Having foretold the redemption of the peculiar people of God, the establishment of his kingdom, with the manner of its manifeftation, and the happy fuccefs which was to attend the fervices of its minifters, whom he had encouraged and directed,-our prophet, in the name of Jehovah, calls attention to the foundation on which these important matters depended, namely, the perfect obedience of the Meffiah in his humiliation with his fubfequent glorious exaltation. He first requires us diligently to contemplate this illuftrious perfon, acting with the most confummate prudence in the great work affigned to him. All are God's fervants, angels that excel in strength, the celeftial luminaries, with every creature in heaven and earth. Of the human race fome fuftain this character in confequence of their visible profeffion, and others, whofe bufinefs is to wait the intimations of God's pleasure, and to execute his commands in virtue of their peculiar relation. Of this laft fort were Mofes, David, Paul, and many others. None of thefe, but fome particular eminent fervant of God, is here intended, to whom this defignation especially belongs, namely, the great promised Meffiah, who, in chap. xlix. 3. and other places of this prophecy, is mentioned under this character.- Of him it is foretold, he shall deal prudently or profperoufly, as the Hebrew word is tranflated in the margin of fome bibles, prudence in action being the way to profperity and fuccefs in enterprize. It confits in reducing to practice the dictates of found understanding, the principles of true wisdom, and in fo fkilfully managing matters to the beft advantage, as to attain the ends in view. The expreffion imports, that God's Servant, who is elsewhere denominated the Wisdom of Jehovah, that dwells with prudence,' was to conduct the whole work given him to do with exquifite fkill, propriety, and judgment, fo as to confound his adverfaries, and to advance his own glory and the interets of his kingdom. Admirable inftances of the truth of this prediction are recorded by his apolites. apostles. What confummate wisdom did he display in his inftructions, in his miracles, and in every action of his life! Recollect his behaviour toward the Pharafees, who took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk*; to the Sadducees, who tried to embarrass him refpecting the state of a woman they supposed to have had seven husbands; and to the chief priests and scribes, relating to the payment of tribute to Cæfar.-In confequence whereof it is foretold, He fhall be exalted, &c. These words foretel the glorious elevation of Jefus Chrift, after he had by himfelf purged our fins, when God exalted him as a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and remiffion of fins, and he fat down at the right hand of the Majefty on high. In the important characters of the Prince of Life, and the Saviour of the Church, he is raised to the most diftinguished honour and glory, authority and power; he is gone far above all heavens, and hath taken poffeffion of the throne defined for him as the reward of his humiliation and obedience unto death. The well known fulfilment of this prediction, forms an important article of the gofpel, which the apoftles went forth preaching every where, and which we, my friends, profefs to believe. -What gratitude and praife, and fubjection are due to this enthroned Redeemer, who is paffed into the heavens! Though he hath afcended on high, he is ftill acceffible to his people's fupplications and thanksgivings; though he is gone up out of their fight, they are conftantly under his inspection; though he is entered into glory, he is touched with the feeling of their infirmities; though they may not be fuitably impreffed with his glory, he is deeply interefted in their conditions. Sing praises to our King, fing praises! Did he fuftain when on earth labours and fufferings for us, and is he gone into the prefence of God to manage our concerns, and can we do too much, bear too much, or part with too much, to testify our attachment to his honour and intereft! And *Mat. xxii. 15. + Mat. xxii. 23. Luke xxiii. 22. And extolled, and be very high. His praises are continually celebrated, not only on earth but in heaven. All the nations of the world fhall magnify him who lives for ever, to confummate the falvation of his Church; all kindreds of the earth fhall do him homage, on account of what he hath done for the redemption of tranfgreffors. In every age, and in every kingdom, he fhall be extolled for his perfonal excellencies, his adorable grace, and unbounded beneficence. The celestial regions, occupied by the. redeemed from among men, inceffantly refound with fongs of joy and praise to him who is the eternal object of their delightful admiration. Hear the angels around the throne, and every creature that is in heaven, faying, Bleffing, and honour, and 'glory, and power, be unto him that fitteth upon 'the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever!' And after the final judgment, the innumerable multitude of the ranfomed of the Lord, convened in one great affembly, fhall for ever adore and praife their compaffionate Saviour with exultation and triumph. -Who fhall be very high. Having laid afide the vail of his humiliation, he fhall eternally fhine forth with unspeakable splendour and glory. Elevated to the highest pinnacle of dignity and grandeur, advanced to the poffeffion of fulness of joy in the prefence of Jehovah, and invested with univerfal dominion, he fhall receive the homage of all the celeftial hofts. Compared with the Prince of the kings of the earth in his glory, how mean doth the potentates of this world appear! Their dominions are circumfcribed within narrow limits, and their reign is foon terminated, whereas his empire hath no bounds, neither thall it have any end. It extends to all places, to all creatures, and to all times, 1 fhould have faid to immortal ages.-Thofe who treat his gofpel with contempt, who look on his people as the off-fcouring of all things, who confider his yoke as infupportable, attendance on his inftitutions as an irkfome tafk, and who avowedly oppofe his honour and intereft, fhould fheuld be ftruck with horror at the review of their criminal conduct, and in the profpect of the direful confequences that shall refult from their infatuation and daring prefumption. The faithful fubjects of his kingdom, for whose benefit the Lord Jefus is highly exalted, ought to rejoice and be exceeding glad in the prospect of their elevation to glory and honour with their beloved Master, who will infinitely more than compenfate them for all that they ever did or fuffered on his account. 14. As many were astonished at thee; (his visage was fo marred more than any man, and his form more than the fons of men.) To exihibit the eminent exaltation of the great Meffiah with the more advantage, Isaiah brings into view a remakable circumftance, relative to his humiliation, which is contrafted with his elevation to the glory he now poffeffes.-Many who beheld him during his refidence on earth were on various accounts furprised and aftonished. Some were furprifed at the confummate wisdom he discovered in his conduct and discourses, others were aftonifhed at the irrefiftible power he exercised over all perfons and elements. Some wondered at the gracious words that proceded out of his mouth, others were amazed at the mighty works he performed, and the authority wherewith he delivered his inftructions. Some were furprised at his pretenfions to the high character of the Son of God, others were aftonished at his humble appearance, the meannefs of his kindred and connections, the ignominy of his death, the triumphs of his refurrection, the glory of his afcenfion, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, and the extenfive fuccefs that attended the miniftry of the gofpel. Through the foolish prejudices they entertained, they could not reconcile things fo apparently oppofite to one another; hence proceeded perplexity and aftonish ment. ment. Not a few people of this defcription feem to have been present among the men of Ifrael at Antioch, to whom the apoftle Paul, in the conclufion of his difcourfe, gave this admonition: Beware left 'that come upon you which is spoken of in the pro'phets, Behold, ye defpifers, and wonder, and pe'rish *!' This His vifage was marred more than any man. circumftance, which was remarkably verified in Jefus Chrift, especially toward the conclufion of his life on earth, fuggefts one reafon why many were aftonished at him. Never was a man fo barbarously treated as the bleffed Redeemer. Though fairer than the fons of men, and altogether lovely; though he was holy, harmless, and undefiled; though he had no fin, neither guile in his mouth; though he was full of compaffion, and manifested incomparable benevolence in a thousand inftances, he received the moft cruel and outrageous indignities. He was exposed to the reproaches and infults of his inveterate enemies; he was beaten, he was fcourged, he was crowned with thorns, he was ftruck on the head, he was blindfolded, he was fpit upon, he was dreffed as an object of derifion, after being stript of his own garments, covered with blood. Enfeebled by pain and anguish, he was harraffed by the powers of darknefs, and forfaken by his God, fo that his foul was exceeding forrowful even unto death. Having been moft unjustly condemned, by an iniquitous fentence, to an ignominious and painful death, he was led forth to the place of execution, where he was crucified between two malefactors. If David, the king of Ifrael, through his manifold troubles and forrows, fpeaks of himself as a wonder to many; if Job was fo disfigured by reafon of grief, that he became like a fhadow,-how much more muft the comely countenance of David's Lord and Job's Redeemer have been hurt and marred!-Behold the man. No wonder that VOL. IV. L Acts xiii. 40. 41. his |