Isaiah 41:15 Behold, I will make you a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: you shall thresh the mountains, and beat them small… I. THE CHARACTER OF THE SUBJECT wherein this mystery of grace is carried on by Jesus Christ. It is in worm Jacob, denoting the Church in general, and every believer or true member thereof in particular. One would think, that one designed to be a thresher of the mountains should be a party of a signally great and swelling character, a hero, a giant, or if there were anything could carry the character higher: but, on the contrary, it is very low, surprisingly low, worm Jacob. II. THE MYSTERY OF GRACE CARRIED ON IN THEM BY JESUS CHRIST. 1. An apparently hopeless encounter they are led to by Him. Worm Jacob threshing the mountains. (1) The Lord lays in His people's way mountains of difficulties quite above their strength; difficulties which they look to, as a worm to a mountain before it (2 Corinthians 1:8). (2) They must not go about the mountains in their way, shifting the difficulties which the Lord calls them to; but they must make their way over them, threshing them down. (3) Therefore worm Jacob falls a-threshing the mountains, combating the difficulties which the Lord lays in his way. There is a spirit in worm Jacob more daring and venturous than ever was in any unbelieving hero. (4) They continue the combating of difficulties resolutely and patiently. Threshing is a continued action, consisting of repeated strokes. (5) Worm Jacob has many mountains to thresh. 2. A surprising success; even as surprising as a worm's threshing and beating the mountains small to dust, and threshing them away. (1) Partial successes in their way, very surprising; surprising to others and to themselves. (2) A total success at the end of their way, which will swallow them up in surprise and eternal wonder. III. I SHALL ACCOUNT FOR THIS MYSTERY. 1. God has said it, and therefore it cannot fail. 2. The glory of His grace, which is the great design of the whole mystery of God, necessarily requires it. 3. By an unalterable decree, there must be a conformity betwixt the little worm and the great worm Jacob, the little one's Kinsman-Redeemer. The great worm, the man Christ, "a worm and no man," has encountered mountains, and threshed them away. Where are the four monarchies, the most towering mountains that ever set up their heads on the earth? The chief worm Jacob has threshed them away to chaff, which is away with the wind (Daniel 2:35). The mountains stood before Him through the world, with all the fastness that human learning and the power of the sword could give; but by His few fishermen He threshed them away. 4. The little worm Jacob is-in reality but a member of the great one, Jesus Christ. 5. All the mountains that stand before worm Jacob are burnt mountains; so they are far easier to thresh than one would think. (T. Boston.) Parallel Verses KJV: Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff. |
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