41  God called Cyrus, and was with him, the nations idolatrous, Isa 41:1-8.
Israel encouraged by promises of safety and deliverance, Isa 41:9-20.
The vanity of idols, Isa 41:21-24.
Redemption by Christ, Isa 41:25-29.

41:4 Calling - Them out of nothing, giving them breath and being: disposing and employing them as he sees fit. From the beginning - All persons and generations of mankind from the beginning of the world.I - Who was before all things even from eternity, and shall be unto eternity.

41:5 The isles - Even remote countries. Saw - Discerned the mighty work of God in delivering his people, and overthrowing their enemies.Feared - Lest they should be involved in the same calamity.Came - They gathered themselves together.

41:7 Fastened it - To the wall or pillar.

41:9 Thou - Thou Israel, whom I took to myself, and brought hither in the loins of thy father Abraham, from a remote country.Called thee - From the midst of many great persons among whom he lived in Chaldea. Chosen - I have chosen thee and thy seed through all generations.

41:11 Confounded - Because the mischief which they contrived against thee shall fall upon themselves.

41:13 Will hold - Will enable thee to vanquish all thine enemies.

41:14 Thou worm - Who art weak in thyself, and trodden under foot by thy proud enemies.

17 This chapter contains articles of agreement betwixt the great Jehovah, the father of mercies, and pious Abram, the father of the faithful.Mention was made of this covenant, Gen 15:18.
but here it is particularly drawn up.Here are,

1. The circumstances of the making of this covenant, the time and manner, Gen 17:1.
   and the posture Abram was in, Gen 17:3.
   
2. The covenant itself, in the particular instances.
   1. That he should be the father of many nations, Gen 17:4. Gen 17:6.
      and in token of that his name was changed, Gen 17:5.
      
   2. That God would be a God to him and his seed, and would give them the land of Canaan, Gen 17:7-8.
      and the seal of this part of the covenant was circumcision, Gen 17:9-14.
      
   3. That he should have a son by Sarai, and in token of that her name was changed, Gen 17:15-16.
      This promise Abraham received, Gen 17:17.
      And his request for Ishmael, (Gen 17:18.) was answered abundantly
      to his satisfaction, Gen 17:19-22.
      
3. The circumcision of Abraham and his family, according to God's appointment, Gen 17:23-27.
   

17:1 And when Abram was ninety nine years old - Full thirteen years after the birth of Ishmael. So long the promise of Isaac was deferred;

1. Perhaps to correct Abram's over - hasty marrying ofHagar.
2. That Abram and Sarai being so far striken in age, God's power inthis matter might be the more magnified.

1. As an avenger, from wrv he destroyed, or laid waste; so some:and they think God took this title from the destruction of the old world: Or,
2. As a benefactor, v for rva who, and yr it sufficeth.

But the covenant is mutual, walk before me, and be thou perfect - Thatis, upright and sincere. Observe,

1. That to walk before God, is to set God always before us, and to think,and speak, and act, in every thing as those that are always under his eye.It is to have a constant regard to his word, as our rule, and to his glory, as our end, in all our actions. It is to be inward with him in all the duties of religious worship, and to be entire for him in all holy conversation.
2. That upright walking with God is the condition of our interest in hisall - sufficiency. If we neglect him, or dissemble with him, we forfeit the benefit of our relation to him.
3. A continual regard to God's all - sufficiency will have a great influenceupon our upright walking with him.

17:3 And Abram fell on his face while God talked with him - Either,

1. As one overcome by the brightness of the Divine glory: Daniel andJohn did so likewise. Or.
2. As one ashamed of himself, and blushing to think of the honours doneto one so unworthy. He looks upon himself with humility, and upon God with reverence, and, in token of both, falls on his face.

17:4 The promise is here introduced with solemnity: As for me, saith the Great God, Behold, behold and admire it, behold and be assured of it, my covenant is with thee. And thou shalt be a father of many nations - This implies,

1. That his seed after the flesh should be very numerous, both in Isaacand in Ishmael, and in the sons of Keturah. And the event answered, for there have been, and are, more of the children of men descended from Abraham, than from any one man at equal distance with him from Noah, the common root.
2. That all believers, in every age, should be looked upon as his spiritualseed, as the father of the faithful. In this sense the apostle directs us to understand this promise, Rom 4:16-17. He is the father of those, in every nation, that, by faith, enter into covenant with God, and (as the Jewish writers express it) are gathered under the wings of the divine majesty.

17:5 In token of this, his name was changed from Abram, a high father, to Abraham, the father of a multitude. This was to confirm the faith of Abraham, while he was childless; perhaps even his own name was sometimes an occasion of grief to him; Why should he be called a high father, who was not a father at all? But now God had promised him a numerous issue, and had given him a name which signified so much; that name was his joy.

17:7 And I will establish my covenant - Not to be altered or revoked; not with thee only, then it would die with thee but with thy seed after thee; and it is not only thy seed after the flesh, but thy spiritual seed. It is everlasting in the evangelical meaning of it. The covenant of grace is everlasting; it is from everlasting in the counsels of it, and to everlasting in the consequences of it; and the external administration of it is transmitted, with the seal of it, to the seed of believers, and the internal administration of it by the Spirit to Christ's seed in every age. This is a covenant of exceeding great and precious promises. Here are two which indeed are all - sufficient, that God would be their God. All the privileges of the covenant, all its joys, and all its hopes, are summed up in this. A man needs desire no more than this to make him happy. What God is himself, that he will be to his people: wisdom to guide and counsel them, power to protect and support them, goodness to supply and comfort them; what faithful worshippers can expect from the God they serve, believers shall find in God as theirs. This is enough, yet not all.

17:8 And I will give thee Canaan for an everlasting possession - God had before promised this land to Abraham and his seed, Gen 15:18.But here, it is promised for an everlasting possession, as a type of heaven, that everlasting rest which remains for the people of God. This is that better country to which Abraham had an eye, and the grant of which was that which answered the vast extent of that promise, that God would be to them a God; so that if God had not designed this, he would have been ashamed to be called their God, Heb 11:16. As the land of Canaan was secured to the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh; so heaven is secured to all his spiritual seed for a possession truly everlasting. The offer of this eternal life is made in the word, and confirmed by the sacraments, to all that are under the external administration of the covenant, and the earnest of it is given to all believers.

15 

15:22 Counsel - When men do not seek, or will not receive advice from others.

15:23 The answer - By a wise, or good and seasonable answer.

15:24 The way - The way a wise man takes to obtain life, is to place his heart, and treasure, and conversation on things above.

15:25 The proud - Of the mighty oppressors. The border - The estate, the border being often used, for the land within the borders.

15:26 Pleasant - Acceptable to God.

15:27 Troubleth - Brings God's curse upon himself and family.Gifts - Bribes given to corrupt judgment. Live - Shall preserve himself and family from ruin.

15:28 Studieth - He speaks considerately. The mouth - Not the heart; for he rashly speaks what comes into his mouth, without the direction of his heart or conscience.

15:30 A good report - A good name. Fat - Not only chears a man for the present, but gives him such stable comfort as revives his soul, and gives vigour to his body.

15:31 The ear - The man that hearkens to that reproof which leads to life, seeks and delights in the company of the wise.

15:33 The instruction - Doth instruct men in true wisdom.

16 

16:1 From the Lord - Men can neither think nor speak wisely and well without Divine assistance.

16:2 Weigheth - Exactly knows as men do the things which they weigh.Spirits - The hearts of men.

16:3 Commit - Refer all thy actions and concerns to God, as the end of them, and depend upon God's providence for success. Established - Thy designs shall be brought to an happy issue.

16:4 Doth work - He orders or disposes. For - For his own glory; for the discovery of his wisdom, power, goodness, truth, justice.The wicked - Wilful and impenitent sinners. Men make themselves wicked, and God therefore makes them miserable.

16:6 By mercy - By a merciful and just and faithful frame of heart and course of life. Is purged - As they qualify a man to offer up acceptable prayers to God for the pardon of his sins. By fear - By a filial reverence unto God. Depart - They are kept from abusing pardoning mercy, and from returning to folly or wickedness.

16:9 Deviseth - Proposes what he will do. Directeth - Over - rules and disposes all his designs and actions.