men: so shall he sprinkle shut' their mouths at him: told them shall they see: heard shall they consider.

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many nations: the kings shall for that which had not been and that which they had not Isa. lii. 13—15".

No. LXXXIII.

A prophetic Intimation of the Rejection and Sufferings of Christ.

No. 83. Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm P of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isa. liii. 1—3.

No. LXXXIV.

Upon the Cause and Object of Christ's Sufferings: the Sins of Man the Cause; to make Atonement and procure Pardon for them, the Object.

No. 84. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we

k"Sprinkle," i. e. purify, cleanse, hallow.

1 "Shut their mouths,” i. e. " from respect and reverence." m "That," &c. i. e. new knowledge shall be revealed, fresh information communicated.

n For a commentary on this and the following chapter, see Bishop Chandler's Defence, p. 178.

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Who," &c. see the note at the end of the chapter. "The arm," &c. see Isa. lii. 10.

are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isa. liii. 4—6.

No. LXXXV.

A prophetic Account of some of the Proceedings against Christ; of his Demeanour, Death, and Burial.

No. 85. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation, for he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked', and with the rich in

"From prison and from judgment." This may perhaps refer to the rapidity of the proceedings against him, so as to allow no time for evidence to justify his pretensions, to shew the character of his life, and the mighty works that he had done. It was night when he was apprehended, and at noon the next day he was upon the cross. See Matt. xxvii. 45. Mark xv. 25-33. Luke xxiii. 33-44. John xix. 14. See Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 266.

"With the wicked," &c. These singular predictions "that "he should make his grave with the wicked, and (yet be) with "the rich in his death," were verified in Christ. Two thieves were crucified with him, Matt. xxvii. 38. so as to fulfil one prediction, and Joseph of Arimathea, a rich man, begged the body of Jesus, and wound it (with spices, myrrh, and aloes, about an hundred pounds weight, John xix. 39, 40.) in fine linen, (Mark xv. 46.) and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock, wherein was never man yet laid (Matt. xxvii. 57-60. Mark xv. 43--46. John xix. 38-42.) so as to fulfil the other.

his death; because he had done no violence, neither was deceit in his mouth. Isa. liii. 7-9.

any

No. LXXXVI.

A prophetic Intimation that Christ's Sufferings would be agreeable to God's Will: that he should have Reason afterwards to be satisfied with the beneficial Effects they should produce, for by bearing the Iniquities of many, he should entitle them to be treated as though they had been Just, and free from Sin.

No. 86. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Isa. liii. 10, 11.

No. LXXXVII.

A prophetic Intimation of the Exaltation of Christ, and of its Causes, viz. his Death, his Humiliation, his Atonement, and Intercession.

No. 87. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isa. liii. 12.

5 This chapter is so repeatedly referred to in the New Testament, that there can be no doubt of its prophetic character and application. St. John says, "though he (i. e. Christ) had done so

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many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him, that

No. LXXXVIII.

A prophetic Invitation to the Gentile World, and an Intimation of its Acceptance and Success.

No. 88. Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not,

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"the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he 'spake, Lord, who hath believed our report, and to whom hath "the arm of the Lord been revealed?" John xii. 37, 38. St. Paul refers to the same verse, 66 they have not all obeyed the Gospel, for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report ?' ?? Rom. x. 16. St. Peter applies parts of the fifth, sixth, and ninth verses to our Saviour, "who did no sin, neither was guile "found in his mouth, by whose stripes ye were healed, for ye were "as sheep going astray." 1 Pet. ii. 22-25. When the Eunuch put the question to Philip, "of whom spake the prophet," the seventh and eighth verses, (" he was led as a sheep to the slaughter," &c.) " of himself, or some other person?" Philip began at the same Scripture and preached unto him Jesus, Acts viii. 34, 35. The fact of crucifying our Saviour with the two thieves draws from St. Mark this observation, "the Scripture was fulfilled “which saith, and he was numbered with the transgressors.' Mark xv. 28. And our Saviour had said before he was betrayed, "this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, ‘and he was "reckoned among the transgressors.' Luke xxii. 37.

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"The barren" and "the desolate" signify the Gentiles, who had produced none of the children of God, no true worshippers : and "the married wife," the Jews or Israelites. St. Paul cites this, Gal. iv. 27. Jerusalem," says he, "which is above, is "free. For it is written, Rejoice thou barren, that bearest not, "break forth and cry thou that travailest not, for the desolate "hath many more children than she which hath an husband.'"

lengthen thy" cords, and strengthen thy stakes, for thou shalt break forth on the right hand, and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Is. liv. 1-3.

No. LXXXIX.

A prophetic Encouragement to the Gentiles to embrace Christianity.

:

No. 89. Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; 'but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee. Is. liv. 4-10.

O thou afflicted, tossed with tempests, and not comforted, behold I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.And all thy

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Thy cords," and "thy stakes," by which their tents were supported. An intimation of the numbers that should embrace Christianity.

▾ Our Saviour cites this passage, and argues from it, as if written prophetically of him. "It is written in the prophets,