"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the joyful messenger, "is an expression highly poetical: for, how welcome is his arrival! how agreeable are the tidings which he brings! Nahum, chap. i. 15, who is generally supposed to have lived after Isaiah, has manifestly taken from him this very pleasing image; but the imitation does not equal the beauty of the original:- "Behold upon the mountain the feet of the joyful messenger, Of him that announceth peace! Celebrate, O Judah, thy festivals; perform thy vows: For no more shall pass through thee the wicked one; He is utterly cut off." But it must at the same time be observed that Isaiah's subject is infinitely more interesting and more sublime than that of Nahum; the latter denounces the destruction of the capital of the Assyrian empire, the most formidable enemy of Judah; the ideas of the former are in their full extent evangelical; and accordingly St. Paul has, with the utmost propriety, applied this passage to the preaching of the Gospel, Rom. x. 15. The joyful tidings here to be proclaimed, "Thy God, O Zion, reigneth, "are the same that John the Baptist, the messenger of Christ, and Christ himself, published: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." From the use made of this by our Lord and the apostles, we may rest assured that the preachers of the Gospel are particularly intended.

Mountains are put for the whole land of Judea, where the Gospel was first preached. There seems to be an allusion to a battle fought, and the messengers coming to announce the victory, which was so decisive that a peace was the consequence, and the king's throne established in the land.

There appear to have been two sorts of messengers among the Jews: one sort always employed to bring evil tidings; the other to bring good. The names also and persons of these different messengers appear to have been well known; so that at a distance they could tell, from seeing the messenger, what sort of tidings he was bringing. See a case in point, 2 Sam. xviii. 19-27. Ahimaaz and Cushi running to bring tidings of the defeat of Absalom and his rebel army. Ahimaaz is a GOOD man and bringeth GOOD tidings.

Is. 52:1-12 The gospel proclaims liberty to those bound with fears. Le those weary and heavy laden under the burden of sin, find relief in Christ, shake themselves from the dust of their doubts and fears, an loose themselves from those bands. The price paid by the Redeemer for our salvation, was not silver or gold, or corruptible things, but his own precious blood. Considering the freeness of this salvation, and ho hurtful to temporal comfort sins are, we shall more value the redemption which is in Christ. Do we seek victory over every sin recollecting that the glory of God requires holiness in every followe of Christ? The good news is, that the Lord Jesus reigns. Christ himsel brought these tidings first. His ministers proclaim these good tidings keeping themselves clean from the pollutions of the world, they ar beautiful to those to whom they are sent. Zion's watchmen coul scarcely discern any thing of God's favour through the dark cloud of their afflictions; but now the cloud is scattered, they shall plainl see the performance. Zion's waste places shall then rejoice; all the world will have the benefit. This is applied to our salvation by Christ. Babylon is no place for Israelites. And it is a call to all in the bondage of sin and Satan, to use the liberty Christ has proclaimed They were to go with diligent haste, not to lose time nor linger; but they were not to go with distrustful haste. Those in the way of duty are under God's special protection; and he that believes this, will no hasten for fear.

Is. 52:13-15 Here begins that wonderful, minute, and faithfu description of the office, character, and glory of the Messiah, whic has struck conviction to many of the most hardened unbelievers. Chris is Wisdom itself; in the work of our redemption there appeared the wisdom of God in a mystery. Those that saw him, said, Surely never ma looked so miserable: never was sorrow like unto his sorrow. But God highly exalted him. That shall be discovered by the gospel of Christ which could never be told in any other way. And Christ having once she his blood for sinners, its power still continues. May all opposers se the wisdom of ceasing from their opposition, and be made partakers of the blood of sprinkling, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost; obeyin him, and praising his salvation __________________________________________________________________

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