The holy of the Lord "And the holy feast of JEHOVAH"] Twenty- eight MSS. (seven ancient) add the conjunction w vau, �wdqlw velikedosh; and so the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate. One of my own has the same reading.

Nor speaking thine own words "From speaking vain words."] It is necessary to add some epithet to make out the sense; the Septuagint say, angry words; the Chaldee, words of violence. If any such epithet is lost here, the safest way is to supply it by the prophet's own expression, ver. 9, wa rbdw vedabar aven, vain words; that is, profane, impious, injurious, &c.

"The additional epithet seems unnecessary; the Vulgate and Spriac have it not; and the sense is good without it; two ways, first by taking rbdw vedabar for a noun, and rbd dabur for the participle pahul, and rendering,] 'From pursuing thy pleasure, and the thing resolved on.' Or, secondly, by supposing the force of the preposition m mem to have been continued from the verb awxmm mimmetso to the verb rbdw vedabber immediately following; and rendering,] 'From executing thy pleasure, and from speaking words concerning it.' But the first seems the easier rendering." -Dr. JUBB.

Is. 58:1,2 The Holy Spirit had hypocrites of every age in view Self-love and timid Christians may say, Spare thyself; dislike to the cross and other motives will say, "Spare the rich and powerful;" but God says, "Spare not:" and we must obey God, not men. We all nee earnestly to pray for God's assistance in examining ourselves. Men ma go far toward heaven, yet come short; and they may go to hell with good reputation.

Is. 58:3-12 A fast is a day to afflict the soul; if it does not expres true sorrow for sin, and does not promote the putting away of sin, it is not a fast. These professors had shown sorrow on stated of occasioned fasts. But they indulged pride, covetousness, and malignan passions. To be liberal and merciful is more acceptable to God tha mere fasting, which, without them, is vain and hypocritical. Many wh seem humble in God's house, are hard at home, and harass their families. But no man's faith justifies, which does not work by love Yet persons, families, neighbourhoods, churches, or nations, sho repentance and sorrow for sin, by keeping a fast sincerely, and, from right motives, repenting, and doing good works. The heavy yoke of sin and oppression must be removed. As sin and sorrow dry the bones an weaken the strongest human constitution; so the duties of kindness an charity strengthen and refresh both body and mind. Those who do justl and love mercy, shall have the comfort, even in this world. Good work will bring the blessing of God, provided they are done from love to God and man, and wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit.

Is. 58:13,14 The sabbath is a sign between God and his professin people; his appointing it is a sign of his favour to them; and their observing it is a sign of their obedience to him. We must turn from travelling on that day; from doing our pleasure on that holy day without the control and restraint of conscience; or from indulging in the pleasures of sense. On sabbath days we must not follow ou callings, or our pleasures. In all we say and do, we must put difference between this day and other days. Even in Old Testament time the sabbath was called the Lord's day, and is fitly called so still and for a further reason, it is the Lord Christ's day, Rev. 1:10. If we thus remember the sabbath day to keep it holy, we shall have the comfort and profit of it, and have reason to say, It is good to dra near to God __________________________________________________________________

Original Hebrew