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nation, yet it is evident this must be the meaning; because the context fhews, that the Gentile nations would honour him, and gather to him, and that the Jews would not. Hence it follows, that when it is faid, y 4. that he would spend his ftrength for nought, and in vain, it must be meant of the bad fuccefs of his doctrine among the Jews, feeing its fuccefs among the Gentiles is reprefented as fo very confiderable. Though the prophet's expreffions imply, that the perfon fpoken of would be rejected by the prevailing party among the Jews, it is very confiftent with this, that he would be received and honoured by a part of that people: which feems to be plainly enough intimated in y 6.; where it is faid, "It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my "fervant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to "restore the preferved of Ifrael."

All these things fhow, how unreasonable it is to imagine, that the prophet is all along fpeaking of the whole Ifraelitish nation, under the notion of a particular perfon who was to enlighten the Gentiles; because the person whom the prophet speaks of, is, in y 3. called by the name of Ifrael. In many other cafes, in different languages, the name of a nation is given to the chief perfon belonging to it; as when the Affyrian, the Perfian, or Roman, fignify the fovereigns of these nations. It is no wonder the name of Ifrael fhould be given to him who is at the fame time the light that lightens the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Ifrael; being in, deed the chief perfon, the fovereign, and chief ornament of that nation, and the perfon to whom the name of Ifrael, in its primary meaning, is chiefly applicable. It is evidently abfurd to fuppofe, that it is the Ifraelitifh nation that the prophet fpeaks of, under the notion of an individual perfon, when he tells fo plainly, that the perfon he means, is one to whom the Ifraelitish nation would not be gathered; whom the Ifraelitifh nation would defpife and

abhor;

abhor; who would spend his ftrength in vain among that nation, only a remnant among them would be restored by him. Every body will own, that it is demonftrable, that when the Evangelift Matthew narrates the hiftory of Jefus Chrift, he does not mean, by Jefus Chrift, the nation of Ifrael, though once he applies the name of Ifrael to him. The fame kind of arguments will prove, that the prophet Ifaiah, in the prediction in view, and in many others, is not fpeaking of the nation of Ifrael under the notion of a perfon, but of a real individual perfon, who would be rejected by the Jews, and received by the Gentiles.

At the end of the chapter which we are confidering, there are awful threatenings against Zion's enemies and oppreffors. The Jews indeed are not exprefsly mentioned; but it is evident from the former parts of the chapter, that the enemies of him who was to be the Light of the Gentiles would be enemies of Zion; and that the prevailing party among the Jews would be of that number.

III. As to the perfonal hiftory of the eminent perfon whom the prophet speaks of, fome facts relating to it are implied in the paffages already cited, relating to his enemies. The expreffions about his fpending his ftrength for nought among the Jews, and about his being defpifed and abhorred by that nation, plainly implying an oppofition that would be very violent and extenfive, evidently teach us, that he would live among the Jews, that he would exercise a laborious miniftry among them, and fuffer a great deal from them. When he is exprefsly called, in y 7. a fervant of rulers, that title appears to be designed, as it were, on purpose to refute the falfe notion of the Meffiah that prevailed fo much afterwards, as if he was to be a magnificent temporal prince. The prophet's words plainly import, that the perfon he speaks of was to live in a low ftation of life.

IV. As to doctrinal characters, it is evident, that the light with which it is foretold that God would favour the Gentiles, is not reprefented as a mere fpeculative knowledge of God, but a practical and most comfortable knowledge of him, founded on a revelation of mercy and grace, and directing men to a ftate of true holiness and happiness. It will be proved afterwards, that the prophets teach the same doctrine with the Apostles, about what they call. God's covenant and falvation, as including deliverance from fin, together with the attainment of the favour, the image, and the enjoyment of God; which are the things wherein the falvation of finners, and true happiness of rational creatures, chiefly confift, according both to fcripture and reafon. Now in the prophecies in view, it is not faid mere ly, that he who was to be the Light of the Gentiles would inftruct the Gentiles in the doctrines concerning God's covenant and falvation; which might be done by the most inconfiderable perfon, who fhould be well inftructed about these things himself. This extraordinary perfon is faid to be himself that covenant and that falvation. It must be owned, that this manner of expreffion is very fingular: but this itself is an argument, that the bleffings of God's covenant and falvation would be, in a fingular manner, owing to that perfon.

Hence it follows, that if we find, in other places, that the prophets speak of one particular perfon fent of God, who was to do a great deal more for our falvation, befides mere inftruction; particularly if we find, that they speak of one who was to fuffer for our fins, and to purchase our falvation; we have good cause to explain the more general expreffions, about one who was to be God's covenant and falvation, by those more particular expreffions, about one who was to do a thing fo extraordinary and fingular for us, as to purchase that falvation for us by his fufferings and death; feeing the best rules

of

of interpretation oblige us to explain expreffions that are more obfcure and general, by thofe that are more clear and particular.

It

He who is called the Light of the Gentiles, as he is faid to be God's covenant and falvation, is reprefented as the fervant of God in whom he will be glorified, 3.; as called, 1. and chofen, y 7. of, God, and in a peculiar manner fitted for a work of fingular importance, and fupported in it, y 2. is faid, that God would make his mouth like a fharp fword, 2. which feems plainly to denote the peculiar efficacy of his doctrine; that God would hide him in the fhadow of his hand, and make him á polished shaft, 2.; that he would be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and that his God would be his ftrength, 5.

V. As to the figures by which the above-mentioned facts and doctrines are expreffed; that great work of divine mercy, God's enlightening the Gentiles, and his making them partakers of his covenant and falvation, is expreffed by delivering them from prifon and darkness, feeding them in defirable paftures, and guiding them by fprings of water,

9. 10. by God's eftablishing the earth, 8. and making the defolate heritages to be inherited; as alfo by the multiplying of Zion's children, multitudes thronging into Zion, finding the place too ftrait for them, and making it neceffary that Zion fhould be enlarged to receive crouds of new inhabitants. The great changes by which Providence would remove obftacles, are expreffed by levelling mountains, II.

VI. There are two remarkable practical instruc tions, which have a near affinity to one another, and which are mixed with the facts and doctrines above mentioned, both in this prophecy, and in feveral others, which will be confidered afterwards. First, Inftructions concerning God's gracious care to comfort his afflicted people, and to give them fa

tisfying

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tisfying relief from all their forrows, y 14. 15. 16.;
and, fecondly, Inftructions concerning the fingular
importance and excellency of the great things
which God was to do for his people, about the
time that the Gentile nations would be enlightened,
13. these things being reprefented as grounds of
the univerfal triumph of heaven and earth.
will appear afterwards, that it is very ufual with
the prophets, in fpeaking of that happy time, to
break out into fuch joyful exclamations as we find
in this chapter, in y 13. "Sing, O heavens, and be
"joyful, O earth, and break forth into finging, O
"mountains."

It

VII. Whereas this chapter confifts of two parts, the first of which fpeaks exprefsly of him who was to be the light of the Gentiles, to whom the falvation of Zion, and the increase of her inhabitants, would be in a fingular and peculiar manner owing; while the fecond part contains various predictions concerning Zion herfelf, and her enemies, relating to events that would happen about the time of the enlightening of the Gentiles, without exprefs mention of him by whom that great change would be brought about: it is proper to obferve, that these things are to be confidered only as different branches of one continued difcourfe, or complex prediction; and not as if they were different fubjects, having no connection with one another. The juftnefs and usefulness of this remark will appear afterwards, in confidering how far we may reasonably extend our views, in explaining any prophetic text by the foregoing or following con

text.

ISAIAH lxii.

All the evidence that can convince us in other cafes, that two different writings, or different parts of one writing, treat of one and the fame fubject, is applicable

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