not to give way to such amazing fears as the people were disturbed with, nor to run into the same measures with them; (v. 11.) "The Lord spake to me with a strong hand, not to walk in the way of this people; not to say as they say, nor do as they do, nor to entertain the same frightful apprehensions of things, nor to approve of their projects of making peace upon any terms, or calling in the help of the Assyrians." God instructed the prophet not to go down the stream. Note, (1.) There is a proneness in the best of men to be frightened at threatening clouds, especially when fears are epidemical. We are all too apt to walk in the way of the people we live among, though it be not a good way. (2.) Those whom God loves and owns, he will instruct, and enable to swim against the stream of common corruptions, particularly of common fears. He will find ways to teach his own people not to walk in the way of other people, but in a sober singularity. (3.) Corruption is sometimes so active in the hearts even of good men, that they have need.to be taught their duty with a strong hand, and it is God's prerogative to teach so, for he only can give an understanding, and overpower the contradiction of unbelief and prejudice. He can teach the heart; and herein none teaches like him. (4.) Those that are to teach others have need to be themselves well instructed in their duty, and then they teach most powerfully, when they teach experimentally; the word that comes from the heart, is most likely to reach to the heart; and what we are ourselves by the grace of God instructed in, we should, as we are able, teach others also.
2. Now what is it that he says to God's people?
(1.) He cautions them against a sinful fear, v. 12. It seems, it was the way of this people at this time, and fear is catching; he whose heart fails him, makes his brethren's heart to fail, like his heart; (Deut. xx. 8.) therefore Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy: that is, [1.] "Be not associated with them in the confederacies they are projecting and fore-
